Pharmaco - Today Stories

Boehringer Ingelheim, a leading research-driven biopharmaceutical company, today announced a further expansion and upgrade of its plant in Koropi, Greece. With an investment of EUR 120 million, the company will increase the manufacturing capacity of new and existing medications, some of them in the late-stage development of the company’s strong innovation pipeline. Main disease areas include cardio-renal-metabolic (CRM) diseases, mental health, and pulmonary fibrosis. The expansion will create 110 additional jobs and boost medicine exports from Greece, particularly of Jardiance®, a medication used to treat type 2 diabetes, chronic (long-term) heart failure and chronic kidney disease, to the US market. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis attended the groundbreaking ceremony at the K…

Ingelheim, Germany — 9 January 2024 — Boehringer Ingelheim has kicked off 2024 on a high note by announcing that the company is entering five new R&D partnerships to further enable and accelerate the company’s commitment to transform the lives of patients world-wide. Through these strategic partnerships, Boehringer is building on past years successes, including 2023 where the company entered into more than 100 new R&D partnerships.  The five partnerships just unveiled focus on addressing high unmet patient needs across three leading of Boehringer’s focus areas: Oncology, cardio-renal-metabolic and fibro-inflammatory diseases: The collaboration with Suzhou Ribo Life Science Co., Ltd. and Ribocure Pharmaceuticals AB (Ribo) will focus on the development of new mRNAi therapeutics f…

INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) today announced LillyDirect™, a new digital healthcare experience for patients in the U.S. living with obesity, migraine and diabetes. LillyDirect offers disease management resources, including access to independent healthcare providers*, tailored support, and direct home delivery of select Lilly medicines through third-party pharmacy dispensing services. "A complex U.S. healthcare system adds to the burdens patients face when managing a chronic disease. With LillyDirect, our goal is to relieve some of those burdens by simplifying the patient experience to help improve outcomes," said David A. Ricks, Lilly's chair and CEO. "LillyDirect offers more choices in how and where people access healthcare, including a conv…

Ingelheim, Germany, Mölndal, Sweden and Kunshan, China — 3 January 2024 — Suzhou Ribo Life Science Co., Ltd. and Ribocure Pharmaceuticals AB (Ribo) today announced a collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim to develop novel treatments for nonalcoholic or metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (NASH/MASH). The partnership brings together Ribo’s leading experience in the discovery and clinical development of small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapeutics with Boehringer’s commitment to improving the lives of people living with cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases (CRM). More than 440 million people worldwide are estimated to live with NASH, an inflammatory liver disease that is caused by accumulation of fat in the liver. Over time, NASH causes scar tissue formation, which in…

Agreement Expands Access to Labcorp's Diagnostics Capabilities and Services BURLINGTON, N.C., Nov. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Labcorp (NYSE: LH), a global leader of innovative and comprehensive laboratory services, announced today the completion of the previously announced transaction with Legacy Health to acquire select assets of Legacy's outreach laboratory business. Labcorp also now manages Legacy's inpatient hospital laboratories through a long-term agreement to provide staffing, leadership, scientific knowledge, analytics, supply chain services and laboratory support.  "This milestone will benefit communities in Oregon and Southwest Washington by expanding access to Labcorp's industry-leading laboratory services and diagnostic testing," said Rajat Mehta, Senior Vice President of Labcorp…

Gilead Will Have Exclusive Rights to Later Stage Development and Commercialization of Anti-IL18 Binding Protein Antibodies with Potential to Treat Various Tumor Types Gilead to Make $60 Million Upfront Payment and $30 Million in a Near Term Milestone Payment with a Total Deal Value of up to $848 Million FOSTER CITY, Calif. & HOLON, Israel--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced an agreement with Compugen Ltd. (Nasdaq: CGEN) (TASE: CGEN), a clinical-stage cancer immunotherapy company and a pioneer in computational target discovery, headquartered in Holon, Israel, to exclusively license its potential first-in-class, pre-clinical antibody program against IL-18 binding protein, including the COM503 drug candidate. Compugen utilizes its broadly applicable…

Further establishes Pfizer as a leading oncology company poised to accelerate the next generation of breakthrough treatments for people with cancer To address U.S. Federal Trade Commission concerns, Pfizer has chosen to irrevocably donate the rights of royalties from sales of Bavencio® (avelumab) in the U.S. to the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) today announced the successful completion of its acquisition of Seagen Inc. (NASDAQ: SGEN), a global biotechnology company that discovers, develops and commercializes transformative cancer medicines. Pfizer completed its acquisition of all outstanding common stock of Seagen for $229 in cash per share, for a total enterprise value of approximately $43 billion. “Cancer remains a l…

RAHWAY, N.J.‐‐(3BL MEDIA)‐‐Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, has earned the top spot on Newsweek’s annual list of America’s Most Responsible Companies, ranking No. 1 overall for the first time and establishing itself as an industry leader for the second consecutive year. Notably, Merck has also received the unique distinction of being the only company on the 2024 list to score 100/100 in corporate governance, which, in addition to disclosures and transparency, comprises economic performance, namely financial stability and innovation capacity. “We are honored to be recognized as America’s Most Responsible Company,” said Robert M. Davis, chairman and chief executive officer, Merck. “Operating responsibly is at the core of our vision and values and funda…

Expects to close Seagen acquisition on December 14, 2023 Announces changes in the commercial organization to incorporate Seagen and improve focus, speed and execution Pfizer to host analyst and investor call at 8:30 am EST on Wednesday, December 13, 2023, to discuss the Seagen acquisition, new commercial organization, and provide full-year 2024 financial guidance NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) today announces that the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, expired December 11, 2023, with respect to Pfizer’s pending acquisition of Seagen Inc. (NASDAQ: SGEN). Pfizer and Seagen have now received all required regulatory approvals to complete the acquisition. Pfizer expects to close the acquisition of Seagen on December…

Building on expertise in RSV prevention, acquisition will accelerate ambition to deliver portfolio of protective interventions to address high unmet needs in infectious diseases AstraZeneca has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Icosavax, Inc. (NASDAQ: ICVX), a US-based clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing differentiated, high-potential vaccines using an innovative, protein virus-like particle (VLP) platform. The proposed acquisition will build on AstraZeneca’s expertise in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), strengthening AstraZeneca’s Vaccines & Immune Therapies late-stage pipeline with Icosavax’s lead investigational vaccine candidate, IVX-A12. IVX-A12 is a potential first-in- class, Phase III-ready, combination protein VLP vaccine which ta…

First-ever approval of a CRISPR-based gene-editing therapy in the U.S. Approximately 16,000 patients 12 years of age and older with severe sickle cell disease may now be eligible for this one-time treatment Multiple authorized treatment centers activated BOSTON & ZUG, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 8, 2023-- Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) and CRISPR Therapeutics (Nasdaq: CRSP) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved CASGEVY™ (exagamglogene autotemcel [exa-cel]), a CRISPR/Cas9 genome-edited cell therapy, for the treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD) in patients 12 years and older with recurrent vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs). This approval means that for the first time, approximately 16,000 patients with SCD may be eligible…

Details strong pipeline including Sanofi’s record 12 blockbuster opportunities under clinical evaluation: 9 innovative medicines and vaccines with €2 to 5 billion peak sales potential, and 3 ‘pipeline-in-a-product’ assets with a potential of over €5 billion peak sales Strategic transformation through R&D features potential multi-indication assets such as amlitelimab, frexalimab and the oral TNFR1si intended to address unmet patient needs in markets with low penetration of advanced therapies Enhanced R&D focus aims to deliver a 50% increase in Phase 3 trials in 2024 and 2025 as well as 25 mid- to late-stage read-outs over the next 2 years Ambition to become an immunology powerhouse driven by recent and future launched pharma assets, generating over €10 billion in annual sales by 20…

Carmot Therapeutics’s R&D portfolio of clinical stage incretins has great potential to treat obesity, diabetes and potentially other diseases both as standalone medicines and in combination with Roche’s in-house assets Lead asset CT-388 is a Phase-2 ready dual GLP-1/GIP agonist with best-in-class potential for the treatment of obesity and its comorbidities Under the terms of the agreement, Roche will pay a purchase price of USD 2.7 billion upfront and additional milestone payments of up to USD 400 million Basel, 4 December 2023 - Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) announced today the entry into a definitive merger agreement to acquire Carmot Therapeutics, Inc. (“Carmot”), a privately owned US company based in Berkeley, California. Carmot’s R&D portfolio includes clinical stage su…

Carmot Therapeutics’s R&D portfolio of clinical stage incretins has great potential to treat obesity, diabetes and potentially other diseases both as standalone medicines and in combination with Roche’s in-house assets Lead asset CT-388 is a Phase-2 ready dual GLP-1/GIP agonist with best-in-class potential for the treatment of obesity and its comorbidities Under the terms of the agreement, Roche will pay a purchase price of USD 2.7 billion upfront and additional milestone payments of up to USD 400 million Basel, 4 December 2023 - Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) announced today the entry into a definitive merger agreement to acquire Carmot Therapeutics, Inc. (“Carmot”), a privately owned US company based in Berkeley, California. Carmot’s R&D portfolio includes clinical stage su…

Company behind the successful life-sciences firm Moderna, Flagship Pioneering, has selected the UK for their first location outside of the US Announcement opens up new opportunities for life science start-ups and investments in the UK, complementing UK government’s plan to drive innovation in science and tech and boost the UK’s investment ecosystem New Memorandum of Understanding between Flagship and the Government cements the UK’s commitment to the sector, setting out how both can work together on clinical trials, potential UK manufacturing locations, and more Leading life sciences bioplatform company Flagship Pioneering has today (Tuesday 28 November) announced the UK as the home for its first base outside the US, paving the way for new scientific start-ups, discoveries and investments…

Boehringer Ingelheim today announced the acquisition of privately-held T3 Pharmaceuticals AG (“T3 Pharma”), a clinical stage Swiss biotech company, for an amount of up to 450 million CHF. T3 Pharma has developed a proprietary therapy platform that uses live bacteria to deliver immune-modulating proteins to cancer cells and tumor micro-environments. Despite the significant transformation of the cancer treatment landscape by immunotherapies, long-term remissions only occur in 15-20% of cancer patients. Boehringer Ingelheim aims to considerably increase this rate by utilizing complementary immuno-oncology platforms such as T-Cell Engagers (TcEs), oncolytic viruses, and cancer vaccines, which have the potential to turn cold tumors into hot ones, extending the benefits of immunotherapy to mo…

Acquisition underscores Merck’s ongoing commitment to developing treatments for neurodegenerative diseases RAHWAY, N.J., & CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, and Caraway Therapeutics, Inc. announced today that the companies have entered into a definitive agreement under which Merck, through a subsidiary, will acquire Caraway Therapeutics for a total potential consideration of up to $610 million, including an undisclosed upfront payment as well as contingent milestone payments. The upfront payment will be expensed by Merck in the fourth quarter of 2023 and included in non-GAAP results. “Caraway’s multidisciplinary approach has yielded important progress in evaluating novel mechanisms of modulation of lysosomal f…

Next-generation propellant technology has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from Ventolin (salbutamol) inhaler by approximately 90% Current propellant accounts for 49% of GSK’s carbon footprint The inhaler is currently prescribed to approximately 35 million patients Successful phase III trials to support regulatory submissions in 2025 GSK plc (LSE/NYSE: GSK) today announced it will start Phase III trials of a low carbon version of its metered dose inhaler (MDI), Ventolin (salbutamol), using a next generation propellant, in 2024. If successful, it has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from use of the inhaler by approximately 90%, significantly contributing to GSK’s ambitious net-zero climate targets. Thirty-five million patients with respiratory conditions ar…

Evinova will operate as a separate health-tech business within AstraZeneca Evinova’s globally-scaled digital health solutions are evidence-led, science-based and human experience-driven to serve clinical trial sponsors, clinical research organisations (CROs), clinical trial site care teams and patients First strategic collaborations with globally-leading CROs Parexel and Fortrea enable Evinova’s digital health solutions to be offered to their wide customer base AstraZeneca today launches Evinova, set to be a leading provider of digital health solutions to better meet the needs of healthcare professionals, regulators and patients. With long-term backing from AstraZeneca and strategic collaborations with Parexel and Fortrea, Evinova offers globally-scaled digital products and services to…

-- The companies expand the scope of their existing collaboration for CART-ddBCMA to include lymphomas -- -- Kite exercises option to Arcellx’s ARC-SparX program ACLX-001 in multiple myeloma -- -- Arcellx to receive $200M equity investment at $61.68 per share and an $85 million upfront cash payment -- SANTA MONICA, Calif. & REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Kite, a Gilead Company (NASDAQ: GILD), and Arcellx, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACLX), today announced that the companies have expanded their existing collaboration, which was originally announced in December 2022. Kite has exercised its option to negotiate a license for Arcellx’s ARC-SparX program, ACLX-001, in multiple myeloma, which is comprised of ARC-T cells and SparX proteins that target BCMA. The companies have also expanded the sc…