Pharmaco - Today Stories

Proposed acquisition will accelerate gene therapies that aim to restore, improve, and preserve hearing for patients living with disabling hearing loss worldwide Transaction valued at approximately $487 million plus a contingent value right for an aggregate amount up to approximately $610 million INDIANAPOLIS and BOSTON, Oct. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) and Akouos, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKUS) today announced a definitive agreement for Lilly to acquire Akouos, a precision genetic medicine company that is developing a portfolio of first-in-class adeno-associated viral gene therapies for the treatment of inner ear conditions, including sensorineural hearing loss. "We are honored to work with the talented team at Akouos who are breaking new ground in the science of trea…

– Gilead Granted Exclusive Option to License MGD024, a Phase 1 CD123×CD3 DART® Molecule with Potential to Treat Various Hematologic Malignancies – – Potential for Companies to Collaborate on Two Additional Future Research Programs – FOSTER CITY, Calif. & ROCKVILLE, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: GILD) and MacroGenics (NASDAQ: MGNX) today announced an exclusive option and collaboration agreement to develop MGD024, an investigational, bispecific antibody that binds CD123 and CD3 using MacroGenics’ DART® platform, and two additional bispecific research programs. The collaboration agreement grants Gilead the option to license MGD024, a potential treatment for certain blood cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). This press…

Agreement key to building pan-European market access practice while underscoring a think global, act local commitment   Frankfurt, Germany – 13 October 2022: PharmaLex Group, the leading provider of specialised services for the pharma, biotech and MedTech industries worldwide, has announced a merger with UK pharmaceutical and healthcare services consultancy, NeoHealthHub Limited.  The agreement with NeoHealthHub (NHH), which was signed on Monday 10 October and which closes at the end of October,  will be an important step in building a pan-European market access practice covering major markets, including the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, France and the Nordics.   Founded in 2013, NHH supports its customers by offering innovative and comprehensive market access,  data and capability developmen…

Collaboration Streamlines Clinical Trial Tokenization, Further Empowers Medical Affairs, Market Access, HEOR and Commercial Analytics for Clients   MORRISVILLE, N.C. – October 11, 2022 – Syneos Health® (Nasdaq:SYNH), the only fully integrated biopharmaceutical solutions organization, today announced an expanded partnership with Datavant, the leader in helping organizations securely connect health data. The increasing collaboration between the companies will further leverage the full suite of capabilities in Datavant Switchboard and Datavant’s large data ecosystem to accelerate the clinical development and commercialization of new therapies for patients.   Syneos Health and Datavant have a long-standing strategic partnership, and through this expanded relationship, Syneos Health will use Da…

RAHWAY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, has been named to Fortune’s 2022 Change the World list. The annual list recognizes companies that have had a positive social impact through activities that are part of their core business strategy. Merck was selected for its work expanding global access to the company’s human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines. “It’s an honor for Merck to be included on Fortune’s 2022 Change the World List, and recognized for making our HPV vaccines available to communities around the world,” said Robert M. Davis, chief executive officer and president, Merck. “This is the third time over the last five years that our company has been on this list and we are very proud of being acknowledged for the positive impac…

Acquisition adds breakthrough calcitonin gene-related peptide portfolio, including NURTEC® ODT, to address needs of millions of migraine patients worldwide NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) announced today the completion of its acquisition of Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd., the maker of NURTEC® ODT (rimegepant), an innovative migraine therapy approved for both acute treatment and prevention of episodic migraine in adults. The acquisition brings to Pfizer a portfolio of promising calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonists including: Rimegepant: Approved in the United States under the trade name NURTEC® ODT, in adults for both the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura and the preventive treatment of episodic migraine Approved in t…

BURLINGTON, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 3, 2022-- Labcorp (NYSE: LH), a leading global life sciences company, today announced the completion of transactions that establish a long-term laboratory relationship with Ascension, one of the leading non-profit and Catholic health systems in the United States. “Today’s announcement marks the beginning of an exciting chapter for both organizations, and for the patients, communities and clinicians we serve,” said Dr. Brian Caveney, chief medical officer and president of Labcorp Diagnostics. “We welcome those Ascension associates who will join Labcorp as a part of this strategic collaboration and look forward to working together to provide a smooth transition for patients, clinicians and employees.” As a part of the companies’ strategic collaboration…

London, 28 September 2022 — Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK has today announced that Xim, creators of Lifelight, and PocDoc are the successful companies of the Novartis Biome UK Heart Health Catalyst 2022, in partnership with Medtronic, RYSE Asset Management, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and its official charity CW+. Lifelight and PocDoc will receive support to scale their innovative digital solutions for cardiovascular disease (CVD) care. The companies were selected by a prestigious judging panel at the Novartis Biome UK Heart Health Catalyst 2022 Pitchfest, hosted at the Healthcare Excellence Through Technology (HETT) Show at ExCeL, London. Through a world-first partnership spanning across industries, the Novartis Biome UK Heart Health Catalyst aims to transform CVD…

LEIDEN, the Netherlands, September 26, 2022 / B3C newswire / -- SeraNovo BV (Leiden, The Netherlands) is pleased to announce the closing of a multi compound deal with Ildong Pharmaceutical (Seoul, South Korea), a pharmaceutical company engaged in the research and development of small molecules in the field of neuroscience and oncology. Niall Hodgins, Chief Executive Officer of SeraNovo commented: “SeraNovo has grown substantially in recent years in terms of our technical capabilities and worldwide customer base. It is great to be able to share news of one of our most important collaborations with such a historic company. Our technology will again be used to drive important therapies to patients. We look forward to a long and prosperous relationship with Ildong.” Link to the press release A…

FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced the completion of the previously announced transaction to acquire MiroBio, a privately held U.K.-based biotechnology company focused on restoring immune balance with agonists targeting immune inhibitory receptors, for approximately $405 million in cash. The acquisition provides Gilead with MiroBio’s proprietary discovery platform and entire portfolio of immune inhibitory receptor agonists. MiroBio’s lead investigational antibody, MB272, is a selective agonist of immune inhibitory receptor B- and T-Lymphocyte Attenuator (BTLA) and has entered Phase 1 clinical trials, with the first patient dosed in early August 2022. MB272 targets T, B and dendritic cells to inhibit or blunt activation and suppress a…

–Gilead Foundation’s Creating Possible Fund™ Reflects Broad and Ongoing Commitment to Health Equity – – Funding Will Support 13 U.S. Organizations Focused on Addressing Education Equity and Building a Pipeline of Black Health Leaders – FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced that the Gilead Foundation’s Creating Possible Fund™ will provide a total of $20 million to 13 inaugural grantees. The Creating Possible Fund was launched to support creative and high-impact strategies that advance health through education equity, with a main focus on building a pipeline of Black health leaders. The work of these grantees aims to help increase social connections for underserved students, improve the school and learning environment, and create systems…

Bagsværd, Denmark and Redmond , W A , US , 12 September 2022 – Novo Nordisk and Microsoft have entered a new strategic collaboration to combine Microsoft’s computational services, cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) with Novo Nordisk’s drug discovery, development and data science capabilities. Through the partnership, Microsoft is providing AI technology, foundational science models and expertise and is working alongside Novo Nordisk’s data scientists and domain experts from early research and development areas to accelerate Novo Nordisk’s R&D. “We are very excited about this new partnership that allows us to work closely together with key experts from Microsoft as we look to expand our digital science and AI capabilities,” said Lars Fogh Iversen, senior vice president, Digital Scie…

The PharmiWeb team are saddened to hear of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We extend our deepest condolences to the Royal Family at this difficult time, and join the rest of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth in mourning the loss of our Head of State.Thank you, Your Majesty.

National effort builds on Foundation’s longstanding commitment to helping patients in underserved communities receive high-quality, equitable care RAHWAY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Merck Foundation (the Foundation) announced today the launch of the Alliance for Equity in Cancer Care (the Alliance), a $20 million, five-year initiative, designed to make cancer care more equitable in the United States by helping patients living in underserved communities receive timely access to high-quality, culturally responsive care. “The severity of the need to take action on advancing equity in cancer care cannot be overstated and will not be overlooked,” said Carmen Villar, CEO of the Merck Foundation. “We must move with urgency and work together to provide all people living with cancer access to hi…

Recognized for championing diversity and collaboration within the clinical trials industry Bracknell, UK – 6 Sept 2022: LaQuinta Jernigan, Chief Operating Officer for mdgroup, has been recognized as one of 100 most inspiring people in life sciences by a leading industry journal, PharmaVoice. Honorees like LaQuinta are selected from a pool of nominations and include Legacy Leaders, Tech Wizards, Innovators, Disrupters, Entrepreneurs, and DE&I Champions. LaQuinta was selected for her work to make the clinical trials space more representative, pushing to go beyond mere lip service in championing diversity to ensure access to clinical trials is not just understood and reserved for certain demographics. Commenting on the accolade, LaQuinta said: “It is an honour to be nominated by my peers…

Bagsværd, Denmark and Watertown, Mass, US , 01 September 2022 – Novo Nordisk and Forma Therapeutics, Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: FMTX) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Novo Nordisk will acquire Forma Therapeutics for USD 20 per share in cash, which represents a total equity value of USD 1.1bn. Forma Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on transforming the lives of patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) and rare blood disorders. The acquisition of Forma Therapeutics, including its lead development candidate, etavopivat, is aligned with Novo Nordisk’s strategy to complement and accelerate its scientific presence and pipeline in haemoglobinopathies, a group of disorders in which there is abnormal production or structure o…

Egham, UK - 25 August 2022 - Essential Pharma, an international speciality pharma group focused on maintaining access to well-established, “at risk” products essential to patients across multiple therapeutic areas, announces the strengthening of its operating platform to support the next phase of its growth, with the granting of new establishment and manufacturing licences in Switzerland and Malta. These approvals strengthen the company’s geographical expansion, improve its operational efficiencies, and enhance its offering as a global business partner. They will also provide new strategic opportunities for the company and will play a fundamental role in driving value creation through functional improvements to scale and productivity. Firstly, following a successful inspection by Swissmedi…

Maintains Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) in the EU Providing 10-years of Market Exclusivity Significant Benefit Over Existing Therapies for Patients with Severe Hemophilia A in EU Based on EMA Determination of ODD Conference Call and Webcast to be Held Wed., Aug. 24th at 8:00 pm Eastern SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Aug. 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ: BMRN) today announced that the European Commission (EC) has granted conditional marketing authorization (CMA) to ROCTAVIAN™ (valoctocogene roxaparvovec) gene therapy for the treatment of severe hemophilia A (congenital Factor VIII deficiency) in adult patients without a history of Factor VIII inhibitors and without detectable antibodies to adeno-associated virus serotype 5 (AAV5). The EC also endorsed EMA's recommendati…

The Digital LightCycler System is a next-generation digital PCR system that helps clinical researchers better understand the nature of a patient’s cancer, genetic disease or infection. The new system has the potential to find and quantify ultra-rare, hard to detect mutations, leading to early diagnosis and treatment strategies. The Digital LightCycler System is designed for laboratories performing highly sensitive and precise DNA and RNA analysis in areas such as oncology and infectious diseases. Basel, 23 August 2022 - Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) today announced the launch of the Digital LightCyclerⓇ System, Roche’s first digital polymerase chain reaction ( PCR) system. This next-generation system detects disease and is designed to accurately quantify trace amounts of specific DN…

One of the largest manufacturing sites for the company, the $105 million facility adds capacity to enable more life-saving vaccines and therapies WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, today opened its largest single-use technology manufacturing site in Greater Nashville. The $105 million, 400,000-square-foot facility enables the company to help meet rapidly growing demand for the bioprocessing materials needed to produce vaccines and breakthrough therapies for cancer and other diseases. This new site is part of Thermo Fisher’s $650 million multi-year investment to expand its bioprocessing production capabilities. “Customers depend on our best-in-class technologies, services and expertise. This continued investment in bioproces…