Pharmaco - Today Stories

Supporting the NHS on its decade-long journey towards an integrated health and care system, as well as delivering extra investment for new buildings and infrastructure, social care and addressing major gaps in NHS staffing, should be at the top of the new Prime Minister’s priority list. That is the call today from the NHS Confederation in a letter and briefing to the Prime Minister. The NHS Confederation, which represents organisations across the healthcare sector, says there is much ‘unfinished business’ for the new government to resolve in the health and care sector. The letter warns the Prime Minister that the question of NHS funding is not yet settled, despite the £20.5bn funding settlement that kicked in from April this year. The settlement excluded some vital areas of expenditure tha…

GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK) today announced that Jonathan Symonds will succeed Sir Philip Hampton as Non-Executive Chairman of the GSK Board with effect from 1st September 2019. Jonathan is currently Deputy Group Chairman of HSBC Holdings plc and has been an independent non-executive Director of HSBC since April 2014. He is a former Chief Financial Officer of Novartis AG and AstraZeneca plc, and has been a non-executive Director of Diageo plc and QinetiQ plc. He is currently non-executive Chairman of Proteus Digital Health Inc, a non-executive director of Rubius Therapeutics Inc and Chairman of Genomics England Limited. The appointment was approved by the Board and follows a thorough succession process undertaken by the Nominations Committee, led by Vindi Banga, the company’s Senior Independ…

Scientists at the University of Eastern Finland and the University of Oxford have shown that small RNA molecules occurring naturally in cells, i.e. microRNAs, are also abundant in cell nuclei. Previously, microRNAs were mainly thought to be found in cytoplasm. The scientists also discovered that microRNA concentrations in cell nuclei change as a result of hypoxia. The findings strongly suggest that microRNAs play a role in the expression of genes in the cell nucleus. This observation is crucial for the development of novel gene therapy, among other things. The study was published in Scientific Reports today. The scientists profiled the division of microRNAs in different parts of endothelial cells, discovering that a large share of microRNAs are enriched in cell nuclei. When the scientists…

Today, Galapagos announces transformational multi-billion dollar collaboration with Gilead to create a global R&D leader based in Europe, developing and commercialising breakthrough therapies to patients. Please see the press releases https://www.glpg.com/press-releases Multi-billion dollar collaboration is one of the largest ever biotech deals in Europe - $3.95 billion upfront payment, a $1.1bn equity investment by GILD, $1.1bn additional opt-in payments for two late stage products, as well as additional milestones to access early pipeline assets, and double digit royalties. Creates a global R&D leader - Collaboration will accelerate GLPG’s vision to become a top 10 global biotech company and establish global leadership in inflammation & immunology. GLPG’s enhanced financial…

Commenting on the government response to the Promoting professionalism, reforming regulation consultation, Danny Mortimer, chief executive of NHS Employers, said: “Employees and employers will welcome steps to make the fitness to practise process quicker, fairer and effective; they will also look forward to further reform, which will allow the regulation of new roles and professions to support their full deployment to care for our patients.”

On June 25, 2019, AbbVie Inc. and Allergan announced that the companies have entered into a definitive transaction agreement under which AbbVie will acquire Allergan in a cash and stock transaction for a transaction equity value of approximately $63 billion, based on the closing price of AbbVie's common stock of $78.45 on June 24, 2019. Strategic Rationale: New growth platforms and leadership positions to diversify and expand revenue base: The combined company will consist of several attractive franchises with leadership positions across immunology, hematologic oncology, medical aesthetics, neuroscience, women's health, eye care and virology.  Allergan's product portfolio will be enhanced by AbbVie's commercial strength, expertise and international infrastructure. Immediate scale and en…

Number of healthcare professionals agreeing to publish details about their work with pharmaceutical companies rises to 57% following GDPR-related dip in 2017. Of nearly £131 million spent on non-R&D collaborations with HCPs or HCOs, 83% disclosed against named person or organisation. New figures published today by the ABPI show that the pharmaceutical industry continues to invest significantly in UK research and development, working with healthcare professionals and organisations to improve care for NHS patients. The data published on Disclosure UK shows that the industry spent £377.3 million on collaborations relating to R&D activities in the UK during 2018, an increase from £370.9 million in 2017, signalling the strength of the sector through a period of economic uncertainty. D…

(NEW YORK and SOMERSET, N.J., June 19, 2019) – Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) and Catalent, Inc. (NYSE: CTLT), today announced that Catalent has agreed to purchase Bristol-Myers Squibb’s oral solid, biologics, and sterile product manufacturing and packaging facility in Anagni, Italy. Catalent is the leading global provider of advanced delivery technologies, development and manufacturing solutions for drugs, biologics, gene therapies, and consumer health products. The companies anticipate completing the transaction by the end of 2019, subject to regulatory approvals, the information and consultation procedure with the unions, and the satisfaction of certain other customary closing conditions. Through the years, the Anagni plant has served as one of the primary launch facilities for…

(Reuters) - Pfizer Inc said on Monday it would acquire Array Biopharma Inc for $10.64 billion in cash, giving it access to the target’s approved drugs for skin cancer and the targeted cancer medicines in its pipeline. The offer of $48 per Array share represents a premium of about 62% to the stock’s close on Friday. Array’s shares surged 56% in light premarket trade. Pfizer has been investing in cancer drugs and gene therapies in the face of competition for its blockbuster pain drug Lyrica. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last year approved Array’s oral combination treatment for use in patients with the deadliest form of skin cancer. The company is also testing its triple combo therapy in colorectal cancer patients. “(The acquisition) sets the stage to create a potentially industry-le…

Singapore, 31 May 2019 – ASLAN Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq:ASLN, TPEx:6497), a clinical-stage oncology and immunology focused biopharma company, today announced that it has amended its license agreement with CSL Limited (CSL) so that ASLAN has full global rights to develop, manufacture and commercialise ASLAN004 in all indications. The amended agreement replaces the licensing agreement ASLAN and CSL signed in May 2014. Dr Carl Firth, Chief Executive Officer of ASLAN Pharmaceuticals, said: “We are very excited by the recent data we have generated on ASLAN004 and we believe that it has the potential to be a best-in-class treatment for atopic dermatitis and other inflammatory indications with a differentiated profile. The amendment of our agreement with CSL is an important achievement in our stra…

A prestigious competition that has helped innovators raise millions of pounds to take their concepts to the global marketplace is looking for 2019’s most life-changing creations. The Royal Society of Chemistry’s Emerging Technologies Competition has helped winners raise more than £32million in funding since it was launched in 2013. Backed by some of the world’s biggest companies, such as Unilever, Croda, Johnson Matthey, RSSL and Pfizer, entries are now open until 5 July for the next big success story whose mastery of the chemical sciences helped create a product that can deliver a real-world benefit for wider society. Aurora Antemir, a senior manager in the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Industry team said: “In less than a decade, the Emerging Technologies Competition has gone from being an…

Pratteln, Switzerland, May 21, 2019 – Santhera Pharmaceuticals (SIX: SANN) announces its collaboration with the Biozentrum of the University of Basel to advance gene therapy research for the treatment of LAMA2-deficient congenital muscular dystrophy (LAMA2 MD or MDC1A). The program is supported by public funding for innovation in Switzerland through a grant from Innosuisse – the Suisse Innovation Agency. Innosuisse and Santhera will jointly invest CHF 1.2 million into this preclinical research collaboration. Santhera has entered in a collaboration with Prof. Markus Rüegg from the Biozentrum, University of Basel, who pioneered a novel gene therapy approach for the treatment of LAMA2 MD. The simultaneous transgenic expression of specifically designed small protein domains, so-called linker p…

The development of the UK’s first dedicated Vaccines Manufacturing Innovation Centre (VMIC) has moved a step closer with the contract to design an advanced array of laboratory and production facilities within a ‘cleanroom wrap’ environment being awarded to WHP. The multi-disciplinary engineering company has won the design work as part of plans for the specification of versatile new cGMP suites and filling rooms for the VMIC, which is being built in the Oxford area. These units will have the capacity to meet Department of Health and Social Care requirements concerning the provision of vaccines in an infectious disease emergency. The centre, which has secured £66m of funding from UK Research and Innovation, is being developed through the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (IS…

Elucid mHealth has developed a smart pill dispensing solution called Pill Connect which will allow both trial investigators and doctors to effectively monitor medication adherence, either in clinical trials or in the community. Elucid is already in discussions with several top tier Pharmas, CROs, CMOs, and the NHS all of whom all keen to find effective ways to monitor patient adherence. The first clinical trial undertaken by a global CRO with healthy people has just been concluded. The trial showed that the system worked very well. How the system works Preparation - A patient has an app loaded onto their mobile phone (iPhone or android) which contains the pill regime – eg twice a day. Is trained how to use the app – 20 minutes - and given a Pill Connect bottle loaded with pills Patient us…

Frimley, UK, May 8, 2019 – Novartis today announced a new subgroup analysis of the Phase III EXPAND study of oral, once-daily siponimod (BAF312) in patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). The results show siponimod, the first and only oral drug to delay disability progression in SPMS patients, has significant functional benefit on cognitive processing speed (CPS), the cognitive function most frequently affected by MSi,ii,[iv]. The new findings, presented at the 2019 American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting (AAN) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, show that patients treated earlier in their disease course with less cognitive impairment benefited most from siponimod treatment vs. placeboi. This suggests that earlier treatment can lead to better cognitive outcomes,…

Healthcare Campaign  Executed Across 10 Countries to Raise Awareness of the Importance of Predicting  and Preventing Osteoporosis and Bone Fracture, Particularly in Post-Menopausal  Women Thousand Oaks, Calif. (May 6, 2019) – Amgen, together with local healthcare partners in 10 countries around the  world, set on May 5, 2019, a Guinness World Record title for the most  osteoporosis screenings for an osteoporosis campaign in 24 hours. To break the existing world  record, Amgen set out to screen at least a total of 3,000  people in 10 countries around the world -- to  help them understand their risk of having osteoporosis, a medical condition  that weakens bones and makes them more likely to fracture. The campaign took  place in Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Egypt, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mexico, Saudi…

Cambridge, 29th April 2019: The Xaar 1201 printhead is proving instrumental in helping Nottingham-based research organisation, Added Scientific, establish the suitability of inkjet printing in the manufacture of personalised pharmaceutical pills, where dosages could be tailored to individuals on an industrial scale. Building on research conducted by the University of Nottingham, where excipients (everything but the active pharmaceutical ingredient [API]) have been developed, Added Scientific initiated a project with its collaborators Xaar and AstraZeneca to look at the long-term scalability and suitability of inkjet printing in dispensing APIs. The project was funded under the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund’s Medicines Manufacturing Challenge, with support from Innovate UK. “Inkjet pri…

London, UK – 23 April 2019: Ergomed plc, (LSE: ERGO) ('Ergomed' or the 'Company'), a company focused on providing specialised services to the pharmaceutical industry, today announces that PrimeVigilance, its pharmacovigilance, regulatory and medical information service provider, has been awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for the second time reinforcing Ergomed’s broad leadership position as a provider of contract services. Now in its 53rd year, the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious business awards in the country. Ergomed’s PrimeVigilance has received the 2019 Queen’s Award for International Trade in recognition of its year-on-year outstanding services in the drug safety sector for its global customer base. As an International Trade winner, PrimeVigilance has dem…

Pratteln, Switzerland, April 4, 2019 - Santhera Pharmaceuticals (SIX: SANN) announces that it has placed all of the remaining 500,000 registered shares from its existing authorized share capital in a private placement, resulting in aggregate gross proceeds of CHF 7.1 million. Taken together with the newly established credit line facility which, subject to certain conditions, amounts up to CHF 15.0 million, the proceeds of these near-term financing initiatives provide new liquid funds of up to CHF 22.1 million. Santhera has placed an aggregate of 500,000 registered shares with investors at a price of CHF 14.25 per share, representing a 4.5% discount to the closing price of today, raising gross proceeds of CHF 7.1 million. Santhera expects to issue the new shares during the coming days from…

Berkshire based PharmiWeb are excited to have launched a new version of of PharmiWeb.com - The new site, focusing on News, Events and Articles from the Pharma sector, brings together a wide range of content from multiple sources, to make the site an even better resource for the Pharma Industry.  Pharma Jobs  The hugely popular Job Board has moved to a new URL - PharmiWeb.Jobs. This means that for individuals looking for a the latest jobs in the pharma industry, PharmiWeb's new job board will the only place they need to go!  According to Portal Business Manager, Mike Wood - "This is the start of a very exciting growth stage for PharmiWeb, and we have a wide ranging plan of developments for the portal which will reinforce our position as one of the primary sources of global Pharma news. Our…