Today Stories

BRUSSELS (Belgium) and BOSTON, Massachusetts (USA), December 13th, 2022 (22:01 CET) — UCB, a global biopharmaceutical company (EURONEXT BRUSSELS: UCB), and Praxis Precision Medicines, Inc. (NASDAQ: PRAX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced a strategic collaboration, based upon Praxis’ PRAX-020 program, for the discovery of small molecule therapeutics as potential treatments of KCNT1 related epilepsies. “We are excited to partner with UCB, a global leader in epilepsy drug development, as we work together toward a novel approach for the treatment of KCNT1 related epilepsy, which has no approved therapies currently,” said Marcio Souza, president and chief executive officer of Praxis. “Our internal research efforts give us confidence that small molecules can selectivel…

Dublin, Ireland – 13 December 2022 – ICON plc, (NASDAQ: ICLR) a world-leading healthcare intelligence and clinical research organisation, has been recognised with a number of coveted business and industry awards over the second half of 2022 for delivering clinical research services, alongside specialist collaborations on data, analytics and digital healthcare. The awards include the Best Contract Research Organisation – Full-Service Providers from Scrip, marking the second consecutive time after a win in 2021. Winners are chosen by an independent panel of industry experts, each chosen for their knowledge, objectivity and credibility. ICON’s innovation capabilities were recognised as the company won the Data Analytics/Business Intelligence category in the Fierce Biotech Innovation Awards –…

RAHWAY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, is commencing today, through a subsidiary, a cash tender offer to purchase all outstanding shares of common stock of Imago BioSciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: IMGO). On Nov. 21, 2022, Merck announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Imago. Upon the successful closing of the tender offer, stockholders of Imago will receive $36 in cash for each share of Imago common stock validly tendered and not validly withdrawn in the offer, without interest and subject to deduction for any required tax withholding. Following the purchase of shares in the tender offer, Imago will merge with and into a subsidiary of Merck, with Imago surviving the merger. As a result, Imago will become…

Today, Novozymes and Chr. Hansen have entered into an agreement to create a leading global biosolutions partner through a statutory merger of the two companies. The combination is expected to unleash the full potential of biological solutions and generate significant value for all stakeholders and society at large. COPENHAGEN, Denmark – December 12, 2022. The proposed combination of Novozymes A/S ("Novozymes") and Chr. Hansen Holding A/S ("Chr. Hansen") will create a strong biosolutions group with a broad biological toolbox and a diversified portfolio across markets. Uniting two strategically complementary biosolutions companies will accelerate their already best-in-class performance. Novozymes and Chr. Hansen together will meet customers’ growing demands for efficient, scalable, and susta…

New Space Will Be Three Times Larger and Increase Testing Capabilities BURLINGTON, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 8, 2022-- Labcorp (NYSE: LH), a leading global life sciences company, today announced that it has begun operations at a new, larger anatomic pathology and histology (APH) laboratory in Los Angeles, expanding the company’s global central laboratory capabilities. Labcorp is investing in its APH services as a key component of its global growth and expansion strategy. The new laboratory is a dedicated Center of Excellence focused on APH laboratory testing solutions. The larger laboratory will expand capabilities, such as digital pathology with the use of artificial intelligence (AI), multiplex immunohistochemistry (IHC) and other innovative technologies supporting clinical trials and…

The CNS specialist continues its strong expansion course in Europe and increases its presence from two to 20 countries in just six years Naarden and Düsseldorf – December 7, 2022 – Neuraxpharm Group (Neuraxpharm), a leading European specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) disorders, announces the establishment of Neuraxpharm Netherlands. The expansion into the Dutch market allows Neuraxpharm to continue on its pathway to become the number one CNS specialist in Europe. Neuraxpharm Netherlands will provide differentiated and specialty generics in the Netherlands, a strategically important CNS pharmaceutical market in Europe. To date, Neuraxpharm Netherlands has launched two products: Dimethyl Fumarate to treat multiple sclerosis and Lacosamid…

Collaboration leverages HotSpot's Smart Allostery™ drug discovery platform for the development of the first and only small molecule IRF5 (interferon regulatory factor 5) inhibitor for the potential treatment of autoimmune diseases HotSpot to receive an upfront cash payment of $40 million with potential for further milestones and royalties NORTH CHICAGO, Ill. and BOSTON, Dec. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) and HotSpot Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company pioneering the discovery and development of small molecule allosteric therapies for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases, today announced an exclusive worldwide collaboration and option to license agreement for HotSpot's discovery-stage IRF5 program for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. "This collaborati…

Milton Keynes, UK. (6 December 2022) – Medical Research Network, a leading Clinical Trial Organization, was presented with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, International Trade at a company meeting last night. The award, established by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth in 1965, celebrates the country’s most exciting and innovative companies, and is Britain’s most prestigious business award. The International Trade category is awarded to companies who have achieved spectacular growth and commercial success overseas. The presentation took place at a company-wide meeting held at the Wyboston Lakes Resort, near the MRN headquarters in Milton Keynes. MRN executives from France, Germany, Spain, and Japan were there to watch the presentation in person, while executives from the MRN office in Chicago wa…

INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) today announced the successful completion of its acquisition of Akouos, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKUS). The acquisition expands Lilly's efforts in genetic medicines to include Akouos's portfolio of potential first-in-class adeno-associated viral gene therapies for the treatment of inner ear conditions, including sensorineural hearing loss. "Akouos brings more top-tier talent and an important pipeline to Lilly's Institute for Genetic Medicine that will further accelerate our work to advance genetic medicines for people living with difficult-to-treat diseases," said Andrew C. Adams, Ph.D., senior vice president of genetic medicine at Lilly and co-director of the Institute for Genetic Medicine. "We look forward to supporting an…

LONDON, UK, 30 November 2022 – Otsuka Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd. announces that the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency) has authorised Lupkynis® (voclosporin) for use in combination with mycophenolate mofetil for the treatment of adult patients with active class III, IV or V (including mixed class III/V and IV/V) lupus nephritis (LN). The MHRA decision applies to England, Scotland, and Wales (Great Britain). Voclosporin is the first and only oral CNI licensed in Great Britain (GB) specifically for the treatment of active LN in adult patients.  “The MHRA’s authorisation of Lupkynis represents a significant development for lupus nephritis patients in Great Britain, offering voclosporin as a new combination treatment option for eligible patients.” said Ryan Gynne, Managing…

Data presented at CTAD 2022 confirm excellent clinical performance of ACI-35.030 vaccine candidate Based on this new clinical data, ACI-35.030 has been selected for further development representing significant progress for the anti-pTau vaccine candidate AC Immune vaccine portfolio targeting three hallmark proteins of neurodegenerative diseases now progressing through advanced clinical development Lausanne, Switzerland, November 30, 2022 – AC Immune SA (NASDAQ: ACIU), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering precision medicine for neurodegenerative diseases, today announced that based on the Phase 1b/2a interim data, ACI-35.030, a potential first-in-class anti-phosphorylated-Tau (pTau) vaccine candidate, has been selected for further development. The ACI-35.030 anti-pTau vac…

Research & Development (R&D) jobs are the most in-demand across the Life Sciences sector with vacancies up 5% year-on-year. That’s according to new research from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo), the trade association for the professional staffing sector. According to the data, provided by business intelligence specialist Vacancysoft, R&D jobs across the UK are predicted to reach 4,218 by the end of 2022 and now account for 34% of jobs posted within the Life Sciences arena. When analysing the data by region, it’s perhaps no surprise that the biggest concentration of jobs was noted across the South East, with vacancies hitting over 3,000 year-to-date. By contrast, the research reveals that Yorkshire and the Humber could see the most considerable decreas…

Partnership between the University of Birmingham and Acticor Biotech will see patients with heart attacks treated with glenzocimab, a promising new class of drug for the first time. A potential new drug to improve the long-term outcomes for heart attack patients will be trialled in the UK. With the signing of a partnership between the University of Birmingham and Acticor Biotech, a new clinical trial called LIBERATE will take place in two acute care hospitals in the UK: the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham and the Northern General Hospital, Sheffield. The randomised, double-blind Phase 2b LIBERATE study will recruit more than 200 patients to test the tolerance and the efficacy of glenzocimab 1000 mg, versus placebo, to reduce heart damage following a myocardial infarction (MI), commonl…

Bagsværd, Denmark, 22 November 2022 – Novo Nordisk today announced plans to invest 5.4 bn Danish kroner in the expansion of existing facilities in Bagsværd. The plans also include the construction of a new plant located in extension of the existing facilities. The investment will establish additional capacity in R&D for manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) to supply our global clinical trials. These expansions will provide capacity for developing Novo Nordisk’s future oral and injectable product portfolio. “This investment in expanding our clinical API capacity in Bagsværd is an important step to ensure the continuous progress of our development pipeline. Increasing our API capacity in R&D will be a key enabler in bringing new innovations to the market, and meet…

RAHWAY, N.J. & SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, and Imago BioSciences, Inc. (“Imago”) (Nasdaq: IMGO) today announced that the companies have entered into a definitive agreement under which Merck, through a subsidiary, will acquire Imago for $36.00 per share in cash for an approximate total equity value of $1.35 billion. “We continue to invest in our pipeline with a focus on applying our unique capabilities to unlock the value of breakthrough science for the patients we serve,” said Robert M. Davis, president and chief executive officer, Merck. “This acquisition of Imago augments our pipeline and strengthens our presence in the growing field of hematology.” Imago is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical com…

EDX Medical Group plc, (“EDX Medical” or the “Company”), which develops innovative digital diagnostic products and services for cancer, heart disease, neurology and infectious disease testing, today announces a collaborative cancer biomarker programme that will improve access to cost-effective and reliable tests for a range of cancers in the UK and Europe. The programme is a result of a partnership between the Company and Tianjin Bioscience Diagnostic Technology Co. Ltd (“Bioscience”), an internationally active, ISO 13485-certified research-based manufacturer of diagnostic products and reagents. The Company has been selected by Bioscience as its lead partner to validate and commercialise its suite of internationally recognised cancer biomarkers in Europe. The programme will encompass the v…

World antibiotic awareness week 18 to 25 November 2022 In 2019, it was estimated that 1.2 million deaths globally, were due to antibiotic-resistant infections1. In England, during 2019/20, there were over 90,000 hospital admissions2 – yet the global pipeline for new antibiotics to address this growing problem has been failing. This year’s World Antimicrobial Awareness Week aims to improve the awareness and understanding of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The event seeks to encourage best practices among the public, health workers and policy makers to avoid the further emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance. We are now living in an age where drug resistant microbes are developing faster than new antimicrobial treatments, which poses a huge threat to modern medicine. Amit Aggarwal, Ex…

London, U.K., 17 November 2022: Velocity Clinical Research (“Velocity”), the leading integrated research site organisation, today announces its expansion into the U.K. with the acquisition of multi-site company Egin Research. Velocity is the first US-based clinical research sites business to expand into Europe, bringing its total number of dedicated research locations to 42. The addition of Egin Research’s two sites increases Velocity’s European site footprint to three, after its first European purchase in Hamburg, Germany in July 2022 and further growth expected over the next 12 months. Dominic Clavell, Executive Vice President, Europe, said, “The size and importance of the UK market for clinical research cannot be underestimated. There is a focus on clinical trial regulation reform in a…

Company also announces £100 million investment over next ten years to support health system strengthening and access initiatives in lower income countries GSK ranks 1st in the 2022 Access to Medicine Index (ATMI) report published today. The Index is an independent, investor-backed report that ranks 20 of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies on progress to improve access in 108 lower income countries and focuses on 83 high burden priority diseases. Emma Walmsley, Chief Executive Officer, GSK, said: “We are delighted to have ranked first in the Access to Medicine Index (ATMI) for the eighth consecutive time. This is recognition of the action we are taking to get ahead of disease together and improve access to medicine and vaccines in lower income countries, and I want to thank all of…

Establishes first-in-class biopharmaceutical commercialization platform specifically addressing rare diseases in Europe Secured exclusive rights in 26 European Countries to an investigational orphan medicine for the treatment of an ultra-rare ophthalmologic disease, currently under review by the European Medicines Agency for marketing approval Founded by biopharmaceutical executives Adam Plich, CEO, and Anant Murthy, Board Advisor, with the backing of a seasoned Advisory Board AMSTERDAM--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Avanzanite Bioscience B.V. (“Avanzanite” or the “Company”) officially launches its commercial-stage enterprise, seeking to expand patient access to medicines for rare diseases in Europe while unlocking revenue and growth potential for emerging research-based biopharmaceutical orig…