Today Stories

First emergency use authorization in the United States for a COVID-19 vaccine booster in individuals 16 years and older NEW YORK & MAINZ, Germany -- Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech SE (Nasdaq: BNTX) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has expanded the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of a booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to include individuals 16 years of age and older. The booster dose is to be administered at least six months after completion of the primary series and is the same formulation and dosage strength as the doses in the primary series. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211209005841/en/ “Today’s decision by the FDA to further expand the Emergen…

WALTHAM, Mass., Dec. 8, 2021 -- Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO), the world leader in serving science, today announced that it has completed its acquisition of PPD, Inc. (Nasdaq: PPD), a leading global provider of clinical research services to the biopharma and biotech industry, for $17.4 billion. "We are very excited to officially welcome our PPD colleagues to Thermo Fisher Scientific," said Marc N. Casper, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Thermo Fisher Scientific. "Expanding our value proposition for our biotech and pharmaceutical customers with the addition of PPD's leading clinical research services advances our work in bringing life-changing therapies to market, benefitting patients around the world."  As previously announced, the transaction is expected to…

Part of an ongoing investigation focused on how obesity and dysregulated metabolic hormones promote prostate cancer progression and metastasis Studies aim to quantify the ability of SynDevRx MetAP2 inhibitor evexomostat (SDX-7320) to control tumor growth of castration resistant prostate cancers CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--SynDevRx, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company leading the development in treatments for obesity-accelerated cancers, today announced a research collaboration with Australia’s Queensland University of Technology. The collaboration with Professor Colleen Nelson, PhD, and her team will study the role of methionine aminopeptidase 2 (MetAP2) inhibition in tumor growth in castration resistant and other treatment resistant forms of prostate cancer. Obesity and systemic metaboli…

Liver-targeted antisense therapy in Phase III development for the treatment of transthyretin amyloidosis, a systemic, progressive and fatal condition  AstraZeneca has entered into a new global development and commercialisation agreement with Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Ionis) for eplontersen, formerly known as IONIS-TTR-LRX. Eplontersen is a ligand-conjugated antisense investigational medicine currently in Phase III clinical trials for amyloid transthyretin cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) and amyloid transthyretin polyneuropathy (ATTR-PN). It is designed to reduce the production of transthyretin (TTR protein) to treat both hereditary and non-hereditary forms of TTR amyloidosis (ATTR). The companies will jointly develop and commercialise eplontersen in the US, while AstraZeneca will develop…

The combination rapid antigen test quickly differentiates between SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses A and B infections, with results ready in less than 30 minutes, allowing informed decisions on patient and pandemic management decisions Affordable and small, instrument-free testing kit enables convenient use for healthcare professionals at different point of care locations and in resource-limited settings The test works seamlessly with NAVIFY® Pass, Roche’s digital solution that allows individuals and healthcare professionals to immediately store, display, and share their COVID-19 test results and vaccine status through a unique data matrix Basel, 6 December 2021 - Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) today announced its plans to launch the SARS-CoV-2 & Flu A/B Rapid Antigen Test for pr…

Major new collaboration aims to deepen understanding of complex diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and increase drug discovery and development success rates New Institute to be based at Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Medicine GlaxoSmithKline plc and the University of Oxford today announced a major five-year collaboration to establish the Oxford-GSK Institute of Molecular and Computational Medicine. The new Institute, which will be based at the University of Oxford, aims to improve the success and speed of research and development of new medicines, building on insights from human genetics and using advanced technologies such as functional genomics and machine learning. Genetic evidence has already been shown to double success rates in clinical studies of new treatments, and th…

Having claimed 36.3 million lives so far, HIV continues to be a major global public health issue. Although significant progress has been made in recent decades, division, disparity, and disregard for human rights are just some of the failures that have allowed HIV to continue as a global health crisis. COVID-19 has further disrupted the services available to those living with HIV, making this progress even more challenging in recent years. In 2020, 680,000 people died from HIV-related causes, and 1.5 million people acquired HIV. At the end of 2020, there were an estimated 37.7 million people living with HIV, with two thirds of these living in the WHO African Region. The theme of World AIDS Day 2021 is “End inequalities. End AIDS,” aimed at highlighting the growing inequalities in access to…

Eisai Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, CEO: Haruo Naito, “Eisai”) and FCNT LIMITED (Headquarters: Kanagawa, CEO: Katsumi Takada, “FCNT”) announced today that both companies have entered into a business alliance agreement aiming to support people living with dementia and to prevent dementia, through developing solutions for maintaining brain performance. Both companies will construct an ecosystem with the aim of supporting people living with and preventing dementia (“Dementia Ecosystem”), with integrating Eisai's wealth of experience and knowledge including drug creation and disease awareness activities as well as Eisai's solution measures such as digital technology, in the area of dementia, and FCNT’s products such as smartphones designed to offer outstanding usability for the elderly as we…

Company testing three existing COVID-19 vaccine booster candidates against the Omicron variant Company announcing a new variant-specific vaccine candidate against Omicron (mRNA-1273.529) CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--Nov. 26, 2021-- Moderna, Inc., (Nasdaq: MRNA) a biotechnology company pioneering messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines, today announced updates to its strategy to address SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, given the emergence of the B.1.1.529 (Omicron) variant. The recently described Omicron variant includes mutations seen in the Delta variant that are believed to increase transmissibility and mutations seen in the Beta and Delta variants that are believed to promote immune escape. The combination of mutations represents a significant potential risk to accelerate the waning of nat…

Divestments of UK oral liquid products streamlines the portfolio and furthers Essential Pharma’s international growth strategy  Acquired products are low volume, but essential medicines with geographic expansion potential  Egham, UK – 25 November 2021 – Essential Pharma, an international specialty pharma group focused on maintaining access to well-established, “at risk” products essential to patients across multiple therapeutic areas, announces the closing of two transactions with Rosemont Pharmaceuticals (“Rosemont”). Essential Pharma has completed the divestment of its oral liquid portfolio to Rosemont, a UK-based pharmaceutical company focused on manufacturing oral liquid products. Essential has separately acquired a series of attractive, niche products with geographic expansion poten…

Vaccine demonstrates protection against COVID-19 related hospitalization and death, and across different variants Toronto ON, 24 November 2021 – The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson announced today that Health Canada has approved its single-shot COVID-19 vaccine to prevent COVID-19 in individuals 18 years of age and older. This decision was based on scientific evidence, including initial data from the Phase 3 ENSEMBLE study that demonstrated the vaccine was 85 percent effective in preventing severe disease, and showed protection against COVID-19 related hospitalization and death, beginning 28 days after vaccination. “We are delighted by Health Canada’s decision to approve the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine based on Phase 3 clinical data that proves the v…

KENILWORTH, N.J.-- Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced the successful completion of the acquisition of Acceleron Pharma Inc. (Nasdaq: XLRN). “This is an important and strategic opportunity for our company to continue growing our cardiovascular portfolio and pipeline, that builds on our long and proud legacy in cardiovascular disease and further bolsters our business development strategy,” said Rob Davis, chief executive officer and president, Merck. “Fueled by Acceleron’s groundbreaking research, we are excited to explore the opportunities and possibilities ahead to reach even more patients by addressing this critical health need.” Acceleron is focused on harnessing the power of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta superfamily of prote…

State-of-the-art R&D facility designed to foster collaboration across world-class science ecosystem Sustainable environmental engineering aligned to Company’s zero carbon future AstraZeneca will today, in the presence of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, formally unveil The Discovery Centre (DISC) in Cambridge, UK – a state-of-the-art research and development (R&D) facility designed to the world’s highest environmental standards and accommodating over 2,200 research scientists. The new £1bn facility will include the most advanced robotics, high-throughput screening and AI-driven technology. It will support AstraZeneca’s focus on specialised and precision medicines and foster the discovery and development of next generation therapeutics, including nucleotide-based, gen…

Acquisition enhances Pfizer’s Oncology portfolio with addition of next-generation, investigational immuno-therapeutics for hematological malignancies NEW YORK-- Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) today announced the successful completion of its acquisition of Trillium Therapeutics, a clinical stage immuno-oncology company developing innovative therapies for the treatment of cancer. As Trillium becomes part of Pfizer, it brings an impressive portfolio that includes biologics that are designed to enhance the ability of patients’ innate immune system to detect and destroy cancer cells. Its two lead molecules, TTI-622 and TTI-621, block the signal-regulatory protein α (SIRPα)–CD47 axis, which is emerging as a key immune checkpoint in hematological malignancies. TTI-622 and TTI-621 are novel SIRPα-Fc fusi…

- Similac® 360 Total Care® is the first and only infant formula with a blend of five different human milk oligosaccharides[1] (HMOs) across the three categories of HMOs in breast milk[2], the closest prebiotic blend to that of breast milk and previously only available to infants who are breastfed - Similac 360 Total Care with five HMOs is designed to support babies' developing immune system in the gut, where 70% of the immune system resides, promote digestive health and provide building blocks for babies' developing brains ABBOTT PARK, Ill., Nov. 16, 2021 -- Abbott (NYSE: ABT) today announced the launch of Similac 360 Total Care, the company's next generation of infant formula with HMOs, major prebiotics structurally identical to those found in human breast milk. Similac 360 Total Care is…

The AVENIO Tumor Tissue Comprehensive Genomic Profiling (CGP) Kit is the first jointly-developed product that brings together the expertise and reach of Roche with Foundation Medicine’s pioneering leadership in genomic science. This is the first time that research scientists can conduct oncology research with Foundation Medicine’s comprehensive genomic profiling in their own laboratories to gain meaningful genomic insights and deepen their understanding of cancer biology. This kit is an important step forward in Roche and Foundation Medicine's vision of enabling personalised healthcare for more patients living with cancer by broadening access to CGP and making it essential in clinical decision making in the future. Basel, 25 October 2021 - Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) today announc…

Ki-CONNECT collaboration seeks to offer clinical trial benefits to patients and the pharmaceutical industry BOSTON and Durham, N.C. Oct. 20, 2021 — Parexel, a leading global clinical research organization (CRO) focused on development and delivery of innovative new therapies to advance patient health, and Kyoto University Hospital today announced a strategic alliance aimed at providing more opportunities for clinical research and producing efficient and productive ways of supporting clinical studies. As part of Parexel’s Alliance Site network — consisting of more than 500 sites and over 17,000 investigators across the globe accelerating access to and enrollment of patient populations for clinical trials — Kyoto University Hospital will share their therapeutic expertise and opportunities to…

52 physicians from across the U.S. selected for the inaugural cohort of the five-year, $100 million initiative Initiative is part of the BMS Foundation commitment to health equity and diversity and inclusion made last year Applications are also now open for second cohort to begin in October 2022 PRINCETON, N.J.-- The Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (BMSF), together with its partners, National Medical Fellowships (NMF) and the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), today announced the first group of 52 physicians selected for its Diversity in Clinical Trials Career Development Program (BMSF DCTCDP). The 52 early-stage investigators are the first of 250 community-oriented clinical trialists who will be trained through the program by 2027. The 52 physicians selected by an indepe…

Boehringer Ingelheim has exercised intellectual property options from IP Group regarding research results generated by the UK Cystic Fibrosis Gene Therapy Consortium, and from Oxford Biomedica regarding their lentiviral vector technology   Partners aim to expedite the development of the novel, inhaled cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene therapy BI 3720931 as a long-lasting therapeutic option for patients with cystic fibrosis (CF)   Ingelheim, Germany, 19 October 2021 – Boehringer Ingelheim, IP Group, the UK Cystic Fibrosis Gene Therapy Consortium (GTC, consisting of researchers from Imperial College London and the Universities of Oxford and Edinburgh) and Oxford Biomedica (OXB), announced today that Boehringer Ingelheim has…

Rapid test results and certification designed to simplify international arrival Facial recognition and artificial intelligence features increase security and test result confidence Randox, the UK’s largest diagnostics company, today announces that it is launching the Randox CertiFly App, a mobile application designed to securely process and certify results for both pre departure and Day 2 lateral flow tests - the latter a requirement for vaccinated international arrivals in the UK from 24th October. The app, which applies ID verification technology, is designed to simplify foreign travel and facilitate the efficient transfer of secure and verified information through three simple steps: Step 1 – Download the Randox CertiFly App and scan your passport to register Step 2 – Collect your sa…