Today Stories

Genmab to receive USD 40 million milestone payment from AbbVie Milestone triggered by progress in Phase 3 study of epcoritamab in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma Copenhagen, Denmark; January 13, 2021 – Genmab A/S (Nasdaq: GMAB) announced today that it has reached the first milestone in its collaboration with AbbVie. A USD 40 million milestone payment was triggered by the first patient dosed in the Phase 3 study of subcutaneous epcoritamab versus investigator’s choice of chemotherapy in patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). “We are very pleased that the first Phase 3 study of epcoritamab has been activated at multiple clinical sites and the first cancer patient has been dosed. We look forward to continued rapid progress in this exciting and rapidly broa…

• Collaboration focuses on up to three types of lung and gastrointestinal (GI) cancers • Latest in a series of strategic acquisitions and partnerships that strengthens Boehringer Ingelheim’s position in the cancer vaccine and T-cell engager spaces • Agreement and partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim provides additional validation of Enara Bio’s EDAPT™ platform and Dark Antigen™ discovery work and supports ongoing cell therapy based therapeutic approach Ingelheim, Germany and Oxford and London, UK, January 12th, 2021 – Boehringer Ingelheim and Enara Bio, today announced that they have entered into a strategic collaboration and licensing agreement to research and develop novel targeted cancer immunotherapies, leveraging Enara Bio’s Dark Antigen™ discovery platform. This new collaboration…

A new COVID-19 drug screening and resistance hub will be established in Scotland, based at the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research (CVR). The ground-breaking project, CRUSH (COVID-19 Drug-Screening and Resistance Hub), has received £2.5million to establish a national resource which will initially be dedicated to supporting and accelerating vital COVID-19 antiviral innovation drug  translation. The facility is funded by £2m from medical research charity LifeArc, with additional funding from the Medical Research Council. CVR CRUSH will be delivered by the University of Glasgow in collaboration with partners LifeArc and the University of Dundee Drug Discovery Unit. Global control of the COVID-19 pandemic is dependent on the availability of effective medical treatments and vacc…

January 5th, 2021:  University of Birmingham researchers have invented a COVID-19 test that reduces testing time from 30 minutes to under five, and delivers accurate results.  The method is described in a preprint paper (yet to be peer-reviewed) published on MedRxiv, where the researchers also demonstrate the rapidity and sensitivity of their method using patient sample RNA provided by Public Health England.  Professor Tim Dafforn from the University’s School of Biosciences commented: “We have designed a new method for testing that combines the ease of use and speed of lateral flow testing with the inherent sensitivity of an RNA test.  It features reagents that can be used in existing point of care devices and meets the need for testing in high throughput, near-patient, settings where peop…

AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for emergency supply in the UK, with the first doses being released today so that vaccinations may begin early in the New Year. The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has provided authorisation for emergency supply of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca, formerly AZD1222, for the active immunisation of individuals 18 years or older. The authorisation recommends  two doses administered with an interval of between four and 12 weeks. This regimen was shown in clinical trials to be safe and effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19, with no severe cases and no hospitalisations more than 14 days after the second dose. AstraZeneca is working with Public Health England and National Health Service England to support the deploy…

LifeArc announces Seed Fund investment of £2 million in DJS Antibodies, a biotech start-up company pioneering the development of novel antibody therapeutics for inflammatory disease.  LifeArc is co-leading the c.£6 million funding with Sedgwick Yard, with new investment from Amgen Ventures and follow-on investment from Oxford Sciences Innovation (OSI). DJS Antibodies has developed HEPTAD, a novel platform for antibody discovery which was built to overcome the challenges associated with discovering therapeutic quality antibodies to intractable G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) targets.  This funding round will support the development of two candidate antibody therapeutics including an antibody therapeutic for chronic kidney disease (CKD), a long-term condition that leads to the irreversible…

Edinburgh, Scotland UK, Monday 21st December 2020; Arrayjet, the Scottish-based bio-printing and microarray technology company, has announced the appointment of its new non-executive Chairman. Dr Joe Keegan, a San Francisco-based biotechnology entrepreneur and one of the most respected leaders in the global life sciences industry, will replace Edinburgh-based serial entrepreneur and business strategist Alan Faichney, who is stepping down as Chairman after seven years in the role. Dr. Keegan’s appointed as Chairman is a huge boost for Arrayjet and the wider Scottish life sciences community. Joe joined Arrayjet as a non-exec Director three years ago and has been pivotal in helping the company accelerate a bold global expansion strategy.  He has helped identify and open up new international c…

COMIRNATY® (also known as BNT162b2) receives conditional marketing authorization from the European Commission; this milestone represents a global joint effort to advance the first authorized mRNA vaccine Pfizer and BioNTech are ready to immediately ship initial doses to the 27 EU member states Pfizer and BioNTech previously announced an agreement with the European Commission to supply 200 million vaccine doses to EU member states; the EU also has an option to purchase an additional 100 million doses in 2021 The vaccine has now been granted a conditional marketing authorization, emergency use authorization, or temporary authorization in more than 40 countries worldwide, including all 27 EU member states NEW YORK & MAINZ, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech…

AstraZeneca and Amgen today announced high-level results from the SOURCE Phase III trial which assessed the efficacy and safety of the potential new medicine tezepelumab compared to placebo in 150 severe asthma patients who required maintenance use of oral corticosteroids (OCS) on top of standard of care (SoC). The 48-week trial did not meet the primary endpoint of a statistically significant reduction in the daily OCS dose, without loss of asthma control, with tezepelumab compared to placebo. Tezepelumab’s effect on other efficacy parameters was similar to those observed in previous trials, including the registrational Phase III NAVIGATOR trial. Mene Pangalos, Executive Vice President, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, said: “Based on the totality of evidence, including the compelling exacerbat…

AlzeCure Pharma AB (publ) (FN STO: ALZCUR), a pharmaceutical company that develops a broad portfolio of drug candidates for diseases affecting the central nervous system, with projects in both Alzheimer’s disease and pain, today announced that the company has begun a preclinical development phase with the company's drug candidate ACD857. ACD857 is being developed within AlzeCure's NeuroRestore platform, with the aim of developing symptom-relieving drugs for the treatment of diseases with cognitive disorders. The preclinical development program with ACD857 includes preclinical safety and tolerability studies but also formulation work and stability testing. ACD857 may play a significant role in the treatment of indications in which cognitive functions are impaired, such as Alzheimer's diseas…

Oxford, U.K. 15 December 2020: Sensyne Health plc (LSE: SENS) (“Sensyne” or the “Company” or the “Group”), the British Clinical AI technology company, today announces that it has launched GDm-Health, its remote monitoring solution for diabetes in pregnancy, in the U.S. with immediate effect. Sensyne’s sales and marketing partner for the U.S., Cognizant, is now offering the solution to U.S. health systems and health plans via its sales force. Virtual care services powered by GDm-Health will qualify for reimbursement under remote patient monitoring codes introduced by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in 2020. Diabetes in pregnancy is a common condition that can increase the risk of hypertension and caesarean section in mothers as well as preterm birth, birth trauma and ad…

A new five-year US$ 25 million (US$ 5 million/year) financial support to prevent and treat Neglected Tropical Diseases Strong Company commitment to meet the goals of the new WHO NTDs Roadmap and sustainably eliminate sleeping sickness before 2030 20-year partnership outstanding legacy with a decrease of 97% in sleeping sickness cases worldwide PARIS - December 15, 2020 - Sanofi has signed on December 10th a renewed partnership agreement with the World Health Organization (WHO), consolidating a 20-year collaboration to fight some of the most Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) and supporting the WHO in its commitment to sustainably eliminate sleeping sickness before 2030.   With this new 5-year commitment, Sanofi will provide a consistent financial support with US$ 25 million (US$ 5 milli…

Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science, has secured CE Mark certification for the Thermo Scientific OmniPATH Combi SARS-CoV-2 IgG ELISA test. The test is intended for the quantitative measurement of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies raised against the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to aid clinicians in identifying patients with an immune response pre- and post-vaccination. The ability to quantify IgG is a critical component to understanding an individual’s immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, especially as we start to vaccinate the population. Having quantitative data on neutralizing antibodies will enable better understanding of a person’s immune response following exposure to the COVID-19 virus and support monitoring of the effectiveness of vaccines as t…

A revolutionary new way for pharma companies, and other businesses, to tap into the pockets of excellence in NHS staff delivery launches today. Just eight months after BOB.health was made available to NHS staff, sponsored impact stories are now published.  These ‘impact stories’, told by NHS staff members, are practical accounts of how to introduce medicine into a local system or how to redesign a pathway or service. Pharma and NHS collaboration initiatives, such as Joint Working projects, are unpacked, supporting the dissemination of the lessons learnt to NHS stakeholders in other localities. BOB.health is working with five leading pharma companies, including Boehringer Ingelheim, who have already bought into the concept of BOB. January 2021, will see the first batch of pharma sponsored s…

A 90-year-old woman has become the first person to be given a Covid jab as part of the mass vaccination programme being rolled out across the UK. Margaret Keenan, who turns 91 next week, said it was the "best early birthday present". She was given the injection at 06:31 GMT - the first of 800,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine that will be given in the coming weeks. Up to four million more are expected by the end of the month. Hubs in the UK will vaccinate over-80s and some health and care staff - the programme aims to protect the most vulnerable and return life to normal. Matron May Parsons administered Ms Keenan's vaccine at University Hospital in Coventry. Ms Keenan, who is originally from Enniskillen, said: "I feel so privileged to be the first person va…

U.K. regulator, MHRA, authorizes supply of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine for emergency supply under Regulation 174; Companies are ready to deliver the first doses to the U.K. immediately First authorization for a COVID-19 vaccine represents a breakthrough scientific achievement to help combat this devastating pandemic The companies previously signed an agreement to supply a total of 40 million doses to the U.K. with delivery in 2020 and 2021 U.S. FDA and EU EMA decisions on authorization are expected in December NEW YORK & MAINZ, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech SE (Nasdaq: BNTX) announced today that the Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the U.K. has granted a temporary authorization for emergency use for their COVID-19 mRNA vaccin…

Tech-enabled care firm cements its position as one of Europe’s fastest-growing businesses, reaching $120m in revenues and EBITDA positive in less than four years Firm aims to double its headcount by announcing 5,000 new roles in the UK Cera recently expanded into Scotland, and now employs more than 5,000 staff across 50+ UK offices Monday 30th November, London: Cera, the UK healthtech start-up launched in 2016, today confirms it has reached $120 million revenues (run-rate) in less than four years, and the creation of 5,000 new jobs nationwide as it seeks to double its headcount. The firm, which leverages cutting edge digital and data technology to provide in-home care, is already EBITDA positive. Marking its fourth anniversary since launch this month, Cera has already grown to become one…

Comprehensive access landscape map will help entrepreneurs get digital health technologies to patients and healthcare professionals. Bracknell, UK, 30 November 2020 – A new guide for digital health innovators launched today by Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) provides a comprehensive assessment of the English health system, pooling key stakeholder insights and signposting to further information for entrepreneurs to overcome barriers to the adoption of new technologies. The new, free to download guide features contributions from Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs), experts in digital and data and successful healthcare innovators and aims to optimise innovator opportunities and help them plot a clear pathway for digital health technologies to improve services and reach patients. The Innovator’…

Pratteln, Switzerland, November 25, 2020 – Santhera Pharmaceuticals (SIX: SANN) announces that it has issued 937,928 treasury shares. The number of shares recorded in the commercial register has been increased to 18,983,321 shares.   On November 24, 2020, 937,928 shares were issued out of the existing authorized capital as treasury shares. Santhera expects to use these shares for purposes of its financing arrangements. The new shares will be listed as per November 25, 2020.     About Santhera Santhera Pharmaceuticals (SIX: SANN) is a Swiss specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative medicines for rare neuromuscular and pulmonary diseases with high unmet medical need. Santhera has an exclusive license for all indications worldwide to vamo…