Today Stories

GSK plc (LSE/NYSE: GSK) has today (Monday 18 July 2022) completed the demerger of the Consumer Healthcare business from the GSK Group to form the Haleon Group. The shares of Haleon plc (ticker "LSE: HLN") will be admitted at 8.00 a.m. today to the Premium Listing segment of the Official List and to trading on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange (“LSE”). It is expected that American Depositary Shares representing shares of Haleon plc (ticker: “NYSE: HLN”) (“Haleon ADSs”) will commence “regular-way” trading on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) at market open on Friday 22 July 2022. In addition, we expect that Haleon ADSs will begin trading on a “when-issued” basis on the NYSE from market open today up to and including Thursday 21 July 2022. Each Haleon ADS represents two Ha…

Orion to receive an upfront payment of USD 290 million Agreement strengthens and complements Merck’s oncology pipeline RAHWAY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, and Orion Corporation (“Orion”) today announced a global development and commercialization agreement for Orion’s investigational candidate ODM-208 and other drugs targeting cytochrome P450 11A1 (CYP11A1), an enzyme important in steroid production. ODM-208 is an oral, non-steroidal inhibitor of CYP11A1 currently being evaluated in a Phase 2 clinical trial for the treatment of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Under the terms of the agreement, Orion and Merck, acting through its subsidiary, Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, will co-develop a…

Test Measures Key Biomarker Associated with Neuronal Damage; Assists in Diagnosis of Diseases Including Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Concussions BURLINGTON, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul. 13, 2022-- Labcorp (NYSE: LH), a leading global life sciences company, today announced the launch of the first widely accessible test that provides direct evidence of neurodegeneration and neuronal injury. The new Neurofilament Light Chain (NfL) blood test will allow doctors to identify and verify signs of neurodegenerative disease, enabling physicians to provide a more effective and efficient path to diagnosis and treatment for patients. Elevated NfL levels signal neuronal injury, whether from diseases like multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, or from brain injury, such as wi…

CRO gains access to genetic testing data, aims to improve global research with enhanced data insights and faster patient recruitment for rare disease studies Research Triangle Park, N.C. – July 12, 2022 –Worldwide Clinical Trials, Inc. (Worldwide), the industry’s leading global, midsize, full-service contract research organization (CRO), today announced its strategic partnership with Invitae, a leading medical genetics company. The partnership makes Worldwide the first CRO to use Invitae’s Explorer tool – part of its real-world data platform that enables access to aggregated genetic testing results. Around the world, 300 million people have a rare disease, and 72 percent of those diseases have genetic origins (source). This partnership underscores Worldwide’s global leadership in rare dise…

BURLINGTON, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul. 11, 2022-- Labcorp (NYSE: LH), a leading global life sciences company, today announced it has formed a strategic partnership with MD Anderson Cancer Center Foundation Spain, a non-profit organization whose objectives are to beat cancer and to increase accessibility of early phase oncology clinical trials. Through this collaboration, oncology clinical trials managed by Labcorp Drug Development will be prioritized and conducted at MD Anderson Cancer Center Foundation Spain, representing a new model for future trials. “This collaboration will help accelerate the discovery and development of cancer therapies worldwide,” said Prasanth Reddy, M.D., MPH, FACP, senior vice president and oncology head at Labcorp. “Early phase clinical research in people with…

ViaCyte brings tools, technologies and assets with potential to accelerate development of VX-880, Vertex’s fully differentiated, insulin-producing, stem cell derived islets ViaCyte to be acquired for $320 million in cash BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul. 11, 2022-- Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) today announced that the company has entered into a definitive agreement under which Vertex will acquire ViaCyte, a privately held biotechnology company focused on delivering novel stem cell-derived cell replacement therapies as a functional cure for type 1 diabetes (T1D), for $320 million in cash. “VX-880 has successfully demonstrated clinical proof of concept in T1D, and the acquisition of ViaCyte will accelerate our goal of transforming, if not curing T1D by expanding our capab…

‘Palio’ meeting, held annually by GSK, to address the growing threat to human health from infectious disease and its links to nature loss and climate change Participants include Anthony Fauci (NIH), Muhammad Ali Pate (World Bank), Peter Dull (Gates Foundation), as well as CEPI, University of Oxford, PATH and Sabin Institute GSK plc (LSE/NYSE: GSK) is convening leading experts in vaccines and sustainability at a scientific meeting on the theme ‘Vaccines for a sustainable planet’. 65 experts across immunology, vaccinology, epidemiology, and policy will gather on 7-8 July in Siena, Italy. Latest scientific evidence has shown climate change, nature loss and human health are deeply interconnected. The threat of infectious disease is growing as data show environmental changes are exacerbating…

France and Germany, July 6, 2022 – Boehringer Ingelheim, a leading research-driven biopharmaceutical company, the life science company Evotec SE (Frankfurt Stock Exchange: EVT, MDAX/TecDAX, ISIN: DE0005664809; NASDAQ: EVO) and bioMérieux, a world leader in in vitro diagnostics, announced today that they have formed a joint venture to create the next generation of antimicrobials along with actionable diagnostics to fight Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). The resulting company, Aurobac Therapeutics SAS, will combine the best capabilities of the three founding companies towards developing a new precision medicine approach, from diagnosis to cure. The aspiration is to succeed in the fight against AMR, which is a major public health threat. Having routine surgery such as caesarean sections or hip…

London, 05 July 2022 — Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK announces the launch of the Novartis Biome UK Heart Health Catalyst 2022, in a world-first investor partnership with Medtronic ltd, RYSE Asset Management, and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and its official charity CW+. The ambitious initiative has a bold aim – to identify and implement solutions that empower patients to improve their heart health, and to help prevent future heart attacks or strokes through home-based digital solutions. The focus is on the major risk factors, non-invasive ways of lipid testing and blood pressure management using software as a medical device (SaMD). Applications are open to health-tech start-up founders, researchers, and technologists working on innovative solutions to enable system-w…

TNB-486 will be evaluated in multiple types of lymphoma AstraZeneca today announced an agreement to acquire TeneoTwo, Inc. (TeneoTwo)i, including its Phase I clinical-stage CD19/CD3 T-cell engager, TNB-486, currently under evaluation in relapsed and refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma1. The acquisition of TNB-486 aims to accelerate the development of this potential new medicine for B-cell haematologic malignancies, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma. Building on the success of Calquence (acalabrutinib), TNB-486 further diversifies AstraZeneca’s haematology pipeline that spans multiple therapeutic modalities and mechanisms to address a broad spectrum of blood cancers. TNB-486 belongs to a class of therapeutic antibodies known as T-cell engagers, which a…

Medicines, including insulin, to be available in 40 lower-income countries Investment fund established to help create sustainable health systems Announcements comes as Global Health stakeholders gather in Paris Paris – July 4, 2022 – Sanofi Global Health announces the launch of Impact®, a new brand of standard of care medicines produced by Sanofi dedicated for nonprofit distribution to at-risk populations in the world’s most impoverished countries. The Impact® brand, which includes insulin, glibenclamide and oxaliplatin amonst others, will enable the secure distribution of 30 Sanofi medicines in 40 lower-income countries. Considered essential by the World Health Organization, the medicines cover a wide range of therapeutic areas, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, tuberculosis,…

Paris, 30 June, 2022 - Atos, in agreement with the Wellcome Genome Campus in Cambridgeshire, UK, today announces the official opening of its global Life Sciences Centre of Excellence. The facility will provide scientists on campus, and global genome and bio-data institutes worldwide, early access to emerging technologies to support their research, helping to accelerate the process of bringing new drugs to market and delivering tangible societal benefits. The Atos Life Sciences Centre of Excellence is an exploration, discovery and co-creation instrument aimed at complementing the existing Campus compute facilities with access to leading-edge technologies, such as Quantum, High-Performance Computing, Edge Computing and AI, supported by Atos’ products, services and expertise in these sectors…

Interim data presented at the European Academy of Neurology 2022 shows that 54.7% of patients in the study had their monthly-migraine-days reduced by 50% or more over the six-month period from the start of treatment. Teva Pharmaceuticals Europe B.V. today announces promising interim results from its Pan-European Real World study (PEARL), presented for the first time at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress in Vienna, Austria. The two-year Pan-European Real World (PEARL) prospective, observational study of AJOVY® (fremanezumab), looks at its effectiveness in patients with chronic migraine or episodic migraine, and is an ongoing study sponsored by Teva Pharmaceuticals Europe BV.[i]  These findings further offer insight into the treatment of migraine in real-world clinical practice…

invoX Pharma (“invoX”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Sino Biopharmaceutical Limited (“Sino Biopharm”) (HKEX 1177 HK), focused on research and development (R&D) and business development activities outside of China, and F-star Therapeutics, Inc. (“F-star”) (NASDAQ:FSTX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering bispecifics in immunotherapy so more people with cancer can live longer and improved lives, today announced that the companies have entered into a definitive agreement whereby invoX will acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of F-star common stock for $7.12 per share. The proposed acquisition values F-star at approximately $161 million. The transaction has been unanimously approved by the invoX and F-star Boards of Directors and is expected to close in the…

Scientific Laboratory Supplies (SLS) – the leading supplier of equipment, chemicals and consumables for laboratory use in the UK – has announced the acquisition of two businesses, Gem Scientific and Northern Balance, to expand its product and service offerings. Both companies will continue to operate as independent entities and retain all employees, whilst harnessing SLS’s business support and infrastructure to benefit all parties, stakeholders and customers.   Gem Scientific is a laboratory equipment distributor based in West Yorkshire, supplying high quality products – including hygiene testing devices and consumables – to sectors such as the food and beverage industry. This acquisition will help to strengthen both brands in this field, giving customers greater access to a wider range of…

Manufacturing facility would provide access to domestically manufactured vaccines against respiratory viruses Moderna would expand its presence in the UK through investments in R&D activities and capabilities Collaboration would support the UK with direct access to rapid pandemic response capabilities CAMBRIDGE, MA / ACCESSWIRE / June 21, 2022 / Moderna, Inc . (Nasdaq:MRNA), a biotechnology company pioneering messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines, today announced an agreement in principle with the United Kingdom government to establish an mRNA Innovation and Technology Center in the UK. This state-of-the-art mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility is expected to provide access to rapid pandemic response capabilities and Moderna's respiratory virus vaccine candidates. Additionall…

The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult (CGT Catapult) and the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) today announce a collaboration to accelerate the clinical development of adeno-associated virus (AAV) based gene therapies for dementia. Since 2015, dementia has been one of the leading causes of mortality in the UK. Whilst new and improved treatments for heart disease and cancer are reducing mortality, a lack of effective treatment options for neurodegenerative conditions means that dementia-related deaths continue to rise. Through this collaboration, the CGT Catapult will work with UK academic centres of excellence and the UK DRI to identify new AAV-based gene therapies with high potential to become new medicines for dementia, assessing a wide range of assets in order to best address the sig…

Pfizer will invest €90.5 million in Valneva Planned Phase 3 study confirmed to initiate in Q3 2022 SAINT-HERBLAIN, France & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Valneva SE (Nasdaq: VALN; Euronext Paris: VLA), a specialty vaccine company, and Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) today announced that they have entered into an Equity Subscription Agreement and have updated the terms of their Collaboration and License Agreement for Lyme disease vaccine candidate VLA15. As previously announced on April 26, 2022, Pfizer plans to initiate the Phase 3 study of VLA15 in the third quarter of 2022. As part of the Equity Subscription Agreement, Pfizer will invest €90.5 ($95) million in Valneva, representing 8.1% of Valneva’s share capital at a price of €9.49 per share, through a reserved capital increase to further s…

Alliances with CVS Health and Javara further embed clinical research into the community healthcare setting, expanding access to patient populations across the U.S. to increase diversity in clinical trials BOSTON, and Durham, N.C., June 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Parexel, a leading global clinical research organization (CRO), today announced the launch of its Community Alliance Network, a novel program further integrating clinical research into the community healthcare setting to better serve patients and in turn create further opportunity for increased diversity in clinical trials. CVS Health®, the leading health care solutions company, and Javara, the leading Integrated Research Organization, have joined the network as inaugural members, opening the door to community-based research site…

Leading contract research organisation (CRO) Cellomatics Biosciences has moved into new purpose-built premises in Nottingham in the wake of rising demand for its bespoke preclinical and early drug discovery phase laboratory services. The company’s new facilities in Colwick, Nottingham represent a three-fold increase in the company’s footprint, allowing room for further expansion. The purpose-built facility is an independent building covering approximately 5,500 sq ft of space across two levels. The ground floor is dedicated to laboratory facilities, whilst the first floor provides scientific write-up space, offices, and meeting rooms. The new laboratories are equipped with state-of-the-art imaging and analysis equipment and Class ll biological safety cabinets, fridges, freezers, and CO2 in…