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Biotechnology
European life sciences venture capital firm Sofinnova Partners and French cancer research hospital Gustave Roussy have announced the creation of their first biotech company. 18 March 2025
Biotechnology
Californian cell therapy company Orca Bio has announced positive results from the pivotal Phase III Precision-T study of Orca-T, its lead investigational allogeneic T-cell immunotherapy, acute myeloid leukemia (AML), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and mixed-phenotype acute leukemia (MPAL). 18 March 2025
Generics
The Russian drugmaker Axelpharm will continue sales of its drug axitinib, which is used in kidney cancer therapy and is a generic of version of US pharma giant Pfizer’s Inlyta, reports The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent.
drug of the US Pfizer. 18 March 2025
Biotechnology
Japanese drugmaker Otsuka Holdings’ subsidiary Taiho Pharmaceuticals is to buy Araris Biotech, a Swiss oncology firm developing antibody drug conjugates (ADCs). 17 March 2025
Biotechnology
Switzerland-headquartered iOnctura today announced the appointments of Elizabeth Holt as chief business officer (CBO) and Dr Mark Velleca as chairman of the board of directors. 17 March 2025
Biotechnology
AstraZeneca today revealed it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire EsoBiotec, a Belgium-based biotechnology company pioneering in vivo cell therapies that has demonstrated promising early clinical activity. 17 March 2025
Pharmaceutical
Anglo-Swedish pharma major AstraZeneca and Korean biotech Alteogen have entered into an exclusive license agreement for ALT-B4, a novel hyaluronidase using Hybrozyme platform technology. 17 March 2025
Biotechnology
The European Commission (EC) has granted approval to Breyanzi (lisocabtagene maraleucel; liso-cel), a CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy from Bristol Myers Squibb, for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (FL) after two or more lines of systemic therapy. 17 March 2025
Biotechnology
The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) meeting last week continued to provide positive news, including from US biotech Amgen and Japan’s Kyowa Kirin, with Phase III results for their rocatinlimab as a potential treatment for severe atopic dermatitis. In other news, Denmark’s Novo Nordisk released new data for its obesity hopeful CagriSema, which again failed to impress. Last week also saw US biotech 2seventy bio accept a takeover bid from Bristol Myers Squibb along with their partnered CAR-T cell therapy Abecma. Additionally, USA-based Sareum Holdings has in-licensed a cancer candidate, SRA737, from an unnamed company. 16 March 2025
Pharmaceutical
Guaranteed success in drug development does not exist, such are the inherent risks, potential pitfalls and costs involved. But UK-based Ellipses Pharma has developed a model that - if its founder’s convictions prove accurate - will maximize the probability of success and lead to a host of new oncology drugs being brought to market by big pharma. 14 March 2025
Biotechnology
Sutro Biopharma, a US biotechnology company, has announced significant organizational changes, including a workforce reduction of nearly 50%, a shift in its drug development focus, and leadership transitions. 14 March 2025
Biotechnology
Prague headquartered clinical-stage SOTIO Biotech, which is owned by the Czech Republic's PPF Group, today announced it will be exercising its option, under its license and option agreement with Synaffix, a Lonza company, to obtain a license to Synaffix’s technology to develop two bispecific antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) programs. 13 March 2025
Pharmaceutical
UK-based Sareum Holdings (AIM: SAR), a biotech developing kinase inhibitors for autoimmune disease and cancer, has acquired the licence for SRA737 following the program’s return from an undisclosed USA-based biopharma. 13 March 2025
Pharmaceutical
California-based Vivace Therapeutics has announced the closing of a $35 million Series D financing. 13 March 2025
Pharmaceutical
Japanese drugmaker Ono Pharmaceutical has entered into a license agreement with USA-based Ionis Pharmaceuticals for sapablursen, an investigational RNA-targeted medicine for the treatment of polycythemia vera (PV). Ionis’ shares edged up 2.4% to $33.82 on the news. 12 March 2025
Pharmaceutical
California commercial-stage biopharma firm Geron Corporation has announced that Dr John “Chip” Scarlett, president, chief executive (CEO) and chairman, will depart the company on March 31, 2025. 12 March 2025
Biotechnology
Independent French drugmaker Pierre Fabre Laboratories and Switzerland-based RedRidge Bio have announced an exclusive R&D collaboration and license agreement to identify and develop biparatopic antibody (BPA) drug candidates against multiple targets. 12 March 2025
Biotechnology
Harbour BioMed has appointed Michael Patten as chief strategy officer, responsible for overseeing global corporate development and growth strategy. He will also lead the company's global alliance efforts, focusing on expanding its presence in key markets outside China. 11 March 2025
Biotechnology
Shares of US biotech 2seventy Bio skyrocketed almost 76% to $4.92 today, as it agreed to a takeover bid from US pharma major Bristol Myers Squibb, which is looking to enhance its CAR T-cell therapy business. 11 March 2025
Biotechnology
Sino-American biopharma Ascentage Pharma has announced that olverembatinib has been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) by China’s Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), alongside low-intensity chemotherapy, for first-line treatment of newly-diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). 11 March 2025
Pharmaceutical
Eli Lilly today announced positive top-line results from the Phase III BRUIN CLL-314 clinical trial of Jaypirca (pirtobrutinib), a non-covalent (reversible) Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, versus Imbruvica (ibrutinib), a covalent BTK inhibitor, in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL). 29 July 2025
Pharmaceutical
US pharma giant Merck & Co was trading 4% lower in pre-market Tuesday after the group presented its second quarter 2025 financial results and guidance for the rest of the year. 29 July 2025
Pharmaceutical
Family-owned Boehringer Ingelheim, now Germany’s largest drugmaker by revenue, has reported positive growth in the first half of 2025, with group net sales growing by 6.3% to 14.0 billion euros ($14.7 billion). 29 July 2025
Pharmaceutical
AstraZeneca posted a robust second-quarter 2025 performance, lifted by record growth in its US business and solid momentum across its key therapy areas.
The UK pharma major reported revenue of $14.5 billion for the three months to June 30, up 12% from a year earlier and ahead of analysts’ forecasts. Pre-tax profit climbed 30% to $3.1 billion, while earnings per share rose 27% to $1.58. 29 July 2025
Pharmaceutical
US clinical-stage oncology focused biotech Celcuity saw its shares skyrocket 180% to $38.59 in early trading as it announced positive trial data for its lead candidate gedatolisib. 28 July 2025
Biotechnology
UK pharma major AstraZeneca this morning revealed that its supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for Imfinzi (durvalumab) has been accepted and granted Priority Review in the USA for the treatment of patients with resectable, early-stage and locally advanced (Stages II, III, IVA) gastric and gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancers. 28 July 2025
Biotechnology
TCG Labs Soleil has secured another $400 million to expand its global R&D footprint and help build out its growing portfolio of single-asset biotechnology companies. The San Francisco-based venture firm said the new fund matches the size of its inaugural raise last year. 25 July 2025
Biotechnology
French drugmaker Ipsen announced that the European Commission (EC) has approved Cabometyx (cabozantinib) for adult patients with unresectable or metastatic, well differentiated pancreatic (pNET) and extra-pancreatic (epNET) neuroendocrine tumors who have progressed following at least one prior systemic therapy other than somatostatin analogues. 25 July 2025
Biotechnology
In an import contrast to events in the USA, UK pharma major GSK late Thursday announced the approval of Blenrep (belantamab mafodotin) by the European Commission. 25 July 2025
Biotechnology
Following the positive opinion by the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) on June 19, 2025, the European Commission has approved French pharma major Sanofi's (isatuximab) in combination with bortezomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone (VRd) for the induction treatment of adult patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) who are eligible for autologous stem cell transplant. 25 July 2025
Biotechnology
The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has today approved US pharma major AbbVie’s Elahere (mirvetuximab soravtansine) to treat adults with ovarian cancer, fallopian tube cancer, and primary peritoneal cancer. 24 July 2025
Biotechnology
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the review period for the Biologics License Application (BLA) for GSK’s Blenrep (belantamab mafodotin-blmf) combinations for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior line of therapy. 24 July 2025
Pharmaceutical
China remains the most popular country for clinical trials outside North America and Europe in the second quarter (Q2) of 2025, according to a report by the data and analytics company GlobalData. 24 July 2025
Pharmaceutical
Swiss pharma giant Roche this morning released financial results for the first half of 2025, showing that sales grew 7% (+4% in Swiss francs) to 30.9 billion francs ($35.1 billion) due to strong demand for pharmaceutical products. Sales were in line with Visible Alpha consensus of 30.80 billion francs. 24 July 2025
Biotechnology
US healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) has announced that the European Commission (EC) has approved a new indication and an indication extension for Darzalex (daratumumab) and Imbruvica (ibrutinib), respectively. 23 July 2025
Biotechnology
Dispatch Bio has announced its official launch, with the stated ambition of engineering a universal treatment across solid tumors, which represent approximately 90% of cancers worldwide. 23 July 2025
Biotechnology
The European Commission has approved Swiss pharma giant Roche’s Itovebi (inavolisib), in combination with palbociclib (Ibrance) and fulvestrant, for the treatment of adult patients with PIK3CA-mutated, oestrogen receptor (ER)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative, locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer, following recurrence on or within 12 months of completing adjuvant endocrine treatment. 23 July 2025
Biotechnology
Scancell Holdings, the developer of Immunobody and Moditope active immunotherapies to treat cancer, has announced further positive data from the ongoing Phase II SCOPE trial of SCIB1/iSCIB1+ Immunobody DNA active immunotherapies in combination with checkpoint inhibitors in advanced unresectable melanoma. 23 July 2025
Pharmaceutical
French pharma Ipsen (Euronext: IPN) today announced the following changes to its executive committee: 23 July 2025
Generics
Swiss pharma Sandoz has spent less than a year charting its course as an independent company, but already it’s moving with the confidence of a seasoned player. Since separating from former parent Novartis in October 2023, the generics and biosimilars specialist has been working fast to reshape its identity—and its balance sheet. 22 July 2025
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