Adobe stock photos - https://european-biotechnology.com/latest-news/roche-moves-obesity-asset-ct-388-into-phase-iii/Danish Novo Nordisk A/S has made an unexpected takeover bid for US biotech Metsera, Inc. This challenges the already agreed acquisition by Pfizer Inc. Novo offers US$6.5bn in cash, plus up to US$2.5bn in milestone payments. The total potential value is around US$9bn. Pfizer previously offered US$4.9bn plus US$2.4bn in milestones.
X-act Cologne Clinical Research GmbHEssential areas such as study planning, interpretation, regulatory guidance, and key study design decisions remain human responsibilities, although AI increasingly supports routine tasks. X-act gets involved after the preclinical phase supporting clients in all clinical research phases from Phase I to IV and beyond. Their service ranges from initial planning to final analysis, reporting, and regulatory submission. European Biotechnology spoke with Jasmin Atarodi, Managing Director of X-act Cologne Clinical Research GmbH, about the benefits of partnering with experienced data specialists.
NATOThe NATO is clearly priorising biotech to a defence priority with an annual budget of potentially up to €500m for biotech start-ups starting from 2026. At the opening of the first ever NATO Biotechnology Conference, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said: “Between last year and this year, we funded a total of 28 promising biotechnology companies through the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA)”. Rutte indicated that DIANA’s budget could grow significantly in the medium term, potentially up to five-fold.
Die Hoffotografen GmbHSolid tumours pose major obstacles for cell therapies, but German-American biotech T-knife is tackling them head-on. CEO Tom Soloway and CTO Elisa Kieback share how their “supercharged” TCR-Ts are engineered to overcome these challenges.
GSKBritish GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK) has entered a US$745m licensing agreement with Empirico Inc for EMP-012, a first-in-class siRNA candidate for COPD. EMP-012 targets the underserved non-type 2 inflammation market segment valued at US$600–700bn.
adobe stock photos - Michael Derrer Fuchs In a major bet on RNA medicine, Swiss Novartis AG announced to buy Avidity Biosciences Inc for US$12bn. Avidity’s Oligonucleotide Conjugate (AOC) platform allows Transferin receptor-targeted RNA delivery to muscle. With the acquisition Novartis secures access to three late-stage RNA drug candidates for muscular dystrophies.
Adobe stock photo - tippapatt GHO Capital has closed its fourth fund, GHO Capital IV LP, raising over €2.5bn (~US$2.9bn) to invest in global healthcare. The fund brings the firm’s total assets under management to around €9bn, making it Europe’s largest healthcare-focused private equity firm.
adobe stock photos - Jiraporn Hemab Therapeutics A/S has completed an oversubscribed US$157m Series C financing round led by Sofinnova Partners to accelarate and expand its pipeline in bleeding disorders and thrombosis treatments.
Celonic GroupThe Celonic Group and CARBOGEN AMCIS AG have formed a strategic alliance to offer a fully integrated Antibody Drug Conjugate (ADC) development and manufacturing platform. This partnership combines Celonic’s biologics expertise with CARBOGEN AMCIS’s payload synthesis and conjugation capabilities, creating a seamless, end-to-end solution for ADC developers.
Wien-Tourismus/Christian-StemperThis year, BIO-Europe, Europe’s leading partnering event for the entire biotech ecosystem, will take place in Vienna. From 3 to 5 November, the industry’s most important decision-makers will meet here to negotiate partnerships, contracts and financing, and to learn about the latest developments and trends. With over 5,700 participants from 60 countries, 2025 is set to see a record number of delegates, sponsors, exhibitors and presenting companies.