Paris-based Enodia Therapeutics announced the acquisition of preclinical assets from San Francisco-based Kezar Life Sciences’ pipeline. Both companies are developers of small molecules that target protein degradation, a field that is attracting significant attention for its potential to treat previously intractable diseases.
Cost-cutting measures sometimes arrive wrapped in reassuring language. “Horizon” is the name Evotec SE has given to the next stage of its restructuring programme, which will affect additional sites and their employees. Up to 800 staff may find it difficult to look past the polished wording.
Ipsen has announced the immediate withdrawal of its cancer drug Tazverik across all indications after serious safety issues emerged in an ongoing Phase III trial.
The Mainz-based biotech company BioNTech is facing a historic leadership change as the minds behind the COVID-19 vaccine prepare for a fresh start. Uğur Şahin and Özlem Türeci plan to focus entirely on mRNA platform technology and will launch a spin-off at the end of the year.
Setback after earlier optimism: the Roche drug giredestrant has delivered mixed clinical data. Several clinical trials had suggested the drug could play an important role in the treatment of hormone-dependent breast tumours and potentially become a blockbuster for the company. Now, however, a key Phase III study has failed to meet its primary endpoint, even as regulatory submissions are already under way.
Roche and Zealand Pharma have delivered a clinically positive phase 2 readout for petrelintide, their amylin-based obesity drug, but the market reaction made clear that “positive” is no longer enough in the weight-loss race. After the companies reported that patients achieved up to 10.7% mean weight loss at 42 weeks, shares in both partners fell sharply as investors questioned whether the candidate can stand out in an increasingly crowded field.
Italian drugmaker Alfasigma has struck a licensing deal to take over global rights to linerixibat, GSK’s late-stage candidate for cholestatic pruritus in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), in a transaction that could be worth up to $690 million to the British pharma group. Under the agreement, GSK will receive $300 million upfront, with additional regulatory and commercial milestones plus tiered double-digit royalties on worldwide sales.
French pharma giant Servier is spending US$2.5bn to snap up Day One Biopharmaceuticals, gaining a key approved drug for difficult childhood brain tumours along with several promising pipeline candidates.
Paris-based kyron.bio has signed a strategic partnership with French pharma group Servier to glycoengineer an antibody selected by Servier. This agreement marks an early proof-of-concept deal designed to show the company can reliably “dial in” a specific, pre-defined N-glycoform on a therapeutic antibody.
Bristol-based cell and gene therapy CDMO eXmoor Pharma appointed Manuel Balbuena as Chief Commercial Officer at the beginning of March.
Evotec SE
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Marcus Krauss - stock.adobe.com 
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