Global science, local innovation: In an interview with European Biotech Magazine, WuXi AppTec Co-CEO Steve Yang explains why Europe remains a key source of scientific innovation, why the company continues to expand its Munich site despite geopolitical tensions, and why trust, quality, and international collaboration are essential for the future of drug discovery.
Isomorphic megadeal lifts UK biotech funding to five-year high
Latest NewsUK biotech companies raised £2.11 billion in equity financing in the second quarter of 2026, as a record round for Isomorphic Labs pushed venture investment to its highest level in five years.
Orakl takes on four Sanofi cancer assets
Latest NewsFrench techbio Orakl Oncology has secured exclusive rights to four undisclosed oncology assets from Sanofi, giving the startup an opportunity to test whether its combination of patient-derived tumour models and artificial intelligence can improve drug development decisions.
Mission Therapeutics refocuses on CNS and sells $292M kidney drug to Dimerix
Latest NewsUK biotech Mission Therapeutics has sold its Phase 2-ready acute kidney injury drug MTX652 to Australia’s Dimerix in a deal worth up to $292 million (€254.7 million), freeing Mission to concentrate resources on its central nervous system (CNS) pipeline.
Lilly buys Europe-rooted AtaiBeckley for up to $3.8B
Latest NewsEli Lilly has agreed to acquire AtaiBeckley for up to $3.8 billion (€3.3 billion), turning a psychedelic drug developer built from German and British roots into one of the sector’s largest pharmaceutical takeovers.
Sanofi joins the mRNA vaccine patent wars
Latest NewsSanofi has sued Pfizer and Moderna, alleging that their COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines infringe patents covering the delivery of messenger RNA using lipid nanoparticles it acquired through the acquisition of Translate Bio in 2021.
ADC expert appointed as CEO
AppointmentsProfessor Andreas Pahl took over as Chief Executive Officer of Simris Biologics GmbH in mid-July. The subsidiary of Swedish Simris Group based in Berlin, develops next-generation antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) payloads based on nature-derived technologies.
AstraZeneca reunites with Dizal in $1.5bn lung cancer deal
Latest NewsAstraZeneca has agreed to pay up to $1.5bn for global rights to Zegfrovy, an EGFR-targeted lung cancer drug developed by Dizal Pharmaceutical – the Chinese biotech it helped create nearly a decade ago.
Bayer rebuilds pharma while waiting for Monsanto relief
Background, Latest NewsA stronger pipeline and new financing give Bayer room to manoeuvre — but investors are still watching one issue: the US glyphosate litigation.
WuXi AppTec bets on expansion in Europe
Background, Latest NewsGlobal science, local innovation: In an interview with European Biotech Magazine, WuXi AppTec Co-CEO Steve Yang explains why Europe remains a key source of scientific innovation, why the company continues to expand its Munich site despite geopolitical tensions, and why trust, quality, and international collaboration are essential for the future of drug discovery.
Seasoned CSO takes the helm
AppointmentsAriane de Ganck, PhD, took over the position as new Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) at Ardena. She started in 2019 at the Ghent-based CDMO/CRO.