Exscientia, a company in Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven drug discovery, has announced the appointment of Mr Georgy Egorov as Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

British gene therapy developer Orchard Therapeutics will go IPO on Nasdaq, according to SEC filings. The company plans to raise $172.5m as ADS in an IPO underwritten by J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Cowen and Wedbush PacGrow to balance its costs, which rose from US$13m to US$138m this year. Financial markets are expected to react positively.

Diagnostics company sphingotec GmbH successfully closed a €20m growth equity financing round led by international specialist investors HBM Healthcare Investments, HBM BioCapital II LP (HBM) and Wellington Partners.

Evotec and Sanofi have launched a Public Private Partnership (PPP) aimed at partnering with academic groups in early stage drug discovery across multiple therapeutic areas. 

Researchers at at VHIO in Barcelona, Spain, and Roche in Schlieren have presented a bi-specific antibody that prevents the side effects of HER2-targeting compounds.

Medigene is developing the next generation of effective TCR cell therapies aimed at establishing better control over cancer at reasonable production cost.

Pfizer Inc. today announced its Board of Directors has unanimously elected Dr. Albert Bourla, 56, Pfizer Chief Operating Officer (COO), to succeed Ian Read as CEO effective January 1, 2019. Ian Read will transition from his current role as Chairman and CEO to Executive Chairman of Pfizer’s Board of Directors.

Roughly 150 life science professionals met at the 5th Biotech Days to discuss the latest progress in bioprocess intensification.

Back in February 2017, CDMO Rentschler Biopharma SE and formulation specialist Leukocare AG joined forces to give biologics and biosimilar makers a competitive edge through significantly stabilised end products. European Biotechnology spoke with Leukocare’s CEO Michael Scholl about the impact of formulation on drug product performance.

Life Sciences venture capitalist Forbion has closed its  new flagship fund, Forbion IV, at €360m, €90m above its original target of €250m.