Fibra-Cel Disks are an advanced, solid support material for the efficient growth of mammalian and insect cells in bioreactors. They are devised to improve the cultivation of anchorage-dependent as well as suspension cells. Fibra-Cel Disks can be used also for perfusion cell culture with the Eppendorf packed-bed impeller – available for glass, stainless steel, and single-use bioreactors.

British T cell player, Autolus Therapeutics Ltd. wants to go NASDAQ selling 7.8 million American Depositary Shares (ADSs) at  at least US-$15, totaling in US$117m. Through a greenshoe option, Autolus want to offer additional 1,171,875 ADS at the IPO price. 

EU Commissioners Jyrki Katainen and Carlos Moedas proposed a budget increase of 25% for the next  European Research and Innovation programme Horizon Europe (2021-27) vs Horizon 2020. However MEPs said that the new moonshot research section EIC is underfunded. Furthermore, the current funding quote of 11% was too low compared to other international excellence programmes.

Josh Muntner has been appointed Chief Financial Officer of Mesoblast. He will be based in New York.

Alkermes plc (Dublin) received a US$50m milestone payment from Biogen after review of preliminary Phase III gastrointestinal tolerability data of Alkermes’ relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis candidate diroximel fumarate (BIIB098).

Austrian arenaviral vector technology specialist Hookipa Biotech AG (Vienna, Austria) has licenced its TheraT and Vaxwave technologies exclusively to Gilead Sciences Inc. to develop and globally commercialise vaccines against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the hepatitis B virus (HBV).

PureTech Health plc announced today that its affiliate, Gelesis, has appointed Harry Leider, MD, MBA, former Chief Medical Officer and Group Vice President of Walgreens, as Chief Medical Officer. 

The US FDA has accepted a supplemental BLA to Roche’s existing market approval of the new hemophilia A treatment Hemlibra (emicizumab), which could significantly extend the patient group covered by the label. 

Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC announces the appointment of Henriette Nielsen to the newly created role of Chief Transformation Officer.

The European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) recommended nine medicines for approval, including two orphan medicines, at its May 2018 meeting.