German Merck KGaA has secured an option on UK’s F-Star Biotechnology Ltd’s preclinical bispecific PD-L1/LAG checkpoint inhibitor FS118 and four candidates in discovery stage.

Cambridge-based specialist ion channel CRO and drug discovery company Metrion Biosciences Ltd has named James Beaumont Head of Business Development. He joins from NZP-Dextra, where he held the post of Development Director.

Cambridge-based cancer company Bicycle Therapeutics has raised £40m to advance its clinical pipeline of peptide-based conjugates with antibody-like binding properties. 

UK-based drug developers and contract manufacturers are set to find partners in the European Economic Area (EEA) to uphold Orphan Drug Designation, MAA or transfer their current UK based site of batch release to a location established in the Union.

Following a private placement worth CHF3m in February, Swiss allosteric modulator specialist Addex Therapeutics has increased its capital to finance clinical studies of dipraglurant in Parkinson’s and ADX71441.

Gyros Protein Technologies has appointed Mark Vossenaar as Vice President, European Sales.

Eppendorf extends its range of accessories and consumables for the epMotion® 5070, 5053 and 5075 automated Liquid Handling systems to facilitate pipetting of small volumes from 10 µL down to 200 nL.

London-based orphan drug developer AMO Pharma’s drug AMO-02 has been granted FDA fast track status as treatment for congenital myotonic dystrophy, a sub-indication muscular dystrophy.

French drug delivery specialist Biocorp S.A. (Issoire) has signed an industrialisation contract with Virbac, one of the top-ten vet-med makers. 

Paris-based biopharma GenSight Biologics SA named Mohamed Genead as Chief Medical Officer in early May. Most recently, Genead was Vice President & Global Therapeutic Area Head for Ophthalmology/Retina Gene Therapy at Biogen.