Entries by Thomas Gabrielczyk

AMR: EU Commission awards €45,000

Vytenis Andriukaitis, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, has awarded the EU Health Award for NGOs fighting Antimicrobial Resistance to BEUC for lobbying to reduce the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). 

Biotechs concerned over EPO rules

Life Sciences stakeholders in Europe and abroad are voicing their concerns about the European Patent Offices’ initiative to shorten the time for the examination of patents from up to 56 months to 12 months. 

Molecule prevents oedema

French researchers have identified a regulator which controls blood vessel permeability. Their findings open up the possibility to develop drugs preventing oedema that occur in large indications such as stroke or congestive heart failure. 

Fighting AMR efficiently

Major European stakeholders have released statements on how to fight antimicrobial resistance more effectively. Regulatory agencies such as EFSA and EMA call for locally adapted combination strategies while biotech companies advocate for more support in antibiotics R&D.

uniQure gets FDA breakthrough status for AMT-060

Dutch gene therapy specialist uniQure Biopharma BV will be able to rapidly develop its haemophilia B gene therapy AMT-060. Based on data of a Phase I/II safety study, the FDA granted breakthrough therapy designation for the new way to substitute the heritable lack of blood clotting factor IX. 

IBAM completes US$690m deal

Belgian-headquartered IBA Molecular has completed the acquisition of British Mallinckrodt’s nuclear imaging business summing up to approximately US$690m.

€500m to push gene therapy

German Christian democrats have started the election year underpinning their intention to pump money into life science research and into its translation into products.

Johnson & Johnson to buy Actelion for US$30bn

Following a month-long take-over poker, J&J’s and Actelion’s boards have agreed to support an all-cash tender offer from J&J in which shareholders are set to receive US$280.08 per share and one share of NewCo, an R&D spin out to be led by Actelion CEO Paul Clozel. J&J will acquire at least 67% of Actelion’s shares and will hold 16% of NewCo with an option to further 16%.

HCC: resminostat boosts overall survival

German 4SC AG’s epigenetic cancer drug resminostat is back. What seemed to be a flop after Phase II failure has being transformed into a success story of personalised medicine. By accurate data analysis 4SC’s partner Yakult Honsha identified a subgroup in which the drug significantly improved outcomes for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).