adobe stock photos - AkuAku A landmark discovery by a team of South Korean scientists could transform the way RNA-based vaccines and therapeutics are developed and produced. Researchers led jointly by Professor V. Narry Kim and Professor Jin-Hong Kim have identified a series of viral RNA motifs that make conventional messenger RNA (mRNA) far more stable and efficient, potentially revolutionising RNA drug manufacturing.
Adobe stock photos - Dzmitry Semaglutide (Ozempic®) and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro®) not only promote weight loss but also significantly reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes. Real-world evidence from the Technical University of Munich and Harvard Medical School shows up to 18% lower risk of heart attack and stroke, highlighting the growing potential of GLP-1 therapies in cardiometabolic care.
Adobe stock photos - Matthew Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk cut US obesity drug prices under Trump’s MFN plan, offering Zepbound, Wegovy and others via Medicare, Medicaid and LillyDirect.
Parse BiosciencesBiotech leader QIAGEN NV announced the acquisition of Parse Biosciences for US$225M upfront, plus up to US$55M in milestone payments, expected to close by the end of 2025.
Boehringer IngelheimBoehringer Ingelheim has licenced global rights for CDR111, an antibody-based trispecific M-gager to treat autoimmune diseases from CDR-Life, Inc. CDR111 is an antibody-based T-cell engager designed to selectively target and deplete B cells, with the goal of achieving immune system reset.
adobe stock photos - MikeCS Images AAVantgarde Bio has closed a $141M (€122M) Series B financing round led by Schroders Capital, Atlas Venture, and Forbion. New investors included Amgen Ventures, Athos Capital, CDP Venture Capital, Columbia IMC, Neva SGR, Sixty Degree Capital, XGen Venture, and Willett Advisors. Existing investors Longwood Fund and Sofinnova Partners also participated.
Adobe stock photos - https://european-biotechnology.com/latest-news/roche-moves-obesity-asset-ct-388-into-phase-iii/Danish Novo Nordisk A/S has made an unexpected takeover bid for US biotech Metsera, Inc. This challenges the already agreed acquisition by Pfizer Inc. Novo offers US$6.5bn in cash, plus up to US$2.5bn in milestone payments. The total potential value is around US$9bn. Pfizer previously offered US$4.9bn plus US$2.4bn in milestones.
NATOThe NATO is clearly priorising biotech to a defence priority with an annual budget of potentially up to €500m for biotech start-ups starting from 2026. At the opening of the first ever NATO Biotechnology Conference, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said: “Between last year and this year, we funded a total of 28 promising biotechnology companies through the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA)”. Rutte indicated that DIANA’s budget could grow significantly in the medium term, potentially up to five-fold.
GSKBritish GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK) has entered a US$745m licensing agreement with Empirico Inc for EMP-012, a first-in-class siRNA candidate for COPD. EMP-012 targets the underserved non-type 2 inflammation market segment valued at US$600–700bn.
adobe stock photos - Michael Derrer Fuchs In a major bet on RNA medicine, Swiss Novartis AG announced to buy Avidity Biosciences Inc for US$12bn. Avidity’s Oligonucleotide Conjugate (AOC) platform allows Transferin receptor-targeted RNA delivery to muscle. With the acquisition Novartis secures access to three late-stage RNA drug candidates for muscular dystrophies.