Following its announcement from Oktober 2023 to take over the filgotinib business from Galapagos NV, Bologna-based Alfasigma SpA has signed the €170m deal.

Pharmaceutical giant AstrazZeneca wants to take over the Chinese company Gracell Biotechnologies in order to strengthen its cell therapy projects in a deal worth up to $1.2bn.

Cambridge-based Metrion Biosciences Ltd has secured £3.5m in new equity financing – led by Maven Capital Partners and a £1m contribution from existing investor, Gresham House Ventures.

Swiss LimmaTech Biologics and AbVacc Inc have agreed to co-develop AbVacc’s preclinical Staphylococcus aureus vaccine LBT-SA7 (formerly IBT-V02) in case of Phase I success.

The French Republicans have tabled a bill in the National Assembly aimed at banning the commercialisation of cell-based meat in France.

Lausanne-based Vandria SA has cashed in CHF18m in a Series A financing led by ND Capital to drive clinical development of VNA-318.

Antibiotics specialist Antabio SAS has raised €25m in a Series B financing round with subscriptions from the AMR Action Fund, the EIC Fund and from existing investors.

Scientists led by Heiko Rischer from the Finnish research centre VTT have published the proof of concept for cell-based coffee production.

At the EU Council (10-11 December), agriculture ministers did not reach the qualified majority required to adopt the adapted version of the EU Commission’s draft regulation on new genomic techniques.

Sorbonne University spin-out Carthera SA has closed its Series B financing round with an additional investment of €4.5m at €42m to launch clinical trials.