Scripta TherapeuticsBiotech’s biggest opportunity is not simply to generate more compounds faster, but to improve the biological hypotheses behind them and help focused companies turn shared datasets, better models and deep disease expertise into drugs more likely to work in patients.
Novartis has agreed to acquire UK-based Myricx Bio for up to $1.5bn, adding a preclinical antibody-drug conjugate platform built around a novel payload class for solid tumours.
Roche’s Genentech has signed an oncology research deal with Astex, hoping the UK-based biotech will hit the jackpot again after a similar tie-up with rival Novartis produced the blockbuster breast cancer drug Kisqali.
AstraZeneca has signed another deal with China’s CSPC Pharmaceutical Group, this time to discover and develop siRNA drug candidates for kidney diseases.
Spanish epigenetics biotech Oryzon Genomics has raised €12m in a capital increase and signed a financing agreement with COFIDES that could add another €25m in future share subscriptions.
Spanish biotech Telum Therapeutics has raised €18 million in Series A financing to move its lead antimicrobial programme toward clinical development.
Abivax has raised $920m (€807m) in gross proceeds through a US public offering, only days after new obefazimod data helped calm investor concerns over the drug’s safety profile in ulcerative colitis.
Swedish biotech AlzeCure Pharma has licensed global rights to its NeuroRestore platform, including lead Alzheimer’s candidate ACD856, to Danish biotech QuantumCell ApS in a deal worth more than $2.2bn, excluding royalties.
Paris-based Ipsen has agreed to acquire Swiss biotech Memo Therapeutics AG in a deal worth more than €700m, adding the clinical-stage BK polyomavirus antibody potravitug to its rare-disease pipeline.
InflaRx is preparing for discussions with regulators in Europe over two drugs that could provide an alternative to patients treated with Amgen’s Tavneos (avacopan), which is set to be removed from the EU market for the rare blood vessel inflammation disease ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV).