Novartis could pay up to $3.223 billion (€2.8 billion) for access to Alteogen’s technology for turning intravenous biologics into subcutaneous drugs. Behind the eye-catching figure is more than patient convenience: Drug delivery is becoming an increasingly important tool for lifecycle management and emerging drug classes.
Italian pharma Menarini Group has licensed European rights to bofanglutide for obesity and excess weight, a long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist from China’s Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals dosed once every two weeks, for €62 million upfront, up to €664 million in milestones, and “double-digit” royalties. Menarini will handle regulatory submissions and commercialization across 39 European markets.
French biotech Transgene said all 16 head and neck cancer patients treated with its personalized cancer vaccine TG4050 in a randomized Phase 1 trial remained disease-free after three years, while three of 16 patients in the control arm relapsed.
GSK has licensed ex-China rights to HUTCHMED’s HMPL-A830, an experimental antibody conjugate that delivers a KRAS inhibitor to EGFR-expressing tumors, in a deal worth up to $1.295 billion (€1.12 billion). The preclinical asset is expected to enter the clinic this year.
Swiss biotech NovaGo Therapeutics has raised CHF 24 million ($30 million/€25.5 million) in a Series B round to advance its lead anti-Nogo-A antibody into a randomized proof-of-concept study in patients with acute spinal cord injury. The financing was co-led by Neurimmune and Pureos, with participation from existing and new investors. The round is complemented by non-dilutive funding from the Swiss Paraplegic Foundation and Wings for Life.
Novartis’ remibrutinib has beaten teriflunomide in two Phase 3 trials in relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), adding another important clinical win for a class of BTK inhibitors that has endured several high-profile failures in autoimmune disease.
Roche has licensed Simcere Zaiming’s preclinical trispecific antibody SIM0660, paying $75 million (€65 million) upfront in a deal potentially worth $1.53 billion (€1.32 billion).
Belgian biotech Amyl Therapeutics has completed an €8.25 million Series A extension to fund work on its universal treatment for neurodegenerative diseases.
Swiss biotech Adaptyv has raised a $40 million (€34.5 million) Series A to expand its automated protein-testing labs, betting that wet-lab capacity will become a critical bottleneck as AI models generate ever more biological designs.
Novartis has paused eight clinical trials of its CD19 CAR-T therapy rap-cel after three patients died from a severe immune reaction. The studies are evaluating the therapy in autoimmune and neurological diseases including lupus, systemic sclerosis, myositis and multiple sclerosis. The move highlights the safety challenges of taking CAR-T beyond oncology into chronic immune-mediated diseases.
Novartis