Cancer drug cures orphan disease skin damage
An FDA-approved cancer drug stops light sensitivity of the skin in Cockayne syndrome (CS), an ultra-rare hereditary disease characterised by premature aging, German researchers report.
Germany to pump 1bn into breakthrough innovation
Germanys government announced that it will create an agency for breakthrough ("jump") innovation to foster technology transfer of risky research projects with high market potential into products.
Urovant Sciences licenses OAB gene therapy
Urovant Sciences has licensed the global commercialisation rights for Ion Channel Innovations gene therapy hMaxi-K for patients with overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms who have failed oral pharmacologic therapy.
Roche and Affimed in US$5bn cancer deal
Roches US arm Genentech has licenced Affimed NVs ROCK platform to add multivalent antibodies, which could activate the innate immune system, to its cancer pipeline.
Foundation launches £30m award
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) will tender £30m (33.2m) to tackle the suffering and devastation caused by heart and circulatory diseases.
FDA greenlights Shires HAE mAB Takhzyro
Orphan drug leader Shire plc (Dublin), has received the FDAs approval for its antibody lanadelumab-flyo, which prevents hereditary angioedema (HAE) attacks.
Matrikines give hint to new asthma meds
Blocking the extracellular matrix (ECM) enzyme leukotriene A4 hydrolase (LTA4H) dampens inflammation but promotes changes in the airways of mice with allergic asthma due to accumulation of the ECM degradation product PGP.
Novo Nordisk joins Evotec as drug discovery partner
Novo Nordisk and Evotec have joined forces to find new drugs in the lucrative diabetes and obesity markets.
Genkyotex cashes in 7.5m
French Genkyotex SA has secured an 7.5m gross financing to expand the scope of its Phase II product GKT831 in Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC).
Roche’s Alecensa approved in China
Roche AGs ALK blocker Alecensa (alectinib) has been granted market approval by China National Drug Administration as first line NSCLC monotherapy in patients with ALK-positive non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)