Pfizer partners with Biontech in US$425m deal
BioNTech AG has partnered with Pfizer to develop a mRNA-based flu vaccine.
New lupus target unraveled
EGFR agonists support the protective effect of Langerhans against UV-induced damage of skin cells, a hallmark of lupus erythematosus and other autoimmune and dermatologic conditions, a team of US and German researchers report.
Small molecule restores liver regeneration
A team of Scots, Belgian and Spanish researchers claim they have found a target to prevent failure of liver regeneration following intoxination or acute injury.
Orchard Therapeutics raise US-$150m
London-headquartered gene therapy Orchard Therapeutics has closed a US-$150m series C financing round to push MAAs and BLAs of three late-stage gene therapies by 2021.
Artios Pharma raise 85m in Series B round
Life Sciences Partners and Andera Partners together with Pfizer Ventures and Novartis Venture Fund have put 85m into the cancer drug development company Artios Pharma Ltd.
Researchers remyelinate neurons
German neurogenetics at the Max-Planck-Institute for Experimental Medicine have cured the rare incurable hereditary Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease by simply supplementing the food of mice carrying the disease-causing duplication of the PMP22 gene with lecithin. The phospholipid supplementation enabled Schwann cells deficient in lipid synthesis to restore the insulating myelin sheet around peripheral neurons which is needed to speed up neuronal transmission.
Switch for osteoporosis and obesity
German researchers have found a molecular switch that determines whether mesenchymal fibroblasts differentiate into fat- or bone-forming cells opening the avenue to modulation of the processes.
Roche presents biomarker test to identify NSCLC responders to Tecentriq
Researchers at Roche’s US arms Genentech and Foundation Medicine Inc. (FMI) presented a liquid biopsy test that can be used to identify NSCLC patients who respond to Roche’s PD-L1 blocker Tecentriq earlier than to FMI’s tissue based tumour mutation burden (TMB) assay.
Boehringer Ingelheim starts gene therapy collaboration for cystic fibrosis
German pharma company and CDMO Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) steps into the lucrative field of gene therapy. Together with the UK Cystic Fibrosis Gene Therapy Consortium (GTC), BI aims at developing replacement therapies compensating for mutations that lead to cystic fibrosis.
Arix Bioscience acquires 11% stake in Phamaxis Ltd.
An investor consortium led by British Arix Bioscience plc has put £13.4m into the Australian Pharmaxis Ltd, which develops fibrosis inhibitors based on its amine oxidase discovery platform.