CAR-Ts: Novartis wins UK

The NHS England announces it will reimburse Novartis’ CAR-T cell therapy Kymriah as treatment for children with B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) that are refractory, in relapse post-transplant or in second or later relapse. 

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Evox raises €37m in Series B round

Exosome drug delivery specialist Evox Therapeutics Ltd has closed a €37.1m (£35.5m) Series B financing round led by Redmile Group and significant contributions from GV (Google Ventures) and Cowen Healthcare Investments.

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Sanofi gets the EU’s ok for caplacizumab

The EU approved Sanofi’s Cablivi (caplacizumab) as the first antibody therapeutic to treat acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (aTTP) on Friday. 

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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.

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Germany to pump €1bn into breakthrough innovation

Germany’s 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.

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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.  

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Roche and Affimed in US$5bn cancer deal

Roche’s US arm Genentech has licenced Affimed NV’s ROCK platform to add multivalent antibodies, which could activate the innate immune system, to its cancer pipeline.

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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.

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FDA greenlights Shire’s HAE mAB Takhzyro

Orphan drug leader Shire plc (Dublin), has received the FDA’s approval for its antibody lanadelumab-flyo, which prevents hereditary angioedema (HAE) attacks.

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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.

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