Today Stories

Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC (Hikma, Group) (LSE: HIK) (NASDAQ Dubai: HIK) (OTC: HKMPY) (rated Ba1 Moody’s / BB+ S&P, both stable) announces that it has signed a licensing and distribution agreement with Omega Pharma Trading NV, an affiliate of Perrigo Company plc (Perrigo), one of the largest providers of over-the-counter healthcare solutions in Europe.   Under the terms of the agreement, Hikma has the exclusive right to license and distribute more than 30 consumer healthcare products, including Davitamon, Prevalin, XLS Medical, Dermalex and Paranix, in all its MENA markets, with the exception of current agreements in place. Hikma aims to work with Perrigo’s existing partners in the MENA region to broaden sales and marketing coverage. In addition, Hikma has the right of first…

Catalent, Inc., the leading global provider of advanced delivery technologies and development solutions for drugs, biologics and consumer health products, today announced that it has agreed to acquire Juniper Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: JNPR), including its Nottingham, U.K.-based Juniper Pharma Services division. When combined with Catalent’s existing industry-leading drug development and manufacturing capabilities in the U.S. and Europe, the acquisition of Juniper will expand and strengthen Catalent’s offerings in formulation development, bioavailability solutions and clinical-scale oral dose manufacturing, and will complement its integrated global clinical and commercial supply network. “Juniper’s proven solutions and capabilities will further support Catalent’s strategic goal to be…

Mesoblast Limited (Nasdaq: MESO; ASX: MSB) today announced a US$50 million financing from NovaQuest Capital Management, L.L.C. (NovaQuest) for the continued development and commercialization of its allogeneic product candidate remestemcel-L (MSC-100-IV) for children with steroid refractory acute Graft versus Host Disease (aGVHD). NovaQuest was formed in 2000 as a strategic investment unit within Quintiles (now IQVIA), the world’s largest clinical research organization, and became an independent firm in 2010.  Mesoblast’s open-label Phase 3 trial enrolled 55 children with steroid-refractory aGVHD (aged between two months and 17 years) in 32 sites across the United States, with 89% of patients suffering from the most severe form, grade C/D aGVHD. The trial was performed under…

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO), the world leader in serving science, and Roper Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: ROP), a leading diversified technology company, today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Thermo Fisher will acquire Gatan, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Roper, for approximately $925 million in cash. Gatan is a leading manufacturer of instrumentation and software used to enhance and extend the operation and performance of electron microscopes. Gatan's technologies are used in materials science, electronics and life sciences to enable electron microscopy workflows – from specimen preparation and manipulation to imaging and analysis. These solutions, which are platform agnostic, include filter systems, cameras and proprietary software…

Sanofi presented non-inferiority results of the first ever head-to-head clinical study comparing its long-acting insulin Toujeo® (Gla-300) to insulin degludec. Results of the study, called BRIGHT, were presented today at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) 78th Scientific Sessions in Orlando, Florida, U.S.[i]   In the study, involving nearly 1,000 patients with type 2 diabetes, Gla-300 met its primary endpoint of non inferior reduction in HbA1 levels versus insulin degludec (at a non-inferiority margin of 0.3% and difference between treatments: -0.05% [95% CI −0.15 to 0.05%]). Gla-300 also demonstrated a lower rate of ‘anytime (24h) hypoglycemia’ in the first 12 weeks, the sensitive period in which patients and healthcare professionals work to determine the most appropriate indi…

Juniper Pharma Services (JPS), a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation (CDMO) specialising in the development of challenging small molecules, is continuing its strategic investment in oral solid dose manufacturing with a $1.7m purchase of three additional pieces of processing equipment. This investment enhances JPS’ commitment to rapidly transform promising molecules into successful products for unmet medical needs, and will ultimately lead to vital medicines reaching patients quicker.   The company has invested in three new pieces of top-specification solid dosage processing equipment: Gerteis MINI-PACTOR roller compactor, KG Pharma RoTab Bilayer tablet press and an O’Hara Labcoat Film Coater. Following the successful implementation and high client demand of the origi…

Synteract, an innovative contract research organization (CRO) providing full, phase I-IV services enabling drug development companies to bring new medicines to market, has signed a memo of understanding to partner with the International Children’s Advisory Network (iCAN). A worldwide consortium of children’s advisory groups, iCAN is dedicated to giving children and families a voice in health, medicine, research, and innovation by increasing education about the importance of children’s involvement. Synteract is a sponsor at the 2018 iCAN Research Summit in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, July 8-13, 2018 and will hold two interactive plenary seminar sessions at the event.   With chapters across the U.S. and worldwide, iCAN partners with local children’s hospitals and addresses the…

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) today announced the successful completion of its acquisition of ARMO BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARMO). Lilly's tender offer for all outstanding shares of common stock of ARMO, at a price of $50.00 per share in cash, expired as scheduled on Thursday, June 21, 2018. As of the expiration of the tender offer, 27,542,054 shares of ARMO common stock were validly tendered and not properly withdrawn, representing approximately 90.6 percent of the shares of ARMO common stock outstanding, and have been accepted for payment under the terms of the tender offer. Following completion of the tender offer, Lilly completed the acquisition of ARMO through the previously-planned second-step merger. "We are pleased to announce the completion of our acquisition of ARMO BioSc…

AdoRx Therapeutics, a UK based drug discovery company focused on the identification of new cancer therapeutics, today announced that it has closed an initial $10 million investment round financed by Epidarex Capital and CRT Pioneer Fund ('CPF'). AdoRx was founded in 2017 by leading healthcare investor Epidarex Capital and has assembled a group of highly experienced pharma industry veterans led by Pete Finan, former head of the Novartis Institutes of BioMedical Research UK site. The company will focus on the discovery of new modulators of the adenosine pathway for the treatment of cancer. Commenting, Pete Finan, CEO of AdoRx, said: "High levels of adenosine in the tumour enable cancer cells to evade the immune system. We have assembled a team that has discovered in excess of 25 clinical c…

Servier and Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. today announced clinical data from the pivotal Phase III trial (TAGS) for LONSURF® (trifluridine and tipiracil, TAS-102) which showed significant improvement in overall survival (OS) for the treatment of patients with refractory metastatic gastric cancer (HR=0.69 [95% IC 0.56-0.85], p=0.0003). The median overall survival in patients treated with trifluridine/tipiracil and best supportive care (BSC) was 5.7 months as compared to 3.6 months when treated with placebo and BSC, and they had a 31% risk reduction of death. At 12-months, OS rates were 21.2% in the trifluridine/tipiracil group and 13.0% in the placebo group. In addition, the risk for disease progression measured by PFS, a key secondary endpoint, was reduced by 43% (HR: 0.57).   The…

Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with HistoCyte Laboratories Ltd, Tyne, U.K., to be the exclusive multinational distributor of the company’s portfolio of cell line reference products for immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization.   “This collaboration gives customers a cost-effective and practical solution to the problem of tissue heterogeneity,” said Jean-Charles Wirth, head of the Applied Solutions business unit, Life Science at Merck. “These reference materials strengthen Merck’s pathology portfolio and provide a robust and standardized means for customers to achieve greater confidence in their analyses.”   Under the agreement, Merck will employ its sales, marketing and e-commerce expertise to distr…

Sanofi (Euronext: SAN; NYSE: SNY) and Ablynx announced today that Sanofi has now acquired all outstanding shares (including shares represented by American Depositary Shares ("ADSs")), warrants and convertible bonds (together, the "Securities") of Ablynx NV ("Ablynx") following the expiration of the Squeeze-out procedure.   The Squeeze-out period commenced on May 22, 2018, in accordance with applicable Belgian and U.S. law, following the acquisition by Sanofi of over 95% of the outstanding shares of Ablynx upon settlement of the initial acceptance period of its tender offer for Ablynx.   On June 12, 2018, upon expiration of the Squeeze-out period, 2,893,201 shares (including 7,163 shares represented by ADSs) and 8 convertible bonds of Ablynx were tendered in the Squeeze-out. …

“Grant to significantly advance Arecor’s proprietary co-formulation platform in the development of diabetes therapies that meet critical patient unmet needs”   Cambridge, UK., 18th June 2018: Arecor Ltd (“the Company”), a leader in developing superior biopharmaceuticals through the application of its proprietary and innovative formulation technology platform, ArestatTM, is pleased to announce that the Company, in collaboration with the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (“MIB”), has been awarded a £0.97 million grant from Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, to advance the Company's high throughput biopharmaceutical co-formulation platform.  (*The £0.97 million grant from Innovate UK equates to US$1.3 million based on exchange rates on Friday, 15th&n…

Pharmapacks, a leading e-commerce company with a proprietary technology platform that empowers brands to reach millions of consumers with a complete and cost-effective logistics, fulfillment, marketing and sales solution, today announced it has raised $32.5 million by selling a minority stake at an undisclosed valuation. The strategic round was led by multinational CPG company RB (LSE: RB) with additional investments from McKesson Ventures, Sealed Air (NYSE: SEE) and The Emerson Group. Pharmapacks sells both direct-to-consumer through leading online marketplaces including Amazon, Walmart.com, and eBay among others, as well as on Pharmapacks.com. In addition to selling well-known everyday consumer goods, Pharmapacks serves as a "launch pad" for emerging brands by giving carefully sele…

Arjo, a market-leading supplier of medical devices and solutions, has entered into an exclusive partnership with Next Step Dynamics, a Swedish technology company specialising in predictive analytics, for development and sales of solutions for preventive healthcare. According to the terms of the partnership, Arjo has committed to spend SEK 70 M on development projects for solutions within the area of predictive analytics. “This partnership is very much in line with our digitalization strategy and offers a fantastic opportunity for us to develop innovations that can really make a difference for both the users and healthcare professionals, as well as for society in general, for example by reducing the cost of care,” says Joacim Lindoff. For elderly people, falling presents a high risk of in…

BridgeBio Pharma today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to acquire cyclic pyranopterin monophosphate (cPMP; ALXN1101), a synthetic enzyme co-factor therapy for patients with the ultra-rare disease caused by molybdenum cofactor deficiency (MoCD) Type A. In addition, BridgeBio announced that it was launching a new subsidiary, Origin Biosciences, with sufficient capital to support clinical development of ALXN1101 through potential regulatory approval and commercialization. MoCD is an ultra-rare autosomal recessive inborn error of metabolism. The disease is caused by a mutation in the MOCS1 gene and leads to defective production of cPMP. Clinical signs of MoCD present shortly after birth and progress rapidly. Newborns with MoCD experience diff…

WebMD Health Corp., an Internet Brands company and the leader in health information services for consumers and physicians, today announced that it has acquired Jobson Healthcare Information (JHI), a leading provider of information, education and marketing services in key healthcare markets.   Owning brands that have been leaders for over 50 years, JHI has long been recognized for its diversified portfolio of healthcare information, education and marketing services targeted to a broad segment of the healthcare industry, including physicians, pharmacists and eye care professionals. Through its comprehensive product offerings and platforms, JHI can reach more than one million health care professionals. "JHI's commitment to delivering quality information and services to the healthcare i…

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) today announced that it has received a binding offer from Fortive Corporation (NYSE: FTV) to acquire its Advanced Sterilization Products (ASP) business, a division of Ethicon, Inc.*, for an aggregate value of approximately $2.8 billion, consisting of $2.7 billion of cash proceeds from Fortive and $0.1 billion of retained net receivables. ASP is a global leader in innovative infection prevention solutions with 2017 net revenue of approximately $775 million. "As we balance the interests of all our stakeholders to deliver the greatest value to customers, healthcare providers and shareholders, we must continuously assess strategic fit and explore alternatives for our businesses," said Shlomi Nachman, Company Group Chairman, Interventional Solutions and S…

Blueprint Medicines Corporation (NASDAQ: BPMC), a leader in discovering and developing targeted kinase medicines for patients with genomically defined diseases, and CStone Pharmaceuticals, a privately-held biopharmaceutical company devoted to developing a new generation of innovative drugs, today announced an exclusive collaboration and license agreement for the development and commercialization of avapritinib, BLU-554 and BLU-667 in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, either as monotherapies or combination therapies. Discovered and developed by Blueprint Medicines, avapritinib, BLU-554 and BLU-667 are potent and highly selective investigational kinase medicines that have each demonstrated clinical proof-of-concept in genomically defined subsets of patients with cancer. Blueprint…

Admescope Ltd, a pre-clinical ADME-Tox service provider today announced the acquisition of MetaSafe AB, a company specialised in the field of metabolic biotransformation research. MetaSafe, based in Södertälje, Sweden, is a contract research organisation working with small, midsize and large pharmaceutical companies in the area of drug biotransformation/metabolism. MetaSafe is especially focusing on clinical phase drug metabolism studies from safety perspective, but also provides services for preclinical stage of drug development. Admescope, having the headquarters and laboratories in Oulu, Finland, will continue to operate MetaSafe’s business in Södertälje. This acquisition will strengthen Admescope’s drug metabolism services further to clinical phase projects, as well as gives the bene…