Research & Development

Gilead, Yuhan to co-develop new therapies for NASH in $785m deal

Gilead Sciences has signed a licensing and collaboration agreement, potentially worth $785m, with South Korea-based Yuhan to develop new therapeutic candidates for the treatment of advanced fibrosis due to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

Adaptive, Genentech to collaborate on personalized cellular therapies for cancer

Adaptive Biotechnologies has entered into a worldwide collaboration and license agreement with Roche Group’s Genentech to develop, manufacture and commercialize novel neoantigen directed T-cell therapies for the treatment of a range of cancers.

Sanofi to invest €80m in biopharmaceutical firm BioNTech

French multinational pharmaceutical company Sanofi investing €80m in equity in BioNTech, which is claimed to be the Europe’s largest privately-held biopharmaceutical firm focused on the development of individualized therapies for cancer and the prevention of infectious diseases.

Boehringer exercises option on second hepatic disease target from Dicerna partnership

Boehringer Ingelheim has exercised an option to receive exclusive rights to a second hepatic disease target emerging from its research collaboration and license agreement with Dicerna.

Otsuka, Click to develop digital therapeutics for MDD

Otsuka America and Click Therapeutics have signed a collaboration agreement for the development and commercialization of a prescription digital therapeutic to treat major depressive disorder (MDD).

US cell therapies firm Promethera secures investment from ITOCHU

Promethera Biosciences, a US-based cell therapies company, has secured an investment of €10m from Japanese conglomerate ITOCHU as part of the company’s Series D round.

Clinical-stage biopharmaceutical firm Antengene completes $120m Series B financing

Clinical-stage therapeutics company Antengene has raised $120m funding, which will be used to continue the development of its ATG-008 and ATG-010 (selinexor) and other clinical-stage assets.

Researchers conduct study to identify common genetic architecture of PCOS

International PCOS Consortium has carried out a study to determine the common genetic architecture for different diagnostic criteria that are employed to describe polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Scientists develop sight-saving treatment for eye infection

A group of scientists from the UK’s University of Birmingham has developed a new eye drop that can minimize sight-threatening scarring to the surface of the eye or the cornea.