BioMarin and Deep Genomics team up on AI rare disease drug discovery
US rare disease-focused biotech BioMarin has entered a preclinical collaboration with Toronto-based artificial intelligence (AI) company Deep Genomics to discover…
24 Nov 2020
Merck agrees to buy biopharma firm OncoImmune for $425m
Merck (MSD) has signed a definitive agreement to acquire all outstanding shares of clinical-stage biopharmaceutical firm OncoImmune through a subsidiary, for an upfront payment of $425m in cash. Under the…
23 Nov 2020
Mesoblast signs ARDS therapy development deal with Novartis
Mesoblast and Novartis have signed an exclusive agreement for the development, manufacture and commercialisation of the former’s mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) product remestemcel-L. Remestemcel-L is an investigational therapy with culture-expanded…
19 Nov 2020
Merck acquires VelosBio: exploring the promise of ROR1 in cancer
Pharma giant Merck has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire oncology biotech VelosBio for $2.75bn in cash. The acquisition remains subject to certain customary adjustments and conditions; the deal…
18 Nov 2020
BMS acquires biopharma firm MyoKardia for $13.1bn
Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) has completed its acquisition of clinical-stage biopharma firm MyoKardia in an all-cash transaction for $13.1bn. Last month, BMS signed a definitive merger agreement to purchase all…
18 Nov 2020
Spotlight on Zolgensma: REGENXBIO receives $80m from Novartis for AAV vector
Approved in May 2019 for children under two with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), Novartis’s Zolgensma (onasemnogene abeparvovec) is a transformative, one-time gene therapy that targets the genetic cause of SMA.…
18 Nov 2020
Calliditas takes control of Genkyotex: expanding the rare disease pipeline
Swedish-headquartered rare disease specialist Calliditas Therapeutics has closed its acquisition of 62.7% of French biopharma company Genkyotex’s share capital and voting rights. This €19.8m acquisition means Calliditas has a controlling…