News

Nicox maintains momentum

Country
France

Nicox SA maintained its sales momentum through the final quarter of 2015 with the result that revenue for the year as a whole was €9.9 million, up by 65% from a year earlier. The developer of eye-care products had cash balances at the end of the year of €30 million.

Aprea gets €46 million for p53 directed molecule

Country
Sweden

Aprea AB has raised €46 million in a Series B equity financing co-led by Versant Ventures and 5AM Ventures. The privately-held Swedish company is developing a small molecule drug that reactivates a tumour suppressor protein known as p53.

Scancell in UK equity placement

Country
United Kingdom

Scancell Holdings Plc is planning to raise £6.8 million in a two-part equity offering to finance further development of its anti-cancer vaccines. The UK company, which is listed on the  AIM market of the London Stock Exchange, has made arrangements to place £3 million of its shares with institutions.

FDA in Zika virus warning

Country
United States

The US Food and Drug Administration is recommending that people who have been diagnosed with Zika virus infection be ineligible as donors of cell and tissue-based products for any medical or surgically based procedures.

New incentive at the EMA

Country
United Kingdom

The European Medicines Agency is to extend its scientific advisory services to more companies in a more targeted fashion, under a new policy directed at experimental medicines that promise to meet a major public health need.

Newron gains momentum from product launch

Country
Italy

Newron Pharmaceuticals SpA achieved revenue of €2.4 million in 2015, an increase of 53% from a year earlier as the result of the approval and successful launch in Europe of its lead product for Parkinson’s disease Xadago (safinamide).

New funding for Autolus

Country
United Kingdom

Autolus Ltd, a spin-out from University College London (UCL) that is developing engineered T cell therapies for cancer, has raised £40 million in a Series B financing round bringing total commitments to date from private investors to £70 million.

New oncology venture

Country
United Kingdom

A new oncology joint venture has been set up in the UK to exploit the gene editing capabilities of Horizon Discovery Group Plc and aptamer technology developed in the US and owned by Centauri Therapeutics Ltd, a UK anti-infectives company.

R&D to rise at MorphoSys

Country
Germany

MorphoSys AG plans to increase spending on research and development this year as two of its proprietary antibody drugs approach clinical proof of concept, and two earlier compounds prepare for their first human trials.

New peptide company launched

Country
France

A new France-based company has been launched to exploit peptide technology developed by scientists from the University of Strasbourg and the French Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm) in order develop drugs for oncology and immune disorders.