News

Oxford Nanopore raises £70 million in equity

Country
United Kingdom

Oxford Nanopore Technologies Ltd has raised £70 million through a private placement of shares with new and existing investors in the UK, US and continental Europe to support development of the company’s electronic molecular analysis systems.

Roche confirms 2015 sales outlook

Country
Switzerland

Roche has confirmed its forecast for a modest growth in sales this year with core earnings per share advancing ahead of sales. In the first half, the increase in sales was restrained by a strengthening of the Swiss franc against the euro.

Shire takes second quarter hit

Country
Ireland

Shire Plc posted a 3.7% gain in revenue to $1.56 billion in the second 2015 quarter but hefty impairment charges brought a 60.8% decline in operating income to $132.6 million.

Novartis results boosted by Sandoz division

Country
Switzerland

Despite reporting weaker revenue and a decline in operating profit for the second quarter, Novartis has maintained its forecast for growth for the year as a whole, on the strength of an improved performance of its Sandoz generics subsidiary.

New structure for Sanofi

Country
France

Five months after appointing a new chief executive, Sanofi SA has announced a major reorganisation of its global business that highlights the company’s portfolio of medicines for rare diseases, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Immunocore raises $320 million in private financing

Country
United Kingdom

Immunocore Ltd of Oxford UK has raised $320 million (£205 million) in a private financing round to support development of its pipeline of bispecific biologic drugs for the treatment of cancer and viral infections.

US biomedical bill passes House

Country
United States

Proposed legislation that would increase funding for US biomedical research and promote personalised medicine passed the House of Representatives on 10 July and was sent to the Senate for debate.

EMA starts safety review of HPV vaccines

Country
United Kingdom

Following a request from Denmark, the European Medicines Agency has begun a review of the safety of the human papillomavirus vaccines Gardasil and Cervarix to find out whether or not reports of two rare adverse events are linked to the vaccines.

ReNeuron outlines three-year strategy

Country
United Kingdom

ReNeuron Plc has outlined a three-year plan for the development of its stem-cell therapy portfolio that would, if successful, lead to regulatory applications for products in both stroke and retinitis pigmentosa. To support this development, it is proposing to raise £68.4 million in a share placement.

Autifony obtains more Series A money

Country
United Kingdom

Autifony Therapeutics Ltd has obtained an additional £8 million in funding to expand the potential for its potassium channel modulator technology beyond hearing disorders, to schizophrenia and other indications.