GlaxoSmithKline Plc reported a 1% increase in turnover for the 2013 third quarter to £6.5 billion at constant exchange rates. Operating profit advanced by 1% in reported terms but on a core basis it was up by 11% to £2.1 billion.
Diversification helped the Swiss healthcare company, Novartis International AG, post a 3.8% increase in sales for the third quarter to $14.34 billion. For the first nine months revenue rose by 2.4% to $42.84 billion.
Anergis SA of Switzerland has provided further data on its lead vaccine for birch pollen allergy which showed that the treatment increased allergen-specific antibody levels by a factor of 20, indicating an immunological response.
Evotec AG has entered into an agreement with AstraZeneca Plc to explore compounds and targets for the treatment of chronic kidney disease. The agreement involves an undisclosed upfront payment as well as performance-related milestone payments.
Network pharmacology is an approach to drug discovery and development that is gaining increasing attention from the medical community.
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Opsumit (macitentan), a new drug for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension. The developer is Switzerland-based Actelion Ltd.
The German reimbursement authority, the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA), has given a positive opinion to an ophthalmic product developed by ThromboGenics NV of Belgium for the treatment of vitreomacular traction, a condition that affects many older people.
At a time when investors are shying away from technology platform companies, one UK biotech with a platform focus continues to enjoy the support of several large funders. Circassia Ltd recently reported positive data from Phase 2 studies of its immunotherapy technology in patients with grass and house dust mite allergies. A third product against cat allergy is now in Phase 3.
The Roche group achieved sales of CHF 34.9 billion (€28.3 billion) in the first nine months of this year, up by 6% from the year-earlier period at constant exchange rates. The rise was fuelled by demand for the breast-cancer treatments Herceptin, Kadcyla and Perjeta.
Symphogen A/S of Denmark has entered into an alliance with an antibody technology provider in the US to strengthen its therapeutic antibody business which is based on developing antibody mixtures for applications in cancer.