News

AstraZeneca Plc is to invest $570 million in infrastructure in Canada with the goal of executing more than 210 global clinical studies in the country. Announced on 23 January, the investment accelerates a move to place Canada on its map as a centre for global clinical development activity. It follows the UK company’s acquisition in 2024 of Fusion Pharmaceuticals Inc, a Canadian biopharmaceutical company developing alpha-particle radiotherapeutics for cancer. The acquisition of Fusion was completed last year for C$3 billion ($2.09 billion).

A communications pause reportedly ordered by the Trump administration to the US federal health agencies and affecting their communications to the public and external partners had not been formally notified to the EU effective 24 January. The pause took effect on 21 January and is expected to continue through 1 February, according to the Washington Post, which obtained information about the pause from two internal memos. The pause was not publically announced. 

Citing the importance of the World Health Organization in maintaining global healthcare, a spokesperson for the European Commission said on 21 January that dialogue with the Trump Administration is the best way forward in addressing any shortcomings of the agency. “We need common solutions for common problems. We need to engage together,” she commented.

TILT Biotherapeutics Ltd is a Finnish company developing oncolytic virus therapies for cancer. Its lead product, TILT-123 is poised to enter Phase 2 studies in patients with ovarian cancer after having demonstrated that it is safe and able to elicit responses from patients. In an interview, Victor Cervera-Carrascón, the company’s head of business development, gave three reasons why he thought the time is optimal for the biotech industry to pay more attention to oncolytic therapies.

Gilead Sciences Inc. has agreed to spend up to $1.7 billion to acquire rights to a package of preclinical assets directed against inflammatory diseases from LEO Pharma A/S of Denmark. Founded in 1908 and majority owned by a foundation, LEO has a global commercial presence in dermatology. The collaboration with Gilead will give the company financial support to further develop a small molecule programme for the treatment of multiple inflammatory diseases including atopic dermatitis, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

GSK Plc is to pay $1 billion upfront and potentially $150 million in milestone payments for IDRx Inc of the US which has an early clinical stage product for the treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST). The deal was announced at the start of the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, US, on 13 January. It marks a significant expansion of the UK company’s portfolio.

Johnson & Johnson Inc is to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Intra-Cellular Therapies Inc of the US in a deal that will significantly strengthen its neuroscience franchise. The transaction will be executed at $132 per share in cash for a total equity value of $14.6 billion. Announced on 13 January, the deal is the largest biotech merger since 2023, according to the Axios news website. The lead asset Caplyta (lumateperone), is an approved therapy for the treatment of adults with schizophrenia and depressive episodes associated with bipolar 1 or 2 disorder.

Eli Lilly and Co is to acquire an early clinical-stage cancer programme from the Boston, US, developer Scorpion Therapeutics Inc in order to increase its offering in breast cancer. The candidate drug, STX-478, is an inhibitor of PI3K-alpha. PI3Ks are a family of enzymes involved in cellular functions such as cell growth.

Netherlands-based argenx SE released a summary of its preliminary 2024 financial results on 13 January showing that global sales of its antibody drugs for autoimmune indications reached $2.2 billion last year of which $737 million was generated in the fourth quarter. In a statement, Tim Van Hauwermeiren, the chief executive, said the company is on course to be profitable in 2025. Founded in 2008, argenx has built a portfolio of antibody therapies based on discoveries around the neonatal Fc receptor which is responsible for maintaining the circulation if immunoglobuline G (IgG) in the body.

Nippon Shinyaku Co Ltd of Japan is to acquire development and commercialisation rights to gene therapies for two rare metabolic disorders under a new agreement with Regenxbio Inc of the US. The deal relates to the development of therapies for mucopolysaccharidosis 1, also known as Hurler syndrome, and mucopolysaccharidosis 2, also known as Hunter syndrome. Both diseases are caused by the absence or malfunctioning of lysosomal enzymes which are needed to break down long chains of sugar carbohydrates.