Intercell AG, the Austrian vaccine developer, made a restructuring and impairment charge in the 2010 fourth quarter of €182.8 million, mainly as the result of terminating a vaccine patch project in Phase 3 development.
Daiichi Sankyo Co Ltd has reached an agreement to acquire Plexxikon Inc of the US, which has a product for metastatic melanoma in Phase 3, along with a companion diagnostic. The Japanese company is offering $805 million for Plexxikon.
A Phase 3 trial of the monoclonal antibody, belimumab, has shown the drug to be safe and effective for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and may be a new option for management of the disease, according to a paper in The Lancet.
Ipsen SA and BioMérieux SA of France have entered into a global collaboration to develop therapies and companion diagnostics for prostate and breast cancers, neuro-endocrine tumours and pituitary tumours. Financial terms weren't disclosed.
TiGenix NV of Belgium and Cellerix SA of Spain have agreed to merge creating what is expected to be the largest cell therapy and regenerative medicine company in Europe. It is the most significant corporate transaction in the field of regenerative medicine since the December 2010 alliance between Cephalon Inc and Mesoblast Ltd of Australia
4SC AG, which has a portfolio of products focused on autoimmune and cancer indications, has raised a gross €11.74 million in a private placement with institutional investors to finance its ongoing product development activities.
H. Lundbeck A/S achieved its forecasted growth in 2010 boosted by strong demand for products that treat central nervous system disorders. The Danish company expects revenue to increase by at least 3% in the current year.
MorphoSys AG expects to see another year of heavy investment in its proprietary antibody portfolio as the pace of early-clinical stage development quickens. In 2011, proprietary R&D spending is expected to rise by about 50%, the company announced.
Ablynx NV, which discovers and develops fragment antibodies as therapies, said revenue in 2010 increased by 6% to €31.4 million primarily driven by milestone payments from Boehringer Ingelheim, which amounted to €11 million.
Addex Pharmaceuticals Ltd of Switzerland narrowed its loss and conserved cash in 2010 while moving its two lead products for respectively, Parkinson’s disease levodopa-induced dyskinesia, and schizophrenia, ahead in the clinic.