Developments taking place in molecular biology today will lead to entirely new classes of medicines within five years and revolutionise medical practice, according to Jonathan Knowles, head of research at Roche.
Roche has announced plans to jointly develop an early-stage monoclonal antibody against cancer with Genentech Inc and its wholly-owned Swiss unit, GlycArt Biotechnology AG. The molecule was discovered by GlycArt, a spin-out of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. GlycArt was acquired by Roche in July 2005.
An international consortium led by Crucell NV of the Netherlands has received a contract valued at up to $70 million from the US National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to develop a multivalent vaccine against the Ebola and Marburg viruses. The NIAID is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), one of the world’s largest funders of medical research.
Governments in the European Union are being urged to choose the most effective new medicines in deciding which products to subsidise under their publicly-funded health systems.
Ark Therapeutics Group Plc has been told by the UK National Health Service that its diagnostic test for detecting early stage peripheral autonomic neuropathy in the feet of diabetic patients has been accepted for reimbursement.
Innovation has been a widely discussed topic in Europe ever since political leaders of the European Union pledged in March 2000 to invest heavily in knowledge-based industries to create new jobs and support the region’s high standard of living. So what does spending on innovation mean for the pharmaceutical industry?
MediGene AG is spinning out its technology platform for producing monoclonal T-cell receptors in a further concentration of its business on a small group of drug candidates which are already in the clinic.
Roche has announced plans to invest CHF 215 million (€136 million) in a new diagnostics facility near Munich, Germany, in order to increase its production of immunodiagnostic tests for doctors and researchers. The Swiss multinational said that immunodiagnostics is a growing market.
Nitec Pharma AG, a Swiss specialty pharmaceutical company, said it has obtained a CHF 24 million (€15.2 million) equity investment from five institutions to finance preparations for the approval and launch of Lodotra, its treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases as well as the development of a product for pain.
GlaxoSmithKline has acquired at least 3% of Addex Pharmaceuticals Ltd through the purchase of shares on the open market.