Deals, Development and Manufacturing

Nanoform and AstraZeneca have agreed to start a technology evaluation of Nanoform’s CESS Technology across a range of AstraZeneca’s pharmaceutical products.

The companies plan to collaborate for the advancement of an optical system for on-line analysis of mammalian cells during a bioprocess.

The initiative looks to improve treatments for chronic pain, curb the rates of opioid use disorder (OUD) and overdose, and achieve long-term recovery from opioid addiction.

If clinical trials are successful, roluperidone (MIN-101) will be the first treatment approved to treat symptoms of schizophrenia in the United States.

The companies have advanced their collaboration to the next stage and will continue to develop a plant-based biosimilar candidate to Roche’s Rituxan.

Under a new co-development license agreement, Boehringer Ingelheim and Inflammasome Therapeutics aim to develop novel therapies for retinal diseases.

The companies will focus on identifying peptides applicable to the affinity chromatography process used in the purification of biopharmaceuticals.

The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency has granted a positive opinion recommending marketing authorization for Bavencio (avelumab) in combination with axitinib for treating kidney cancer.

A request has been made to the CHMP by the executive director of EMA to provide guidance on how to avoid the presence of nitrosamine impurities in human medicines.

Procarta Biosystems has received an award from CARB-X, potentially worth $9.2 million, for the development of antibiotic precision medicines.

The merger creates a combined organization with a leading position in the eClinical market.

Colorcon Ventures looks to fund promising startups in drug manufacturing, delivery, and supply chain.

The acquisition will enhance Lundbeck’s brain disease therapy portfolio as well as its antibody process and development capabilities.

The acquisition gives PPF a 19.2% stake in Autolus and provides a pipeline of cell therapy product candidates.

The companies aim to integrate glucose sensing with insulin delivery technologies to help change the way diabetes is managed.

The venture will focus on single-use and modular systems designed to develop novel biotherapeutics.

BioCity has invested in Maxwellia, a company based at Alderley Park in the United Kingdom that is driving industry movement towards self-care therapeutics.

BIA has signed a memorandum of understanding with AstraZeneca and the Wuxi International Life-science Innovation Campus (I-Campus) to boost access for UK SMEs in China.

TrakCel and McKesson have formed a collaboration that is aimed at accelerating commercialization of cell and gene therapies by leveraging services to enable a more efficient development pathway.

The companies will develop and commercialize a Phase III cell therapy candidate for treating chronic low back pain in a deal worth potentially $1 billion.

Passage Bio has licensed a sixth gene therapy development program under its partnership with the University of Pennsylvania for the clinical development of a potential treatment for a nerve disorder.

Bayer will use ProBioGen’s GlymaxX technology to maximize the potency of its antibody drug candidate in development for oncological indications.

The new antibody, Citryll’s CIT-013, could offer new treatment options for various human diseases including lupus, vasculitis, pulmonary fibrosis, and organ damage due to sepsis.

Roche has extended its offering period for the purchase of Spark to provide US and UK regulatory authorities with additional time to complete their review of the acquisition.

Vertex will use the acquisition to develop cell-based treatments for type 1 diabetes.

Valo Therapeutics has acquired a technology from Helsinki University that is expected to broaden its approach and expand the capability of its cancer vaccines platform, PeptiCRAd.

PCI has divulged that it is making significant investment at its site near Dublin, Ireland to strengthen its position globally and to ensure pharmaceutical supply is uninterrupted for its customers after Brexit.

The partnership will provide cost effective biologics for the world market.

The joint venture, named BacThera, will operate out of headquarters in Basel, Switzerland and will serve pre-clinical to Phase II projects, with the ability to expand to Phase III and commercial manufacturing in the future.

A global agreement with Polpharma Biologics gives Sandoz commercialization rights to a proposed biosimilar natalizumab for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.