Business Wire

BioNTech AG, a rapidly growing biotechnology company focused on precise immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer and infectious disease, today announced that it has entered into a multi-year research and development (R&D) collaboration with Pfizer Inc. to develop mRNA-based vaccines for prevention of influenza (flu).

Octapharma announced that pre-clinical data for SubQ-8 were presented during a symposium at the recent World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) 2018 World Congress in Glasgow, UK. SubQ-8, currently under development, is a recombinant FVIII from a human cell line for subcutaneous administration. SubQ-8 is based on Octapharma’s human cell line-derived rFVIII product simoctocog alpha combined with a fragment of the von Willebrand Factor (VWF) protein, and harnesses the protective power of VWF in an innovative approach to facilitate transportation of FVIII into the circulation.

Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly to collaborate with the University of Oxford. EMPA-KIDNEY will investigate the effects of empagliflozin on the progression of kidney disease and the occurrence of cardiovascular death, in people with established chronic kidney disease with and without diabetes. The study will be independently conducted, analysed and reported by the Medical Research Council Population Health Research Unit at the University of Oxford (MRC PHRU), which is based in the Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiological Studies Unit (CTSU). Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company will provide the funding for the study.

Talent demand in India grew by 8% in March 2018. This is the highest growth registered by the recruitment index in the last four months. Compared to last year (from March 2017- March 2018) this year has registered a 9% increase in overall talent demand.  RecruiteX – a monthly hiring trend report by recruitment portal TimesJobs - noted that key industries and functional areas posted a significant rise in talent demand and contributed to this phenomenal rise of 8% in hiring activities in March 2018. Talent demand was highest for professionals with 10-20 years of experience.

Technavio’s market research report on CAR-T cell therapy for liver and lung cancer provides comprehensive insights about pipeline molecules across this approach of treatment. The key objective of the report is to establish the understanding of all the pipeline molecules, which fall under CAR T-cell therapy for liver cancer and lung cancer.

MSD and Viralytics Limited  announced that the companies have signed a definitive agreement under which it is proposed that Merck, through a subsidiary, will acquire Viralytics, an Australian publicly traded company focused on oncolytic immunotherapy treatments for a range of cancers by way of a scheme of arrangement (Scheme) for AUD 1.75 cash per Viralytics share. The proposed acquisition values the total issued shares in Viralytics at approximately AUD 502 million (USD 394 million). The cash consideration of AUD 1.75 per share represents a premium of 160% to the one month volume weighted average price (VWAP) of Viralytics shares.

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation to TAK-426, Takeda’s purified, inactivated, alum-adjuvanted, whole Zika virus vaccine candidate.

Eli Lilly and Company announced that the European Commission has granted marketing authorisation (MA) for Taltz® (ixekizumab), alone or in combination with methotrexate, for the treatment of active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in adult patients who have responded inadequately to, or who are intolerant to, one or more disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) therapies.

Kite, a Gilead Company announced it has entered into a clinical trial collaboration with Pfizer, Inc. to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the investigational combination of Yescarta™ (axicabtagene ciloleucel) and Pfizer's utomilumab, a fully humanized 4-1BB agonist monoclonal antibody, in patients with refractory large B-cell lymphoma. A multi-center Phase 1/2 study sponsored by Kite is expected to begin in 2018. The results of this study will be used to evaluate options for further development of this combination, or similar combinations between Kite’s engineered T cell products and utomilumab.

Agilent Technologies Inc. announced it has acquired Cork, Ireland-based Luxcel Biosciences ("Luxcel"), a developer of real-time fluorescence plate-reader based in vitro cell assay kits. This acquisition expands Agilent's cell analysis portfolio with the addition of easy-to-use assay kits that are compatible with industry standard plate-readers.