The CMAI total score in brexpiprazole group was statistically higher than for those receiving placebo. Otsuka Pharmaceutical and H. Lundbeck have reported positive data from the Phase III clinical trial of brexpiprazole to treat agitation in Alzheimer’s dementia patients. The…
Medidata introduces new technologies for trial management
Visual Analytics for Rave CTMS aids users to swiftly navigate, search and merge data using intuitive visuals, charts and tables. Medidata has introduced new clinical operations technologies for addressing key issues linked to the management and oversight of clinical trials. The…
BioMarin gene therapy for haemophilia on course for EU approval
The EMA’s human medicines advisory committee has recommended that BioMarin Pharmaceutical’s haemophilia A gene therapy Roctavian be approved in the EU, removing one of the last barriers to launch. The CHMP backed a conditional marketing authorisation for Roctavian (valoctocogene roxaparvovec…
Ipsen beefs up in oncology, buying US biopharma Epizyme
The revamp of French drugmaker Ipsen has continued with a takeover agreement for US counterpart Epizyme and its cancer therapy Tazverik, in a deal valued at a little under $250 million. Ipsen is offering $1.45 per share for Cambridge, Massachusetts-based…
Sanofi extends Health2Sync digital diabetes partnership to Japan
Digital health company Health2Sync will work with Sanofi on digitising its range of insulin products in Japan, extending an earlier alliance in other markets. Health2Sync provides patient management software for doctors and mobile app for patients that is designed to…
Basilea preps key US filing for MRSA antibiotic ceftobiprole
Basilea Pharmaceutica may finally be able to bring its antibiotic ceftobiprole to the US market – 13 years after its first attempt was turned down – thanks to a new phase 3 clinical trial. The intravenously-administered cephalosporin drug met its…
Astellas pumps $90m into Sutro immuno-oncology alliance
Astellas has agreed a $1.36 billion partnership with US biotech Sutro Biopharma for a series of antibody-drug conjugates for cancer, focusing on applications in patients who don’t respond to current immunotherapies. The alliance includes an upfront payment of $90 million,…
Fujifilm acquires AI tech to improve fertility treatment
Fujifilm’s Irvine Scientific unit has licensed rights to an artificial intelligence-powered technology developed to improve the success rate of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) techniques. The cell culture specialist, a player in assisted reproductive technologies (ART), has licensed the platform…
GSK pledges £1bn drive for infectious disease R&D
GSK will invest around £1 billion ($1.2 billion) over a 10-year period to speed up R&D on infectious diseases that mainly impact lower-income countries. The initiative will focus on vaccines and medicines for diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, HIV and neglected…
Biogen and Happify partner on digital support for MS patients
Digital health company Happify has signed a partnership with another biopharma company, joining forces with Biogen on a toolkit to help people with multiple sclerosis manage their illness. The digital toolkit is designed to keep patients informed of new treatments,…
