Deals:
Sanofi, Formation Bio and OpenAI announced an AI collaboration to boost drug development.
Aktis Oncology entered into a multi-target discovery collaboration agreement with Eli Lilly to generate anticancer radiopharmaceuticals.
Biogen announced it will buy Human Immunology Biosciences in a deal worth up to $1.8 billion.
Takeda agreed to a $1.2 billion collaboration with Degron Therapeutics.
Merck KGaA bought Mirus Bio for $600 million.
AstraZeneca agreed to a potential $29 million license and option deal with Nona Biosciences.
Orna Therapeutics announced it would buy RNA rival ReNAgade.
Boehringer Ingelheim and OSE Immunotherapeutics expanded their collaboration by investigating two clinical-stage oncology programs in cardio-renal-metabolic disease and adding a third preclinical cancer project.
AGC Biologics and BioConnection announced a partnership that will offer clinical-stage manufacturing for gene therapies.
G1 Therapeutics and Deimos Biosciences announced a global licensing agreement (excluding the Asia-Pacific region) for lerociclib for radioprotective uses.
Centivo acquired Eden Health, an employer virtual care company.
Vector Laboratories merged with Absolute Biotech.
CG Life, a 2023 MM+M Agency 100 honoree, acquired New York City-based Berry & Company Public Relations.
Alvotech and Dr. Reddy’s entered into collaboration to commercialize Prolia and Xgeva biosimilar AVT03 (denosumab) in the U.S.
Digital healthcare education company Lecturio bought NEJM Healer from NEJM Group, publisher of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Jazz Pharmaceuticals announced a strategic collaboration with Life Science Cares.
AGC Biologics and BioConnection partnered on an effort for clinical-stage manufacturing of gene therapies.
FDA:
The FDA approved Elon Musk’s health tech startup Neuralink to implant its brain chip in a second person.
The agency flagged a “notable imbalance” in incidence of low blood sugar in patients with type 1 diabetes treated with Novo Nordisk’s long-acting weekly insulin.
The FDA granted accelerated approval to Amgen’s small cell lung cancer drug tarlatamab.
Bristol Myers Squibb said the FDA’s decision date for a subcutaneously injected version of its cancer medicine Opdivo was moved forward to December 29.
The agency lifted its partial clinical hold on Larimar Therapeutics’ Friedreich’s ataxia treatment.
The FDA issued a 510(k) clearance to Indica Labs for HALO AP Dx.
An official said the agency is poised to tell drug and medical device makers how to improve the diversity of clinical trials.
Layoffs:
The Biotechnology Innovation Organization laid off around 30 employees as part of a major restructuring effort.
Exscientia announced a $40 million cost-cutting effort that will reduce its headcount by 20% to 25%.
Erasca laid off 18% of its workforce.
Evotec announced it would shut down its gene therapy business and shutter a facility in Austria.
Funding rounds:
GSK raised $1.52 billion from selling its remaining stake in consumer health spinoff Haleon.
Cytokinetics announced an up to $575 million deal with Royalty Pharma and a $500 million public offering.
Bicycle Therapeutics is set to report a $555 million private placement deal.
AltruBio announced an oversubscribed $225 million Series B financing round.
Life sciences venture capital firm SR One raised more than $200 million for a growth opportunities fund.
Pheon Therapeutics raised $120 million in a Series B funding round.
Progentos Therapeutics closed a $65 million Series A financing round.
Grey Wolf Therapeutics raised $50 million in its latest funding round.
SixPeaks Bio emerged out of stealth with $30 million in Series A funding.
MyMD Pharmaceuticals secured $14 million in upfront strategic investments.
Radar Therapeutics raised $13.4 million in seed funding.
Biodexa Pharmaceuticals announced $7 million of gross proceeds from warrant exercises.
Life sciences startup Limula completed a $6.8 million seed funding round.
AI-driven mental health assessment platform Videra Health raised $5.6M in a Seed II funding round led by Peterson Ventures.
Coya Therapeutics received a $5 million strategic investment by the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation.
OncoveryCare announced a $4.5 million oversubscribed seed round and launched its cancer survivorship platform.
Telix Pharmaceuticals submitted its initial pitch to list on the Nasdaq to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Rapport Therapeutics also submitted its pitch for a Nasdaq listing.
Industry news:
AstraZeneca said it is aiming to boost its revenue to $80 billion in 2030.
Havas Health launched Jacques, a network of global agencies specializing in healthcare.
Nestlé released a lineup of frozen food for people on GLP-1 drugs.
Pfizer launched another cost-cutting program that aims to save $1.4 billion by 2027, as it seeks to recover from the drop in its COVID-19 sales.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked local and state health officials to maintain flu surveillance operations at peak-season levels over the summer as they monitor potential human-to-human spread of the H5N1 bird flu virus.
Hims & Hers Health said it will offer GLP-1 injections.
Gilead Sciences reported positive interim data fom its rare liver disease drug candidate seladelpar in a Phase 3 trial.
Tango Therapeutics said it would halt development of its experimental cancer therapy due to liver toxicity experienced by patients in an early-to-mid stage trial.
GSK said its asthma treatment that could be administered once every six months succeeded in two Phase 3 trials.
The majority of patients with Crohn’s disease treated with Eli Lilly‘s mirikizumab achieved clinical remission at one year.
Johnson & Johnson released Phase 3 data that found Tremfya (guselkumab) outperformed Stelara (ustekinumab) in treating Crohn’s disease.
Additionally a group of cancer victims sued J&J over charges of filing “fraudulent bankruptcies” to resolve thousands of lawsuits alleging its talc products caused cancer.
McCann Health Managed Markets launched three customer solutions products for pharma clients.
Uber Health announced its Uber Caregiver offering.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revamped its website.
Trufluence x HCP, BCW’s new global service, will support healthcare professionals.
First Wave BioPharma changed its name to Entero Therapeutics.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled in favor of pharmaceutical companies in a case dealing with Section 340B of the Public Health Service Act.
