Fennec Pharmaceuticals Inc. has out-licensed its chemoprotective formulation of sodium thiosulfate, Pedmarqsi, to Norgine BV for €40 million (US$44 million) up front and up to an additional €210 million (US$229 million) in commercial and regulatory milestones. The injectable drug reduces the risk of cisplatin-induced ototoxicity in pediatric patients 1 month and older with localized, nonmetastatic solid tumors.
Techbio specialist Relation Therapeutics Ltd has raised $35 million in new seed funding, bringing total seed money to $60 million, as it advances development of its in silico/wet lab platform for identifying drug targets in the non-coding parts of the genome. The company is building a “lab in the loop” system where in depth ‘omics profiles of single cells from fresh patient tissues are analyzed by its machine learning engine to uncover the genetic basis of clinical phenotypes and identify novel targets.
Thermology Health Ltd. is looking to raise £3 million to £4 million (US$3.8 million to US$5 million) to help bring its thermal imaging technology to patients to better diagnose and prevent diabetic foot ulcers, Yuval Yashiv, CEO told BioWorld. The company’s AI-driven remote patient monitoring platform measures the temperature of the skin on the foot and detects whether an ulcer is forming, thereby preventing thousands of foot amputations and significantly reducing health care costs, said Yashiv.
The U.K. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has released a preliminary health technology assessment for three modules of the Proknow series of software systems by Stockholm-based Elekta AB, which may improve the delivery of radiotherapy services across the U.K. However, NICE indicated it wants to see more evidence regarding the impact of these software modules on radiotherapy treatment plans.
Astrazeneca plc is acquiring rare diseases specialist Amolyt Pharma SA in a $1.05 billion deal, taking ownership of eneboparatide (AZP-3601), which is in phase III development for the treatment of hypoparathyroidism. Of the total, $800 million will be paid up front, with the balance of $250 million contingent upon achievement of a regulatory milestone.
Pulsecath BV secured a CE mark under the Medical Device Regulation (MDR) for its Ivac 2L system, a percutaneous mechanical circulatory support device, four years after it began the process. “It took us four years and we spent more than €700,000 to get approval under the MDR for the same product that we already had CE mark for under the Medical Device Directive for the last 10 years or so,” Oren Malchin, CEO of Pulsecath, told BioWorld.
The European Parliament (EP) has passed the Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act), bringing the legislation one step closer to full passage into law, with passage by the European Council the only remaining hurdle.
Advanced Medical Solutions Group plc (AMS) signed an agreement to buy Peters Surgical SAS for up to €141.4 million (US$154.6 million). The move by AMS for the tissue repair and skin closure manufacturer is part of its strategy to buy assets which will strengthen its product portfolio and broaden its global reach.
Sosei Group Corp. is getting €25 million (US$27.3 million) up front in a global collaboration and option-to-license deal with Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH aimed at developing GPR52 agonists, a new target for schizophrenia designed to potentially address positive, negative and cognitive symptoms at the same time.
Foreign investment in China’s biopharma sector is beginning to pick up after the hit of severe pandemic restrictions, and as Western governments look to revive trading relationships following a spate of diplomatic rows.