sitefansalaran Industry News

Novartis (NOVN.S), opens new tab will acquire Tourmaline Bio (TRML.O), opens new tab for $48 per share, valuing the New York-based biopharmaceutical company at $1.4 billion on a fully diluted basis, the Swiss pharma giant said on Tuesday. Tourmaline is focused on developing pacibekitug, a promising targeted therapy with the potential to reduce systemic inflammation, as a treatment option for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, Novartis said in a statement. With the deal, Novartis will acquire a Phase III-ready asset that will complement its existing cardiovascular disease portfolio, it said. The board of directors of both companies have unanimously approved the transaction, under which Novartis will begin a tender offer to buy all outstanding shares of Tourmaline common stock, it said. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter, with Tourmaline set to become an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Novartis after closing.

 InnoCare Pharma (HKEX: 09969; SSE: 688428), a leading biopharmaceutical company focusing on cancer and autoimmune diseases, announced today that HIBRUKA (orelabrutinib) has been approved by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) of Singapore for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory marginal zone lymphoma (R/R MZL). Dr. Jasmine Cui, Co-founder, Chairwoman and CEO of InnoCare said, “We are excited to obtain a second indication approval in Singapore. As a highly selective BTK inhibitor, orelabrutinib has demonstrated good efficacy and safety in the treatment of R/R MZL. The approval in Singapore will offer a new treatment option to local lymphoma patients. In addition to lymphoma, we are advancing global clinical trials for orelabrutinib in autoimmune diseases.” Orelabrutinib is a novel BTK inhibitor developed by InnoCare for the treatment of cancers and autoimmune diseases. With its high target selectivity, it minimizes off-target effects, thereby improving both safety and efficacy. Marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) is an indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) that primarily affects middle-aged and elderly patients. The annual incidence of MZL is rising globally. After first-line treatment, patients with R/R MZL lack effective treatment options. In April 2025, orelabrutinib received approval in China for the first-line treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia...

Antidepressants help immune cells fight cancer. They may improve therapy effectiveness. A commonly prescribed antidepressant may also strengthen the body’s defenses against cancer, according to new research from UCLA. The study, published in Cell, showed that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) improved the cancer-fighting ability of T cells and reduced tumor growth in several types of cancers across both mouse and human tumor models. “It turns out SSRIs don’t just make our brains happier; they also make our T cells happier — even while they’re fighting tumors,” said Dr. Lili Yang, senior author of the new study and a member of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA. “These drugs have been widely and safely used to treat depression for decades, so repurposing them for cancer would be a lot easier than developing an entirely new therapy.” The role of serotonin in the body According to the CDC, one in eight adults in the United States takes antidepressants, with SSRIs being the most widely prescribed. Medications such as Prozac and Celexa raise serotonin levels — often referred to as the brain’s “happiness hormone” — by blocking the action of a protein called the serotonin transporter (SERT). Although...

The U.S. State Department announced a plan on Thursday to bring Gilead Sciences Inc's (GILD.O), opens new tab drug lenacapavir to market "at cost" in high-burden HIV countries in an effort to reach two million people over three years. The company will offer the long-acting HIV prevention drug to the Global Fund and the U.S. government's PEPFAR program without profit, government and company officials said at a news briefing. Gilead Sciences and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria said in July they had finalized plans to supply the drug to low-income countries, despite the absence of funding from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, an initiative aimed at addressing the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. Jeremy Lewin, senior State Department official for foreign assistance, humanitarian affairs and religious freedom, would not say how much the U.S. government was providing. "Gilead is very generously offering us a product at no cost, so we're not going to give away exactly what their cost per dose is, but we're grateful to them for offering it at a price that makes this possible. The U.S. commitment is significant," he said. The medication, which is given in a twice-yearly injection, has significant advantages for breastfeeding women and pregnant...

Germany's BioNTech (22UAy.DE), opens new tab and its partner Duality Biologics (9606.HK), opens new tab said on Friday that a late-stage trial testing their precision drug against a certain type of breast cancer reached its main goal of slowing down disease progression. For COVID-19 vaccine maker BioNTech, the news marks the first success in a cancer trial that could potentially lead to market approval in a renewed focus on its traditional roots in oncology. Shares in BioNTech jumped almost 10% after the announcement. In a joint statement, the partners said that a Phase III trial testing experimental drug BNT323 in China against Roche's (ROG.S), opens new tab Kadcyla in certain cases of breast cancer met the primary endpoint of progression-free survival at a pre-specified interim analysis. The trial compared the effect of the drugs given to participants in two groups. The patients taking part in the trial suffered from HER2-positive breast cancer that could no longer be removed surgically and who had undergone prior established drug treatment. "It is exciting that this is BioNTech’s first late-stage oncology programme that meets the primary endpoint of a pivotal Phase III trial," Van Lanschot Kempen analyst Sushila Hernandez told Reuters. Hernandez said that she looked forward to the full dataset and the readout of...

Pfizer (PFE.N), opens new tab said on Wednesday its COVID-19 vaccine has saved more than 14 million lives worldwide, after U.S. President Donald Trump urged pharmaceutical companies to justify the success of their pandemic drugs. In a post on Truth Social, Trump asserted that he has seen "extraordinary" data from companies such as Pfizer, but criticized them for withholding results from the public and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pfizer welcomed Trump's demand for openness and pointed to a dedicated section on its website where clinical trial findings and safety updates are posted. CEO Albert Bourla praised Operation Warp Speed, the U.S. government's 2020 initiative to accelerate vaccine development, manufacturing and distribution, calling it a "profound public health achievement" under Trump's leadership. He said the program helped in averting over $1 trillion in healthcare costs, adding that such an accomplishment would "typically be worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize". Pfizer's announcement comes amid escalating turmoil at the CDC. Last week, director Susan Monarez was fired less than a month into her tenure after resisting changes to vaccine policy that were advanced by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who was handpicked by Trump earlier this year. Her removal sparked the resignation of four...

Swiss drugmaker Novartis (NOVN.S), opens new tab has signed an up to $5.2 billion licensing and options deal with Argo Biopharmaceutical for its experimental candidates that target cardiovascular diseases, the China-based biotech said on Wednesday. Argo is developing therapeutics that use the RNA interference technology, or RNAi, to silenece genes that contribute to disease or render them ineffective. The deal builds on Novartis' ongoing collaboration with Argo, and includes the right of first negotiation for Argo's experimental drug, BW-00112. The RNAi drug is currently in mid-stage development for severe hypertriglyceridemia, which leads to elevated levels of a type of fat in the blood and increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke. Alnylam's (ALNY.O), opens new tab vutrisiran, branded as Amvuttra, is an RNAi drug approved in the U.S. to treat transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy, a rare and deadly heart disease. Argo's candidates, which are designed to "deeply and durably target disease-causing proteins, represent an important paradigm shift in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases," said Shaun Coughlin, Global Head of Cardiovascular and Metabolism at Novartis Biomedical Research. Under the agreement for sales outside China, Argo would receive an upfront payment of $160 million and up to $5.2 billion in milestone...

Merck's oral drug met the main goal of reducing bad cholesterol in a late-stage trial, it said on Tuesday, marking a second win for the drug since June. The trial data provides a shot in the arm for the company, which is looking for its next blockbuster candidate as its major revenue driver, Keytruda, is expected to lose patent protection by the end of the decade. Merck's non-statin cholesterol drug, enlicitide decanoate, was being tested in patients with hypercholesterolemia, a condition characterized by elevated levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol in the blood, often leading to plaque buildup in the arteries. The condition affects about 73.5 million Americans, leading to increased risk of heart disease, according to government data. In the 24-week trial, Merck's drug showed meaningful reductions in LDL cholesterol, when compared to placebo. In June, the cholesterol pill succeeded in two late-stage studies when tested for the treatment of hyperlipidemia, a condition that causes elevated buildup of fat in the blood vessels potentially leading to heart attacks and strokes. Enlicitide works by blocking PCSK9, a protein that plays a crucial role in regulating cholesterol levels, while statins block an enzyme the liver uses to make cholesterol. Analysts have noted that the drug has blockbuster potential...

Polpharma Biologics has signed licensing agreements with MS Pharma for the commercialisation of three proposed biosimilars in the Middle East and North Africa. The deal covers vedolizumab (PB016), ocrelizumab (PB018) and guselkumab (PB019), targeting ulcerative colitis, multiple sclerosis and plaque psoriasis respectively. Under the agreements, MS Pharma will handle registration, marketing and distribution across the region. Polpharma Biologics will retain responsibility for development, manufacturing and supply. Fill and finish operations will be transferred to MS Pharma’s biologics facility in Saudi Arabia. Vedolizumab targets α4β7 integrin and is indicated for ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Ocrelizumab depletes CD20-positive B cells to reduce inflammation in multiple sclerosis. Guselkumab binds to the p19 subunit of interleukin-23 and is used in plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Kalle Känd, CEO of MS Pharma, said: “Expanding our biosimilar portfolio in high-need therapeutic areas such as gastroenterology, neurology and dermatology is a strategic priority. These three products will significantly strengthen our offering and reinforce our leadership in the MENA region.” He added: “Partnering once again with Polpharma Biologics underscores our commitment to delivering high-quality, accessible biologic medicines to patients across the region, through localising advanced biologics production.” Konstantin Matentzoglu, Supervisory Board Member of Polpharma Biologics Group, said: “We are proud to...

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals said on Tuesday it will receive up to $2 billion from Novartis for an exclusive worldwide license to its experimental therapy that targets neuromuscular conditions such as Parkinson's Disease. As per the agreement, Arrowhead will receive $200 million upfront when the deal closes and could up to $2 billion in milestone payments and royalties on future sales. Novartis will receive exclusive worldwide rights to the experimental therapy, ARO-SNCA. The therapy is in preclinical testing and is designed to lower levels of alpha-synuclein, a protein linked to Parkinson's and related disorders. The companies said they plan to move the program into human trials as soon as possible.