Beigene has quickly become a force in cancer drug development, earning approvals in the U.S. and China for its targeted therapy Brukinsa and immunotherapy tislelizumab. The biotech is developing a slate of small molecule and antibody drugs aimed at several well-known targets, too.
In late 2019, Amgen agreed to pay nearly $3 billion for a 20% stake in Beigene. Notably, Beigene agreed to help Amgen develop as many as 20 experimental drugs and chip in funding as well, a sign of Amgen’s confidence in the company’s research skills.
So far, all of the drugs Beigene has advanced into clinical testing have been small molecules or antibodies. The Shoreline deal will expand the company’s work to include cell therapy, an area that’s growing quickly to encompass multiple types of treatment and technologies. READ MORE
By Ned Pagliarulo
Source: biopharmadive.com
UCB (Euronext: UCB) and Zogenix (NASDAQ: ZGNX) announced that the companies have entered into a definitive agreement under which UCB would acquire Zogenix, Inc., a global biopharmaceutical company commercializing and developing therapies for rare diseases.
argenx SE, a global immunology company committed to improving the lives of people suffering from severe autoimmune diseases, announced that Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) has approved VYVGART™ (efgartigimod alfa) intravenous infusion for the treatment of adult patients with generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) who do not have sufficient response to steroids or non-steroidal immunosuppressive therapies (ISTs).
GSK has rejected three offers from Unilever to buy GSK’s consumer health unit, the company said Saturday. The latest offer from the fellow U.K. consumer goods giant, received Dec. 20 for a total value of 50 billion pounds ($68 billion), “fundamentally undervalued” the business and its prospects, GSK said.
