Gilead Sciences will acquire U.K.-based startup MiroBio, which is developing antibody drugs for autoimmune disorders, in a $405 million deal announced Thursday.
MiroBio sprouted from a University of Oxford research laboratory run by professors Simon Davis and Richard Cornall. Its approach focuses on checkpoint receptors, proteins that help to regulate the immune system.
Blocking these proteins has proven effective in treating cancer, unleashing the immune system to attack malignant cells. But companies like MiroBio are exploring how they can be targeted to tamp down damaging immune system overreactions in inflammatory diseases. READ MORE
by Gwendolyn Wu
Source: biopharmadive.com
Big Pharma has long seen the potential for AI and machine learning to accelerate drug development. But Novo Nordisk is going a step further by channeling $200 million toward the creation of a computer that will outrun anything in existence.
Current methods for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease rely on a complex combination of self- and caregiver-reported symptoms, a physical examination and either a PET scan or a spinal tap to look for evidence of amyloid plaque build-ups in the brain. But a new artificial intelligence-based method may make the diagnostic process a much more objective one.
There is lots of talk about diversity and inclusion in business, including in pharma and medtech. A new report by the Open Political Economy Network (OPEN), a think tank focusing on migration and diversity, released its “Minority Businesses Matter: Europe” report highlighting the successes and challenges of ethnic minority-owned businesses in Europe.
