Johnson & Johnson has announced that it is acquiring privately-held, clinical-stage biopharma Novira Therapeutics, but has kept financial details of the deal firmly under wraps.
The move gives the healthcare giant access to Novira’s portfolio of novel antivirals for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, which affects 350 million – 400 million people worldwide, including lead candidate NVR 3-778.
NVR 3-778 is a small molecule, direct acting antiviral, that inhibits the HBV core, a new and promising drug target involved in multiple activities required for viral replication and persistence.
The orally-administered drug “offers the potential for efficient suppression of virus production and replication, which could help address the remaining unmet medical needs,” says J&J.
The transaction is expected to close during the fourth quarter of 2015.
Source: Pharma Times
Avivi joins Bayer fresh off a yearlong stint as chief marketing officer of Advance Auto Parts, which followed about three years spent as marketing chief of another auto parts company, Tenneco. Rounding out her nearly 30-year career in marketing are leadership roles at consumer goods giants Kimberly-Clark and Procter & Gamble.
Air Liquide S.A. (Paris) is continuing its development with the acquisition of Homecare activities in Belgium and the Netherlands. The two entities acquired in Belgium and the Netherlands support 10,000 patients living with respiratory insufficiency, sleep apnea syndrome or requiring infusion or nutrition treatments.
US-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals has agreed to pay approximately $4.9 billion in cash to acquire Alpine Immune Sciences, a compatriot biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing innovative, protein-based immunotherapies.
