Otsuka America, a subsidiary of the Japanese drug and device maker, this month launched a new company focused on digital health. The firm, called Otsuka Precision Health, will roll out its first product this summer, a prescription digital therapeutic for major depressive disorder. Sanket Shah, who has worked for Otsuka for more than 14 years,…
Dive Brief: Immunovant told investors Wednesday that it’s shifting resources to focus on a less advanced experimental autoimmune disease treatment that appears more promising for future development. The company now plans to extend a trial of its former lead asset, batoclimab, in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, or CIDP. Immunovant will then use the knowledge gained…
Dive Brief: Merck & Co. on Wednesday said it has agreed to buy privately held eye drug developer EyeBio for $1.3 billion in cash upfront and as much as $1.7 billion in future milestone payments. Backed by SV Health Investors, Samsara BioCapital and Jeito Capital, EyeBio focuses on developing treatments for vision loss associated with…
Dive Brief: Gameto, a biotechnology company developing new treatments for fertility, has raised $33 million in venture capital funding to advance technology it says could shorten in vitro fertilization cycles, as well as replace the hormonal injections currently used in the process. The Series B round was led by Two Sigma Ventures and RA Capital,…
Dive Brief: Agios Pharmaceuticals has agreed to sell to Royalty Pharma rights to royalties on a brain cancer drug it invented and sold to Servier. Per deal terms announced Tuesday, Agios will receive $905 million in cash from Royalty Pharma should the drug, currently known as vorasidenib, win approval from U.S. regulators. In exchange, Royalty…
New Jersey-based drugmaker Insmed gained more than $3 billion in market value Tuesday after reporting clinical trial results for an experimental lung disease drug that impressed analysts. Data from the trial, a Phase 3 study called Aspen, showed that Insmed’s drug can significantly ease the coughing and shortness of breath that people with bronchiectasis frequently experience….
Artificial intelligence (AI) has sparked a revolution in the pharmaceutical industry, reshaping the way we approach complex biological challenges. “From personalized medicine to unraveling the mysteries of our DNA, we’re witnessing a new era—one where algorithms collaborate with scientists, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible,” says Seema Sayani, Ph.D., Senior Director of Life Sciences with…
BioPharma Dive is testing out a new format rounding up smaller updates from around the industry. Have thoughts on what could make this type of story better? Drop us a line! Today, a brief rundown of news from Boehringer Ingelheim, as well as notes on GSK, Bristol Myers Squibb, Exscientia and Regeneron that you may…
Dive Brief: Shares in Cytokinetics sank by about one-fifth Thursday on news of a funding deal the biotechnology company struck with Royalty Pharma, in which it traded away a stake in future sales of its experimental heart drug for upfront cash. The agreement will give Cytokinetics $250 million at closing and as much as $575…
Dive Brief: German drugmaker Merck KGaA agreed to buy Mirus Bio for $600 million to build expertise in a critical part of viral vector-based gene therapy production. Merck KGaA is making the purchase through its U.S. and Canadian life sciences unit, MilliporeSigma. The addition will bolster the company’s Life Science division, which offers contract development…
