Latest from Kevin Grogan
Verona Pharma is rising high with the newly-launched chronic obstructive pulmonary disease drug Ohtuvayre but its development would have been severely compromised if it had not been for government benefits, non-executive chair David Ebsworth tells Scrip.
The company’s CD40 agonist mitazalimab has impressed in Phase II trials as a potential treatment for pancreatic cancer but with no partner in place yet and a lack of funds, Alligator has to cut 70% of its staff to keep going.
The Carlyle-backed venture capital group is said to be working on a new fund to help finance up to eight late-stage clinical studies through potential partnerships with big pharma for a share of royalties. The move would be in keeping with its recent investment activities.
While most drug development in the multiple sclerosis space has focused just on relapse prevention, Immunic’s dual-acting therapy vidofludimus calcium also offers a novel approach for neurodegeneration, its CEO Daniel Vitt tells Scrip.
The Norwegian biotech is losing a big pharma partner and up to half of its staff, but remains confident about the prospects for its personalized cancer vaccine programs.
Deal Snapshot: The essential tremor space has not seen innovation in treatment for decades. Acadia believes Saniona's GABAA-α3 positive allosteric modulator could be the answer.