Oncology
COSMIC database matches drugs to cancer mutations
The world’s largest database of cancer mutations can now be used to link mutations with drug treatments in what promises to be a step forward […]
Cancer services should be rebuilt after COVID disruption, experts say
There is a pressing need for a joined-up cancer strategy to reverse the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report from the […]
NeoGenomics Acquires Precision Oncology Platform Trapelo Health for $65M
What You Should Know: – NeoGenomics, Inc., a provider of cancer-focused genetic testing services and global oncology contract research services announced it has reached an […]
Novartis’ radioligand therapy meets phase 3 prostate cancer trial target
Novartis’ radioligand therapy Lu-PSMA-617 has met its target in prostate cancer, as its $2.1 billion acquisition of specialist pharma Endocyte looks to have been justified. […]
Aura raises $80m to develop its virus-like cancer drugs
US biotech Aura Biosciences has closed an oversubscribed financing, raising $80 million to help take its lead virus-like drug conjugate (VDC) for a cancer that […]
Sanofi, Regeneron prep filings for Libtayo in cervical cancer
Sanofi and Regeneron’s checkpoint inhibitor Libtayo has become the first immunotherapy to improve survival when used as a second-line therapy in cervical cancer, setting up […]
New era of genomic medicine begins as UK approves Lilly’s Retsevmo
The UK regulator has authorised Eli Lilly’s targeted cancer drug Retsevmo for tumours with RET fusion positive lung cancers and thyroid cancers, which the company […]
Takeda buys Maverick as T-Cell engager research hots up
Takeda is taking its option to buy the privately held biotech Maverick Therapeutics and its T-Cell engager cancer therapies for $525 million, as research into […]
Exelixis Signs an Exclusive License Agreement with WuXi Biologics to Expand its Growing Oncology Biologics Pipeline
Shots: WuXi Bio to receive up front and is eligible for development & commercialization milestones, along with royalties on sales of any potential products commercialized […]
Roche’s Tecentriq loses bladder cancer use as FDA crackdown continues
Roche’s Tecentriq is the latest medicine to fall foul of a crackdown by the FDA on drugs that have failed to live up to their […]
Novartis’ canakinumab falls short in phase 3 lung cancer trial
Novartis’ attempt to treat cancer with the anti-inflammatory drug canakinumab was always a long shot, but it’s nevertheless a disappointing feeling when things don’t work […]
Lymphoma Action – championing the patient voice in cell therapy
Lymphoma Action is the only UK health charity dedicated to people affected by lymphoma. Chief Executive Ropinder Gill and Director of Operations and External Affairs […]
NICE says no to AZ’s Lynparza for prostate cancer
NHS patients in England will not be able to get access to AstraZeneca’s PARP inhibitor Lynparza if they have BRCA-positive advance prostate cancer, according to […]
Health Innovators: Owlstone Medical’s Billy Boyle on breath biopsy technology
In the latest episode of our Health Innovators series, Paul Tunnah speaks to Billy Boyle, co-founder and CEO of Owlstone Medical, one of the UK’s […]
Merck & Co axes Keytruda lung cancer niche amid FDA crackdown
Merck & Co has voluntarily withdrawn its Keytruda immunotherapy from a lung cancer niche in the US, amid a crackdown by the FDA on drugs […]
A history of Johnson & Johnson
By most measures the single largest pharma company in the world, US-based Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is also arguably one of the most well-known drugmakers […]
Merck KGaA offloads failed MEK programme to startup Day One
US biotech Day One has taken ownership of a cancer drug that has been languishing in Merck KGaA’s pipeline for years, in the hope of […]
2nd TCR-based Therapies Summit
The 2nd TCR-based Therapies Summit is the leading industry-focused meeting dedicated to supercharging the expanded TCR repertoire through enhanced target specificity, density and binding affinity for solid […]
Multi-Functional Cell Therapies Summit
Advance Cutting-Edge Research and Development with Next-Generation Cell Therapies, to Deliver Best-in-Class Products to Patients in Need Cell therapies hold life-saving potential for patients, and […]
FDA to quickly review Incyte’s Jakafi in chronic GVHD
The FDA is to begin a fast review of Incyte’s Jakafi (ruxolitinib) for patients with chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), which cannot be treated with steroids. […]
Sanofi’s immunotherapy Libtayo gets FDA not in first line lung cancer
Sanofi’s cancer immunotherapy Libtayo (cemiplimab) has a third US indication after the FDA approved it for certain untreated lung cancer patients. The approval in first-line […]
Limited access to cancer biomarker testing in Europe, report finds
There is limited access to biomarker testing for cancer in Europe, despite the huge potential of the technology to improve outcomes, according to a new […]
MHRA approves Seagen’s oral HER2 drug Tukysa
The UK drugs regulator has approved Seagen’s Tukysa as a third-line treatment for HER2-positive breast cancer, shortly after it was given a green light by […]
Nektar lifted by Merck alliance for bempeg, new trial funding
Nektar Therapeutics is waiting on multiple data readouts for its lead drug bempegaldesleukin paired with strategic partner Bristol-Myers Squibb’s checkpoint inhibitor Opdivo, but that hasn’t […]
Filing beckons as Lynparza hits the mark in adjuvant breast cancer
AstraZeneca’s PARP inhibitor Lynparza has shown a clinical benefit when given as an adjuvant for early breast cancer, according to the data monitoring body for […]
Healthware and Italian cancer institute partner on digital health drive
Healthware Group has partnered with the National Cancer Institute of Naples in Italy to develop and roll out digital health platforms to support research and […]
Astellas/Seagen prepare full US filing of bladder cancer drug Padcev
Astellas and Seagen have the data they need for a full licence for their bladder cancer drug Padcev in the US, based on trial results […]
Merck gets a leg-up for Keytruda in first-line kidney cancer
New phase 3 data have shored up the position of Merck & Co’s cancer immunotherapy Keytruda in the increasingly competitive first-line kidney cancer market. The […]
Seagen and Genmab file ‘trojan horse’ drug with FDA for cervical cancer
Seagen and Genmab have announced they have filed their antibody-drug conjugate tisotumab vedotin with the FDA for patients with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer. The […]
Triple Negative Breast Cancer Drug Development Digital Summit
Improving the Safety, Efficacy & Predictability of Monotherapy & Combinatorial Therapies to Fast-track the Discovery & Development of TNBC Treatments to Reach Patients in Need […]
Heat Bio’s shares ignite on Opdivo combination data in NSCLC
The pairing of Heat Biologics’ lead drug HS-110 with Bristol-Myers Squibb’s blockbuster checkpoint inhibitor Opdivo has boosted survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer […]
Why Cancer Registries are Part of America’s Fight for Racial Equality
Warren A Whyte, Ph.D., VP Scientific Partnerships at ConcertAI According to a 2019 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, one in […]
Cash round sets up trial of InteRNA’s microRNA for cancer
Dutch biotech InteRNA Technologies has raised €18.5 million ($22 million) in second-round financing as it prepares to start clinical trials of its lead drug candidate […]
BMS finally gets FDA OK for liso-cel, sets $410k launch price
Bristol-Myers Squibb finally has FDA approval for its CAR-T therapy liso-cel, which has been cleared by the US regulator as Breyanzi for certain forms of […]
Executive Hires: Walgreens Appoints New CEO, Cityblock Health, Innovaccer, Others
Walgreens appoints Rosalind (Roz) Brewer as the company’s Chief Executive Officer, effective on March 15, 2021. Brewer will also join the WBA Board of Directors […]
Epic, Galen Healthcare, Chartis Group Named 2020 Overall Best in KLAS Awards
What You Should Know: – Epic was named the top Overall Software Suite for the eleventh consecutive year in the Best in KLAS 2021 Software & Services report, released […]
Syapse Lands $68M to Expand Global Precision Oncology Data Sharing Network
What You Should Know: – Syapse raises 68M in equity investment led by Ally Bridge Group (ABG), with Northpond Ventures to expand delivery of real-world […]
Volpara Acquires Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Platform CRA Health for $18M
What You Should Know: – Volpara Health, an integrated breast care platform assisting in the delivery of personalized patient care has acquired breast cancer risk […]
Incyte makes bid to join the checkpoint inhibitor club
Incyte has filed its PD-1 inhibitor retifanlimab with the FDA, seeking approval to treat a form of anal cancer associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) and […]
Startups see new promise in old insight about viruses to stop cancer
Researchers have known for decades that viruses can beat back cancer. But it’s been hard to design a virus that does the trick. A new […]
AZ/Daiichi Sankyo’s partnership makes progress in lung cancer
AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo have announced data from two drugs in lung cancer, which they are developing as part of their ongoing partnership. Results announced […]
NICE reverses stance on Celgene’s Revlimid for myeloma maintenance
NHS patients in England with newly-diagnosed multiple myeloma can be treated with Celgene’s Revlimid as maintenance therapy after a stem cell transplant, after new guidance […]
RedX Pharma CEO focuses on pipeline that found Lilly’s rising star
Back in 2017, the UK biotech RedX Pharma had to sell its prized asset after administrators stepped in to stave off a debt crisis, with […]
Startup banks on immune-system memory to tackle cancer
Loki Therapeutics is advancing research that leverages the immune system’s ability to recall childhood vaccinations and direct it against cancer. The company’s lead therapy candidate […]
Pandemic ‘pushed lung cancer services back 20 years’, doctors warn
Governments must act to restore the damage done to lung cancer services during the pandemic in order to reduce further avoidable deaths, according to a […]
Merck, Pfizer get EU nod for Bavencio as bladder cancer maintenance
Pfizer and partner Merck KGaA now have approval on both sides of the Atlantic for their checkpoint inhibitor Bavencio as a first-line maintenance therapy for […]
AZ says Calquence is a safer drug than Imbruvica
AstraZeneca’s fast-growing BTK inhibitor Calquence is already challenging class leader Imbruvica from Johnson & Johnson/AbbVie in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). Now, AZ […]
GSK/Merck & Co’s hopeful bintrafusp alfa fails in key lung cancer trial
GlaxoSmithKline’s big gamble on a cancer drug developed by Germany’s Merck KGaA looks unlikely to pay out, after bintrafusp alfa failed to outperform US-based Merck […]
Lilly bolts on cancer bispecifics with $1.6bn Merus alliance
Always a big player in oncology, Eli Lilly has fallen behind some of its rivals when it comes to cancer immunotherapy, but a new R&D […]
Careology joins forces with remote care support firm RedArc
Digital cancer care platform Careology has joined forces with RedArc, which provides long-term support for people with serious illnesses. RedArc has a team of registered […]
Conversa Health Expands Series B to $20M with Additional $8M in Funding
What You Should Know: – Conversa Health raises an additional $8M, expanding its Series B round to $20M for its automated virtual care platform, totaling […]
Scotland backs Roche’s Rozlytrek for ROS1 lung cancer
The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has given a green light to Roche’s Rozlytrek for a rare form of lung cancer, almost seven months after NICE […]
NHS and Kite sign access deal for Kite’s cancer cell therapy Tecartus
NHS patients in England will be among the first in the world to receive Gilead’s Tecartus cancer cell therapy for certain types of lymphoma, after […]
AZ/Daiichi Sankyo’s Enhertu gets second US cancer indication
AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo’s Enhertu cancer drug has picked up a second indication, in patients who have stomach cancer and haven’t responded to Roche’s Herceptin […]
Ex-Merck & Co scientist accused of stealing trade secrets could face jail
A former Merck & Co scientist could face up to 10 years in prison after he was accused of stealing trade secrets relating to drugs […]
Biotech startup raises $25M for cancer, Covid-19 vaccines
Vaccines developed by Aivita Biomedical use a patient’s own blood to attack cancer and Covid-19. But the company also offers a consumer skin-care product that […]
IO Biotech raises $155m to develop breakthrough cancer vaccine
IO Biotech, an oncology specialist formed and backed by Denmark’s Novo Holdings, has raised €127 million ($155 million) to further develop its cancer vaccine technology […]
One year after founding, startup EQRx raises $500M to advance goal of cheaper cancer drugs
The latest funding brings total investment in the company to $750 million. The money has gone, in part, toward licensing of promising drug candidates in […]
Boehringer to investigate ‘dark antigens’ with UK cancer specialist Enara
Boehringer Ingelheim has signed a strategic collaboration with UK biotech Enara Bio, focused on finding ways to fight cancer using “dark antigens” in a deal […]
bluebird bio to split into oncology and gene therapy specialists
US biotech bluebird bio has announced plans to split into two this year, with a separate oncology business spinning off as the company prepares to […]
Frenova Begins Patient Enrollment to Build World’s Largest Genomics Registry for Kidney Disease
What You Should Know: – Frenova Renal Research, a global division of Fresenius Medical Care, announced today that it has started to enroll patients in its […]
Chi-Med agrees R&D partnership with Inmagene
China’s Chi-Med and Inmagene Biopharmaceuticals have agreed a strategic partnership to develop preclinical drug candidates for potential treatment of several immunological diseases. Funded by Inmagene, […]
Oxford BioTherapeutics to research cell therapies for Gilead’s Kite
Gilead Sciences’ Kite unit has teamed up with the UK’s Oxford BioTherapeutics (OBT) to develop a new clutch of cell therapy products for solid tumours […]
Why cell therapy manufacture is a team sport
Louis van de Wiel, Vice President, Site Head EU Manufacturing, Kite, a Gilead Company, reveals the complexity that sits behind the process of individualised cell […]
Roche nabs breakthrough tag for TIGIT cancer immunotherapy
Roche’s closely-watched combination of two checkpoint inhibitors – TIGIT-targeting tiragolumab and PD-L1 drug Tecentriq – has claimed breakthrough status from the FDA. Like PD-L1, TIGIT […]
Are metabolic hormones the next frontier in cancer treatment?
With a global epidemic of obesity and diabetes and their known relationship to cancer, researchers and oncologists are turning their attention to metabolic hormones as […]
2020’s Top 20 Digital Health M&A Deals Totaled $50B
Teladoc Health and Livongo Merge The combination of Teladoc Health and Livongo creates a global leader in consumer-centered virtual care. The combined company is positioned […]
Myovant Signs Agreement with Pfizer to Develop and Commercialize Relugolix in Oncology and Women’s Health
Shots: Myovant & Pfizer will jointly develop & commercialize ORGOVYX (relugolix) in advanced prostate cancer & if approved, relugolix combination tablet in women’s health in […]
BMS calls time on brain cancer trial as Opdivo misses second target
Bristol Myers-Squibb has put out another downbeat “update” announcement about its immunotherapy Opdivo in an aggressive form of brain cancer, saying that it looks unlikely […]
Roche claims EU okay for Herceptin/Perjeta combination Phesgo
Roche has secured EU approval for Phesgo, a fixed-dose combination of its breast cancer drugs Herceptin and Perjeta that is easier and cheaper to administer […]
Servier beefs up in cancer, buying Agios’ oncology business for $1.8bn
French pharmaceutical company Servier has swooped on Agios Pharma’s marketed and experimental cancer drugs, buying the entire franchise in a deal that leaves the US […]
Chasing BMS, J&J files BCMA CAR-T for multiple myeloma to FDA
Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen unit has filed a rolling submission for its multiple myeloma CAR-T ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel) to the FDA, in hot pursuit of […]
Servier to Acquire Agios’ Oncology Business for ~$2B
Shots: Agios to receive ~$1.8B upfront in cash & ~$200M as regulatory milestones for Vorasidenib along with 5% royalties on sales of Tibsovo in the […]
The top 5 pharma M&A deals of 2020
2020’s M&A activity hasn’t quite reached the heights of last year’s, where two pharma mega-mergers – BMS’ buyout of Celegne and AbbVie’s acquisition of Allergan […]
AZ’s Tagrisso gets new early lung cancer use in US
AstraZeneca’s Tagrisso (osimertinib) has been approved by the FDA in a new lung cancer indication that extends its use to a group of patients with […]
Merck cuts $1bn deal with Janux for cancer T-cell therapies
In a deal that could top $1 billion, Merck & Co has teamed up with US biotech Janux Therapeutics to bring T-cell immunotherapies to cancer […]
Merck Signs a ~$1B Pact with Janux to Develop Cancer Therapies Using T Cell Engager Technology
Shots: Janux to receive up to $500.5M/ target as upfront and milestones along with royalties on sales of product emerges from the collaboration, making a […]
MacroGenics’ HER2 breast cancer drug Margenza approved in US
MacroGenics’ HER2-targeted breast cancer drug Margenza has been approved by the FDA, challenging several recently approved drugs with a narrow efficacy edge over Roche’s Herceptin […]
Amgen files KRAS trailblazer sotorasib with FDA for lung cancer
Amgen has filed its groundbreaking KRAS inhibiting drug sotorasib with the FDA for a group of lung cancer patients with an aggressive form of the […]
M&A: Cerner to Acquire Health Division of Kantar for $375M in Cash
What You Should Know: – Cerner announces it will acquire Kantar Health, a leading data, analytics, and real-world evidence and commercial research consultancy serving the […]
TG Therapeutics set for upsized IPO to develop cancer combination drug
TG Therapeutics provided one of the highlights of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) conference earlier this month after lifting the lid on phase 3 […]
Daiichi Sankyo, AZ close on EU approval of Enhertu for breast cancer
Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca could be just weeks away from an EU approval for their antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) for breast cancer – Enhertu – which […]
Boehringer buys NBE for €1.18bn, adding cancer ADC expertise
Boehringer Ingelheim has expanded its oncology focus for the second time this week by buying Swiss biotech NBE-Therapeutics, adding an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) platform led […]
UK hospital deploys Microsoft AI to tackle cancer backlog
Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge will be the first in the world to use an artificial intelligence tool developed by Microsoft that promises to cut the […]
What HCPs think about COVID-19’s impact on cancer
COVID-19’s knock-on effect on cancer patients is of concern by HCPs, with delayed or decreased diagnosis seen as a key worry. CREATION.co’s Lara Meyer explores […]
Sharing experiences to level the healthcare playing field
Amanda Barrell speaks to Alfred Samuels on his experience of prostate cancer and diversifying clinical trials to include the Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) […]
KaliVir, Astellas licensing deal; AbCellera’s IPO; Bayer CAR-T Cell therapy collab with Atara; Aligos, Merck together against NASH
KaliVir, Astellas Pharma forms a licensing deal for VET2-L2 oncolytic virus KaliVir Immunotherapeutics and Astellas Pharma entered into a worldwide exclusive licensing agreement for the […]
FDA puts Bellicum’s cancer cell therapy trial on hold
The FDA has placed a clinical hold on a phase 1/2 trial of Bellicum’s cancer cell therapy BPX-601, following a patient death. Houston, Texas-based Bellicum […]
ASH: Lilly builds case for its BTK drug LOXO-305 in lymphoma
Eli Lilly’s buyout of Loxo Oncology last year has already yielded one approved drug, and it now has a path to market for a second […]
Exelixis takes $20m option Iconic/Zymeworks’ cancer ADC
Exelixis has taken a $20 million option to license in an antibody-drug conjugate cancer (ADC) drug from Iconic, with clinical trials expected to start next […]
4th Antigen Specific Immune Tolerance Summit
The 4th Antigen Specific Immune Tolerance Digital Summit (ASIT) brings together industry representatives from the fields of autoimmunity, allergy, immuno-oncology and transplantation to tackle the complexities behind autoimmune […]
J&J files lung cancer bispecific amivantamab for FDA approval
Johnson & Johnson has filed its bispecific antibody amivantamab to the FDA, hoping to muscle into the big market for drugs that are used to […]
Covid-19 Is derailing cancer clinical trials. Is new technology required to get them back on track?
It is time to make it our collective mission to bring data automation to patient recruiting for clinical trials and not wait for a resolution […]
Cytokine-Based Cancer Immunotherapies Summit
The renewed interest in the anti-tumor properties of cytokines has led to an increase in the number of clinical trials that explore the safety and […]
PARP & DDR Inhibitors Summit 2021
Developing Inhibitors of Specific DDR Targets, in Monotherapy or in Combination, to Treat Predictable & Identifiable DDR-Defective Cancer Indications PARP & DDR therapeutics are exploding […]
Merck KGaA Collaborates with Artios Pharma for DNA Damage Cancer Therapies
Shots: Artios to receive $30M up front & near-term milestones, ~$860M/ target as option fee along with royalties on sales of each commercialized product. Additionally, […]
Merck KGaA signs DNA damage response cancer deal with Artios Pharma
Germany’s Merck KGaA has joined with UK-based Artios Pharma in a potential multi-billion dollar deal to investigate novel DNA damage response targets in cancer. The […]
French startup lands $8.7M to advance microbiome therapies
Founded in 2014, MaaT Pharma is pushing two therapies through clinical trials that are designed improve survival for patients with blood cancers and other diseases. […]
Accumulated genetic variations: What they are and why they matter to a complete health picture
Unlike inherited genetic predispositions, accumulated genetic changes are the result of environmental influences, such as smoking, chemicals or ultra-violet radiation. A growing body of research links somatic changes to an […]
TG Therapeutics challenges Roche with FDA filing for CLL drug
US biotech TG Therapeutics has begun a rolling filing with the FDA for its combination therapy for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, in a challenge to Roche. […]
Roche, Blueprint raise pressure on Lilly with new Gavreto approval
The FDA has cleared Roche and Blueprint Medicine’s Gavreto for a new use in RET-mutated thyroid cancer, putting it on a level playing field with […]
A history of Pfizer
Few companies embody the term ‘pharma giant’ as much as Pfizer. Here we take a look at the colourful history of one of the biggest […]
Genmab axes development of AXL-targeting cancer drug enapotamab vedotin
Genmab has axed development of its pipeline cancer drug enapotamab vedotin after it failed to show enough activity in a proof-of-concept trial. The drug is […]
Online Live Team Pharma Forecasting Training Now Available
Working remotely can have its challenges, why not get together for a fun and rewarding learning experience and refresh your forecasting skills? Following the success […]
Y-mAbs claims FDA OK for neuroblastoma drug Danyelza
Y-mAbs Therapeutics has claimed its first product approval, getting a green light from the FDA for Danyelza for the rare cancer neuroblastoma. Danyelza (naxitamab) is […]
Evotec Collaborates with Rappta Therapeutics to Focus on Oncology Target
Shots: Evotec to receive research funding & is eligible for milestones. Evotec will support Rappta’s program of developing small molecule activators of the enzyme PP2A […]
Catamaran joins the CAR-NK fleet, raising $42m in first round
Catamaran Bio has weighed anchor with a $42 million first-round financing that will be used to pull its off-the-shelf natural killer (NK) cell therapies for […]
$200M investment to advance clinical programs for Ambrx
The San Diego-based biopharma firm has several oncology therapies in development and has partnered in the past with the likes of Astellas, BeiGene and Bristol-Myers […]
FDA sets May date for verdict on ADC’s lymphoma drug Lonca
ADC Therapeutics could claim its first product approval in the US next May, after the FDA started a priority review of lead drug Lonca for […]
COTA Lands $34M to Drive Innovation in Oncology Using Real-World Data
What You Should Know: – COTA, Inc., a healthcare technology company that uses real-world data to bring clarity to cancer care, has secured $34M in […]
TGFB for Immuno-Oncology Drug Development Summit
Are you interested in finding the next breakthrough in immuno-oncology preclinical or clinical development? Recent scientific, clinical breakthroughs and high-profile industry deals have reignited the […]
Great creative is effective creative. And effective creative is affective creative
Our creative philosophy has always been simple. To produce works that works. Effective, impactful brand communications that deliver tangible results. As the great adman Bill […]
Roche’s Herceptin/Perjeta combo product nears EU approval
The EMA’s human medicines committee has recommended approval of a fixed-dose combination of Roche’s breast cancer drugs Herceptin and Perjeta – part of the company’s […]
NICE okays Roche liver cancer immunotherapy, Sanofi’s rare disease drug
Previously-untreated patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a common form of liver cancer, will have an immunotherapy-based treatment option after NICE gave the nod to NHS […]
Janssen combines Darzalex with COVID drug in new multiple myeloma submission
Janssen has submitted a new combination regimen for its blockbuster multiple myeloma drug Darzalex for approval with the FDA and EMA, hoping to give the […]
