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Abstract
This Industry Update covers the period from 1 to 31 January 2019 and is based on information sourced from company press releases, scientific literature, patents and various news websites. Bristol-Myers Squibb (NY, USA) and Celgene (NJ, USA) announced a merger to create one of the largest oncology-focused pharmaceutical businesses. Also, with a focus on oncology, Lilly (IN, USA) announced it is acquiring Loxo Oncology (CT, USA). Alphabet’s life sciences business, Verily (CA, USA), announced it had raised new funds to invest in new business opportunities and acquisitions. Talee Bio (PA, USA) and Agenus (MA, USA) announced that they had won grants to support their work in cystic fibrosis and vaccine development, respectively. Biogen (MA, USA) established two new collaborations aimed at expanding its neuroscience pipeline and Voyager Therapeutics (MA, USA) and Neurocrine Biosciences (CA, USA) agreed a collaboration to develop and commercialize gene therapy treatments also in neuroscience. In digital health, Proteus Digital Health (CA, USA) continued the development of digital pill technology, with the initiation of a study in oncology and Otsuka (Tokyo, Japan) agreed a collaboration with Click Therapeutics (NY, USA) to develop digital therapies to treat major depressive disorder. This month also finally saw the approval of Mylan’s (PA, USA) generic version of GSK’s (Brentford, UK) blockbuster inhaled drug, ADVAIR. Several developments in novel drug delivery methods were reported including the use of microneedles to deliver contraceptives, inhaled delivery of mRNA and a study supporting the use of peptoids to deliver gene therapies into cells. A publication from the Salk Institute (CA, USA) suggested a cellular mechanism might be important in reducing the risk of cancer, and a study by a team at Washington University (MO, USA) supported the possibility of gene therapy to treat neuropathy.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
The author has no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.