From pharma collaborations on therapies to fallouts over failed clinical trials, here are your headlines this week.
Early Data Release Ends Obesity Drug Study
In a move that spurred criticism from the FDA, Orexigen released early positive cardiology data for obesity drug Contrave last March. Now the trial’s been terminated — and earlier this week, marketing partner Takeda sought to end its collaboration agreement with Orexigen.
Eli Lilly and German Startup Collaborating on Cancer Immunotherapies
Pharma giant Eli Lilly and Mainz, Germany-based BioNTech AG have reached a highly-incentivized agreement to collaborate on new cancer immunotherapies. The German startup will receive a $30 million signing fee — and could receive over $300 million for each potential cancer-fighting medicine it produces, in addition to royalties.
GSK, UNC Team Up to Fight HIVHIV-related headlines are front and center — and GlaxosmithKline is partnering with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to study the latest approaches for finding a cure for the virus, including the “shock and kill” method.
23andMe, Pfizer Partner on Finding a Cure for Lupus
Personalizing treatments for lupus patients is limited, due in large part to an incomplete understanding of the disease. Pfizer and biotech company 23andMe are looking to change that: they’ve started recruiting participants — with an enrollment aim of 5,000 people — for a year-long study of Lupus disease.
Filed Under: Drug Discovery
