Author Archives: Millie Nelson

Maxion awarded grant to advance antibody platform

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Maxion Therapeutics has been awarded £2 million ($2.4 million) from Innovate UK to develop ion channel antibodies for autoimmune diseases. The grant from Innovate UK is part of its £25 million ($31 million) Biomedical Catalyst fund, which aims to support UK-registered businesses to advance solutions to address health and healthcare challenges. Maxion, a Cambridge, UK based firm, will use the funding to support and develop its KnotBody platform for autoimmune diseases with high unmet clinical need. “KnotBody platform utilizes a…

April 26, 2023

Industry still a slave to single source supply, say experts

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Despite COVID-19 highlighting supply chain issues, biomanufacturers are still using single sources, say experts at BPI West. In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, single-use bioprocess systems and materials were highlighted as necessary tools in the development and commercial manufacture of potential vaccines and therapies. Said materials and equipment were already in high demand throughout the sector, but the pandemic placed further pressure on raw material and bioprocess equipment supply, with lead times for some single-use components equating to a…

April 26, 2023

GSK workers to strike across all UK manufacturing sites

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UK-based trade union Unite say hundreds of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) manufacturing employees will stage a series of walkouts throughout May at several sites. 750 members of Unite voted for strike action after rejecting pharma giant GSK’s offer of a six percent pay increase and a one-time payment of £1,300 ($1,615). According to the trade union, this represents a “substantial real terms pay cut” due to the current inflation rates. “We recognize that for many of our people, this past year has…

April 24, 2023

J&J ups CAR-T capacity amid high Carvykti demand

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Novartis to make Carvykti for Johnson & Johnson and its partner Legend Biotech to meet demand, says firm.  In March 2022, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy Carvykti (ciltacabtagene autoleucel; ciltacel). For the first three months of 2023, the multiple myeloma therapy pulled in $72 million in sales, up from $55 million quarter-on-quarter. J&J’s chief financial officer Joe Wolk said on the earnings call the firm is experiencing “really tremendous demand” for…

April 19, 2023

Eli Lilly invests a further $1.6bn at two Indiana plants

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The $1.6 billion takes Eli Lilly’s spend to $3.7 billion and adds 200 jobs in Indiana. Eli Lilly and Company laid out $2.1 billion in May 2022 to construct two manufacturing facilities at LEAP Lebanon Innovation and Research District in Boone County, Indiana to expand its services for active ingredients and therapeutic modalities. Now, the firm has announced it will invest an additional $1.6 billion at the two plants. In turn, this will add another 200 new jobs at the manufacturing…

April 19, 2023

Merck to buy Prometheus for $10.8bn

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Merck & Co. will add monoclonal antibody (mAb) candidate PRA023 to its pipeline by acquiring Prometheus Biosciences for $10.8 billion. Merck & Co. (known as MSD outside North America and Canada) will pay Prometheus, a Californian-based clinical-stage biotechnology firm that focuses on treatments for autoimmune diseases, $200 per share in cash to acquire the firm. Merck will gain Prometheus’ lead asset PRA023, which is a humanized mAb targeted to tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-like ligand 1A (TL1A) to treat immune diseases…

April 18, 2023

AnaBios bolsters cell portfolio with Cell Systems buy

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The acquisition of Cell Systems will advance AnaBios’ human tissue and cells portfolio and provide access to a range of tools, says firm. Under the terms of the deal, of which financial details have not been disclosed, AnaBios will acquire Cell Systems, which is a human primary cell and cell culture media firm located in Kirkland, Washington. AnaBios, a pre-clinical-focused firm  that  provides human tissue samplesand cells to the industry and academia, said the deal will “further enhance” its portfolio…

April 17, 2023

UNDBIO forks out $100M to build insulin plant in West Virginia

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South Korean firm UNDBIO has signed a lease with West Virginia University to construct an insulin production facility in Morgantown. In a statement released by Governor Jim Justice’s office, the $100 million investment in the first phase of the project from UNDBIO, a firm focused on providing diabetic care solutions, will create 200 jobs within three years. UNDBIO manufactures glucose monitoring systems, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), and insulin-based products. Moreover, the company is seeking approval for its insulin injection system, which…

April 17, 2023

Samsung Biologics invests in Swiss ADC firm

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Samsung Venture Investment Corporation has invested an undisclosed amount in Araris Biotech ahead of a series A funding round. The investment was made by Samsung Life Science Fund, a joint creation between Samsung Biologics and trading company Samsung C&T, which is managed by Samsung Ventures Investment Corporation (Samsung Ventures), an investment corporation that aims to promote the advancement of technologies. “Samsung Biologics plans its investments with Samsung Life Science Fund […] The fund is worth of KRW150 billion [$113 million],”…

April 14, 2023

Dyadic to take expression platform to Africa

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Dyadic has expanded its licensing agreement with Rubic One Health to develop and commercialize vaccines and biologics for Africa. Since 2015, Dyadic International has focused on bringing the C1 gene expression platform to the biomanufacturing space, and the firm has struck numerous deals with partners including Luina Bio, Novovet, Alphazyme, and Sanofi. The C1 platform is based on the fungus Myceliophthora thermophila and is used in the industrial enzyme space, where it achieves productivity as high as 80 grams per liter for…

April 14, 2023