The Week in Biopharma, Apr 4-8

CDMO 

• BioNTech SE Receives Pandemic Preparedness Contract in Germany (Germany) 
• AGC to Expand Synthetic Pharmaceutical Production in Spain (Spain)
• INCOG Biopharma Completes Construction of Cleanrooms (USA) 
• PharmaZell and Novasep Merge to Create CDMO and API Manufacturer (USA) 
• Charles River Acquires Explora BioLabs for $295M (USA) 
• MilliporeSigma Acquires MAST Platform from Lonza (USA) 
• Catalent Expands Biologics Capabilities in UK and Europe (UK)
• Asymchem Completes Construction on Two New Production Sites (China) 
• G-CON Acquires Cleanroom Component Manufacturer Plasteurop (France) 
• CHA Medical & Bio Group Breaks Ground (South Korea) 
• Insud Pharma and Fresenius Kabi to Accelerate the Growth of mAbxience (Spain) 
• Discovery Life Sciences to Acquire Gentest Business from Corning (USA)
• Sterling Pharma Solutions Expands Capabilities and Laboratory Capacity (UK) 

CRO 

• Charnwood Molecular Opens New Facilities in Loughborough (UK) 
• WCG Launches CRO Strategic Alliance Program 
• Celerion Invests in ADME Suite of Services (USA) 
• Charles River Laboratories spends $295M on Explora Biolabs to boost preclinical models biz (USA) 
• Colorcon Launches OptiClenz High Performance Cleaning Platform (USA) 

AI 

• A Win for AI: FDA Approves BioXCel Therapy for Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia (USA) 
• Iktos, Teijin Pharma to co-develop new technology for small molecule drug discovery (France/Japan) 
• Bruker Acquires Optimal Companies for Pharma PAT Software and Biopharma Manufacturing Automation Expertise and Technologies (UK) 
• PathAI and GlaxoSmithKline Sign Multi-Year Agreement to Accelerate Research and Drug Development (USA) 

Biopharma 

• Pfizer to Acquire ReViral in Deal Valued at $525M (UK) 
• Evotec Achieves $16M BMS Milestone in Neuroscience Alliance (Germany) 
• US Congress Introduces Bills to Strengthen Pharma Competition, Promote Innovation (USA)
• Janssen Victorious in Arbitration Battle Vs. Genmab over Darzalex Royalties (USA) 
• GeoVax’s Novel Vaccine Platform Induces Both Antibody and T Cell Responses (USA) 
• In Leap Forward, Triastek Takes 3D-Printed Cardiovascular Drug into the Clinic (China) 
• New Research from the Caris Precision Oncology Alliance Finds Prognostic and Predictive Drug-Induced Gene Signatures for Colorectal Cancer Patients (USA) 
• Lyra Therapeutics Announces $100.5 Million Private Placement (USA)
• Asana BioSciences Announces Dosing of First Patient in Phase 1 Trial of ASN004, a Novel 5T4-Antibody-Drug-Conjugate (USA) 
• ENSEM Therapeutics Banks $67 Million in Search of New Drug Targets (USA) 
• GenSight seeks cash as runway enters final year with gene therapy still stuck at EMA (France) 
• Human Lung Chip Speeds Drug Discovery for COVID-19 and Flu (USA) 
• TraceLink Expands Industry 4.0 Initiatives (USA)
• Evergreen Bio to Build Bioscience Cluster in the Spokane Region (USA) 
• Pregene Partners with CellPoint to Develop Anti-BCMA CAR-T Cell Therapy (China/the Netherlands) 
• Saranas® Receives Innovative Technology Contract from Vizient (USA) 
• Trevi Therapeutics Announces $55 Million Private Placement Priced At-the-Market (USA) 
• Kizoo Portfolio Company Elastrin Therapeutics Inc. closes $10M Funding Round (USA)
• ILIAS Biologics Inc. Receives HREC Approval to Initiate First-in-Human Clinical Trial Evaluating Exosome Therapeutics ILB-202, the Treatment for CSA-AKI (South Korea) 
• Ymmunobio AG Signs Patent Purchase Agreement with LeukoCom GmbH (Switzerland) 
• Codetta Biosciences Announces $15 Million in Series A Financing (USA) 
• Pneuma Systems collaborates with West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. to improve the patient experience (USA) 
• Sequence Bio announces Discovery Collaboration Agreement with LEO Pharma (Canada/Denmark)
• Rona Therapeutics Announces Completion of $33 Million Series A Financing to Advance Global Discovery and Development of RNA Therapeutics (China) 
• Proof Diagnostics Submits Request For Emergency Use Authorization Seeking First Approval Of Crispr-Based Molecular Point-of-Care Covid-19 Test (USA) 
• Axol Bioscience Raises £3.2 million GBP (c. $4.2 million USD) (UK) 
• Everest Medicines Enters into an MOU for Partnership with China Resources Pharmaceutical Group for its mRNA Vaccine Business (China) 
• Medicare Officially Restricts Coverage of Biogen’s Aduhelm (USA)
• Sunshine Biopharma’s Stock Scorches with Promising mRNA Molecules for Cancer (Canada) 
• Triana Raises $110M to Solve Undruggable Cancer Targets with Molecular Glue (USA) 
• Aptinyx Suffers Defeat in Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy as Drug Fails Endpoint (USA) 
• AstraZeneca Picks Up Another Oncology Asset in Quest to “Completely Replace” Standard (USA) 
• Acadia To Seek First-Ever FDA Approval in Rett Syndrome (USA)
• Sanofi Closes NY Kadmon Facility in Effort to Simplify Operations (USA) 
• Jazz, Werewolf to howl at the moon together in $1.26B backloaded biobucks pact (Ireland/USA) 
• Takeda spinout HilleVax goes public, a test of the choppy waters for biotechs on Wall Street (USA) 
• Mysterious Retro Biosciences Launches to “Increase Healthy Human Lifespan by 10 Years (USA) 
• Kintor’s Antiviral Demonstrates Broad Protection in Mild to Moderate COVID-19 (China)
• PolyPid Secures $15 Million Non-Dilutive Secured Term Loan Facility (Israel) 
• BetterLife’s BETR-001 Demonstrates BETR-001 Anti-depressant Activity in Preclinical Models of Depression (Canada) 
• PepGen Announces First Participant Dosed in a Phase 1 Clinical Trial of PGN-EDO51 for the Treatment of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (USA) 
• HitGen and UPPTHERA Extend PROTAC Research Collaboration after Hit Finding Success on Undruggable Targets (China) 
• Melinta Therapeutics Acquires U.S. Rights to TOPROL-XL® (metoprolol succinate) from New American Therapeutics (USA)
• Alter Pharma Acquires EcoPharmaSupply (Belgium) 
• IGM Announces Closing of $230.0 Million Public Offering (USA) 
• Hunting for next big eye disease drug, Regeneron gets deeper into gene therapies with ViGeneron pact (Germany) 
• Belite Bio hits go on IPO to fund late-phase vision loss clinical trials (USA) 
• Lonza Expands Cocoon Platform with Magnetic Cell Selection Capabilities (Switzerland)
• First-Ever Computationally-Designed Antibody Enters Clinical Trials (USA) 
• Adial is Leveraging Genomics to Treat “Pervasive” Alcohol Use Disorder (USA) 
• Imara flunks a pair of phase 2bs, wiping out clinical pipeline (USA) 
• Aldeyra Therapeutics Announces Completion of Enrollment in Phase 3 TRANQUILITY-2 Trial in Patients with Dry Eye Disease (USA) 
• Curate Biosciences and City of Hope Evaluate Innovative Cell Separation for HIV CAR-T Cell Therapy Production (USA)
• Agilent Companion Diagnostic Expandsv CE-IVD Mark for PD-L1 IHC 28-8 pharmDx to Include Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (USA) 
• Valo Health Acquires TARA Biosystems Creating First of its Kind Vertically Integrated Cardiovascular Platform (USA) 
• Lakewood-Amedex Enrolls First Patient in Phase 2 Clinical Trial for Patients with Chronic Diabetic Foot Ulcers (cDFU) (USA) 
• LimFlow Raises $40 Million (€36 Million) in Series D Financing (France) 
• Bristol Myers Squibb Receives European Commission Approval for Opdivo (nivolumab) Plus Yervoy (ipilimumab) as First-Line Treatment for Patients with Unresectable Advanced, Recurrent or Metastatic Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (USA)
• Twist Bioscience and Ginkgo Bioworks Sign New Collaboration (USA) 
• Through ‘serial de-risking,’ Sage is getting closer to building an Alzheimer’s contender (USA) 
• Takeda’s gene therapy hunger not yet quelled as Evozyne pact extended for $400M in biobucks (USA) 
• Merck looks to cardiovascular pipeline for $10B-plus peak sales—and diversification from Keytruda (USA) 
• Novartis Restructures (USA) 
• Roche Rebounds from Lung Cancer Loss with Wins in MS, COVID-19 (USA)
• Gilead Jumps Out Ahead of BMS in Second-Line B-Cell Lymphoma (USA) 
• Protalix and Chiesi Set to Seek Approval in Fabry Disease (Israel) 
• Merck Expands Manufacturing Capacity for HPV Vaccines, Adds 150 Jobs (USA) 
• Amedisys Completes Acquisition of Evolution Health (USA)
• Arzeda raised $33M in a Series B funding  (USA)