Alnylam and Regeneron have announced a collaboration to discover, develop and commercialize new RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics with a focus on disease targets expressed in the eye and central nervous system (CNS), in addition to a select number of targets expressed in the liver. The collaboration will leverage both companies’ scientific and technological expertise and […]

Thermo Fisher Scientific has announced it will acquire Brammer Bio for approximately $1.7 billion in cash. Brammer Bio is a leading viral vector contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) with nearly 600 employees at primary locations in Massachusetts and Florida. Brammer Bio is on track to deliver $250 million of revenue in 2019 and expects to […]

Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, a GI-focused healthcare company, has announced that it has completed the tax-free spin-off of its soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) business, Cyclerion Therapeutics. Ironwood is executing on its strategy to drive growth as a GI-focused company, building upon its commercial success with Linzess and advancing its late-stage, first-in-category development candidates including IW-3718 for the […]

Cyclerion Therapeutics has announced its launch as an independent, publicly traded clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company harnessing the power of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) pharmacology to discover, develop and commercialize breakthrough treatments for serious and orphan diseases. Cyclerion will trade on the Nasdaq Global Market, commencing today, under the ticker symbol “CYCN.” “We are excited to unleash […]

Pharmaceutical giant Novartis has announced the planned acquisition of Boston-based start-up IFM Tre, a subsidiary of IFM Therapeutics focused on developing anti-inflammatory medicines targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome. The acquisition will give Novartis full rights to IFM Tre’s portfolio of NLRP3 inhibitors. The NLRP3 (nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich repeat-containing receptor pyrin domain containing 3) pathway plays a […]

Cell therapies are emerging as an important class of next-generation medicines. As many novel treatments move through development to commercialization, manufacturers are challenged to construct optimal facilities for the production of cell therapies. Modeling and simulation at the earliest design stages have many benefits. The number of cell therapy treatments in development has exploded in […]

Biogen and partner Eisai have announced the decision to discontinue the global Phase 3 trials designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of aducanumab in patients with mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease and mild Alzheimer’s disease dementia. The decision to stop the trials is based on results of a futility analysis conducted by […]

Pfizer has acquired a 15% equity interest in French biotech Vivet Therapeutics and secured an exclusive option to acquire all outstanding shares. Vivet is a privately company dedicated to developing gene therapy treatments for inherited liver disorders with high unmet medical need. Pfizer and Vivet will collaborate on the development of VTX-801, Vivet’s proprietary treatment […]

Cambridge-based Flagship Pioneering has announced that it has secured $824 million to support the growth of human health and sustainability companies originated by its Flagship Labs unit. The new capital pool will operate alongside more than $700 million in capital raised in late 2017 and 2018 that currently finances Flagship’s in-house innovation and company origination […]

Sage Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company developing novel medicines to treat life-altering central nervous system disorders, has announced that the FDA has approved ZulressoTM (brexanolone) injection for the treatment of postpartum depression (PPD). Zulresso is the first and only medicine specifically approved to treat PPD, the most common medical complication of childbirth. Zulresso is expected to […]