EuroBiotech Report—Bavarian Nordic, Nabriva, Immunocore, Glythera-Iontas and Sanofi

Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly EuroBiotech Report. We start this week with the mixed late-phase fortunes of two European biotechs. The bad news hit Bavarian Nordic, which saw its share price drop 50% after a phase 3 trial of its Bristol-Myers Squibb-partnered prostate cancer vaccine was stopped early for futility. Nabriva Therapeutics had better news. The share price of the Austrian-born biotech doubled on the back of phase 3 data showing its antibiotic lefamulin held its own against the incumbent product. U.K. cancer biotech Immunocore furthered its move into infectious diseases by landing a $40 million investment from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Glythera teamed up with Iontas to access a source of antibodies. Sanofi reported an early success in HIV. And more. —Nick Taylor  

1. Bavarian Nordic tanks after Bristol-Myers-partnered vaccine flunks phase 3

Bavarian Nordic’s repeatedly delayed phase 3 cancer vaccine trial has come crashing to a halt. The data monitoring committee ended the six-year odyssey after ruling it would be futile to keep treating patients with the Bristol-Myers Squibb-partnered Prostvac.

2. Phase 3 antibiotic win sends Nabriva stock into overdrive

A phase 3 trial of Nabriva Therapeutics’ antibiotic lefamulin has met its primary endpoint. The drug held its own against established treatment moxifloxacin, raising hopes that Nabriva can establish it as a first-line monotherapy treatment of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP).

3. Gates invests in Immunocore to spur infectious disease R&D

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is investing up to $40 million in Immunocore to spur research into the use of T cell receptor (TCR)-based therapeutics to treat tuberculosis and HIV.

4. Glythera taps Iontas for antibodies to guide next-generation ADCs

Glythera has struck a deal to access a source of antibodies against specified targets. Iontas will use its phage display libraries and other antibody discovery capabilities to provide Glythera with a key component of its planned antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).

5. Sanofi and NIH chart early success with 3-part antibody against HIV

Researchers announced that their trispecific antibody protected monkeys against SHIV, a similar virus, and that it outperformed the individual antibodies from which their engineered compound originated.

And more articles of note >>