Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly EuroBiotech Report. We start this week in Denmark, where Novo Nordisk revealed an R&D reorganization that will cost 400 people their jobs. Elsewhere, European biotechs delivered a mixed set of pipeline updates.
The bad news came from Heptares and GeNeuro. Sosei's Heptares hit pause on its Allergan-partnered Alzheimer's program. GeNeuro lost its partnership with Servier.
In better news, Argenx brought its primary immune thrombocytopenia drug through phase 2, teeing up a late-phase push. Bone Therapeutics also revealed the data it needs to power forward, but its plans are on hold while it sorts out the manufacturing of its cell therapy. Plus more. —Nick Taylor
1. Novo to lay off 400 staff in major R&D reorganization
Novo Nordisk is laying off 400 employees in China and Denmark as part of a reorganization of its R&D department. The reshuffle comes as the company seeks to build a pipeline of chronic disease drugs capable of mitigating the pressures faced by its core diabetes business.
2. Allergan, Sosei halt Alzheimer’s trials amid safety scare
Allergan and Sosei have voluntarily paused development of HTL0018318 after tests in nonhuman primates uncovered unexpected toxicology findings. Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials of the muscarinic M1 receptor agonist are on hold while the partners investigate the toxicology results.
3. Servier drops GeNeuro’s multiple sclerosis drug after midphase miss
Servier has turned down the chance to license a multiple sclerosis drug from GeNeuro. The decision comes a year after the monoclonal antibody, GNbAC1, failed to beat placebo in a phase 2b trial.
4. Racing UCB and Roivant, Argenx clears phase 2 in primary immune thrombocytopenia
Argenx has posted phase 2 data on efgartigimod in primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). The results hint at the efficacy of the antibody Fc fragment in patients with the autoimmune bleeding disorder, leading Argenx to commit to running a phase 3 in the indication.
5. Bone Therapeutics’ cell therapy hits goal in phase 1/2a
A phase 1/2a trial of Bone Therapeutics’ cell therapy treatment for delayed-union fractures has met its primary endpoint. Bone wants to move the therapy, ALLOB, into phase 2b on the strength of the data, but that plan is on hold as it adopts an industrialized manufacturing process.