Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly EuroBiotech Report. We start this week with Roche, which put up $200 million for the global rights to Dicerna Pharmaceuticals' RNAi treatment for hepatitis B. The deal features $1.5 billion in milestones. Our other four stories are a mixed bag of clinical readouts. GlaxoSmithKline and Sanifit recorded the two successes, posting upbeat phase 2b readouts on a tuberculosis vaccine and renal disease drug, respectively. Galapagos was involved in the two failures. Filgotinib, Galapagos' Gilead Sciences-partnered autoimmune drug, fell short in two indications, and another asset it was working on with MorphoSys and Novartis missed the mark in atopic dermatitis. And more. — Nick Taylor
1. Roche pays $200M for rights to Dicerna's hepatitis B RNAi drug
Roche is paying Dicerna Pharmaceuticals $200 million (€179 million) upfront for a global license to phase 1 hepatitis B prospect DCR-HBVS. The deal, which will see Roche and Dicerna collaborate on other hepatitis B virus assets, is worth up to $1.5 billion in milestones.
2. GSK tuberculosis vaccine maintains efficacy out to 3 years
GlaxoSmithKline has shared updated data from a phase 2b trial of its tuberculosis vaccine candidate M72/AS01E. Three years after vaccination, protection against active pulmonary tuberculosis disease remained up around 50%, suggesting the candidate provides lasting immunity against the bacterium.
3. Sanifit's calcification drug hits goal in renal disease phase 2b
A phase 2b trial of Sanifit’s SNF472 in hemodialysis patients has hit its primary endpoint, teeing the Spanish biotech up to take the calcification inhibitor forward.
4. Gilead's filgotinib fails midphase tests in lupus, Sjogren's
A clutch of Gilead Sciences drugs including filgotinib have failed to move the needle in mid-phase clinical trials of cutaneous lupus and Sjogren's syndrome patients. Neither trial hit the primary endpoint, although Gilead did see “evidence of activity” in patients taking filgotinib.
5. Trials of Novartis' Dupixent rival bet scrapped by MorphoSys, Galapagos
MorphoSys and Galapagos are cutting off development of their Novartis-backed drug MOR106 in atopic dermatitis.
And more articles of note>>