Shares in Bavarian Nordic (CPH:BAVA) jumped 10% on the strength of survival data from a small trial of its prostate cancer vaccine. The U.S. National Cancer Institute administered the vaccine alongside Bristol-Myers Squibb's ($BMY) Yervoy to 30 patients with prostate cancer, resulting in an average survival of 31.3 months. Older chemotherapy treatments are associated with an average survival of 18.5 months. The trial also included three patients who were still alive after 80 months. Reuters
Oxford, U.K.-based Orca Pharmaceuticals inked a $122.5 million (€107.8 million) agreement with AstraZeneca ($AZN). The deal sees Orca snag an upfront payment and potential milestones in exchange for access to its retinoic acid-related orphan nuclear receptor gamma inhibitors. AstraZeneca will work with Orca to identify lead compounds, which it will then incorporate into its internal pipeline. FierceBiotech
DBV Technologies (EPA:DBV) presented the full dataset from the Phase IIb trial of its peanut allergy vaccine, allaying fears last year's limited release hid negative findings. The data suggest the product has an acceptable safety profile and position the company to start a Phase III trial. Paris, France-based DBV expects to dose the first patient in the fourth quarter. And if everything goes to plan, the firm will commercialize the drug itself. EP Vantage | Release
Heptares Therapeutics accepted a $400 million (€352 million) bid from Sosei. Welwyn Garden City, U.K.-based Heptares has bagged $180 million of the fee upfront and will continue to operate as an independent subsidiary of Sosei. FierceBiotech
Takeda struck a gastroenterology research alliance with Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). The partners hope to identify novel targets and use QMUL's assays to assess the effectiveness of possible candidates. Takeda was attracted by QMUL's research into neuromuscular control of gastrointestinal functions, which could lead to better understanding of the motor mechanisms that underpin bowel disorders. Release
Cellectis (EPA:ALCLS) filed the paperwork for a $115 million (€101 million) U.S. IPO. The Parisian biotech plans to use the money to advance four of its CAR-T candidates through to the end of Phase I trials and take one or more into Phase II. An as yet undisclosed slice of the cash is earmarked for research into therapeutics outside of oncology. FierceBiotech I F-1
The biopharma industry lost its status as the U.K.'s biggest employer of R&D staffers. SJD Accountancy calculates the industry now employs 23,000 people in R&D, 15% fewer than the software sector. The switch at the top of the leaderboard follows a period of contrasting fortunes for the two sectors. Big Pharma cuts have chipped away at employment by the drug industry, while software companies grew their R&D headcount by 12.5% last year. PharmaTimes