South Korea’s HLB has begun a new growth phase by taking over US-based clinical stage biotech firm Immunomic Therapeutics. Through the acquisition, it is poised to add new pipeline assets including a Phase II vaccine therapy for glioblastoma and proprietary lysosomal targeting technology.

Despite failing to meet the primary endpoint in recent top-line Phase III results, Elevar Therapeutics (formerly LSK BioPharma) is hopeful that rivoceranib still has potential in late-stage gastric cancer based on generally positive full efficacy data from the global Phase III study presented at ESMO.

LSKB's rivoceranib has missed its endpoint in a Phase III trial in gastric cancer, but the company remains hopeful it will still be able to get FDA approval of the VEGFR-2 inhibitor in this setting, possibly helped by a small additional trial, although there will be a delay. Studies in other potential indications are also ongoing.

Alexion thinks Dicerna’s RNAi technology could address complement-mediated conditions further upstream from antibodies like Soliris. AbbVie takes over CF collaboration with Galapagos, paying $45m up front.