Respiratory

Having got hold of two COPD drugs from Spain's Almirall in 2014, AstraZeneca has passed Eklira and Duaklir onto old partner Covis Pharma as it focuses on more targeted respiratory therapies.

Boehringer Ingelheim, the UK Cystic Fibrosis Gene Therapy Consortium and Oxford BioMedica aim to get their CFTR gene therapy into the clinic soon, confident it could offer a long-lasting option for patients with cystic fibrosis.

Apnimed is going to conduct one more Phase II study in sleep apnea, mainly to assess subjective endpoint questionnaires, and then hopes to launch a Phase III program by autumn of 2022.

In this week's podcast edition of Five Must-Know Things: will a new oral antiviral be transformative for COVID?; OX40 drugs gain prominence in atopic dermatitis; J&J adds pace to RSV vaccine race; Sarepta leapfrogs Pfizer in DMD gene therapy; and how real-world evidence and randomized trials might go together.

A possible alternative to Pfizer and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines, Providence Therapeutics’ mRNA candidate is seen moving into Phase III trials during the calendar first quarter of next year. While partners Everest Medicines and Biological E have kept the ball rolling, the Canadian biotech will seek further funding, CEO Brad Sorenson tells Scrip in this audio interview.

In this week's podcast edition of Five Must-Know Things: the prospects for Merck’s Acceleron acquisition; the pandemic and biotech capital in-flow; an interview with Menarini’s CEO; upcoming endocrine and metabolic product disorders; and an interview with Novartis Pharma’s president.

As India gets set to resume COVID-19 vaccine diplomacy from October, a new rule which will require Indians visiting UK who are fully vaccinated with AstraZeneca partner Serum Institute’s vaccine to undergo quarantine has sparked a row. Meanwhile, Indian companies await a nod from the WHO for wider acceptance of their COVID-19 vaccines.

The company plans to file PT027, a new fixed-dose combination of albuterol and budesonide, in 2022 following two positive Phase III trials showing a benefit on lung function.

Recently-submitted tezepelumab reduced the annualized asthma exacerbation rate by 86% in a subgroup of patients with severe, uncontrolled asthma and nasal polyps, according to data presented at the European Respiratory Society congress.

Just over three years, Polyphor's initial public offering in Switzerland raised CHF165m. Now, with just enough cash to get through the third quarter, it has been saved by a deal with US biotech EnBiotix.

Vectura’s board of directors has chosen tobacco giant Philip Morris’s superior cash offer, turning down US private equity Carlyle, following a months-long battle between the two bidders for the inhalation specialist that was set to go to a rare auction in the UK.

Private equity group Carlyle has pulled the plug on a potential auction to take control of the UK-based Vectura group by declaring final its revised bid for the respiratory specialist. Tobacco giant Philip Morris had offered a 10% premium to Carlyle’s bid.