Markets & regulation

CMC Biologics to manufacture Zymeworks antibody

CMC Biologics to manufacture Zymeworks antibody

By Zachary Brennan

Contract manufacturer CMC Biologics and Zymeworks have entered into a master services agreement whereby CMC will perform the process development, formulation development and cGMP clinical manufacturing of a recombinant human IgG1 bi-specific (heterodimeric)...

Ebola false alarm in France

Ebola false alarm in France

By Gareth Macdonald

Concerns passengers on a flight from Paris to Montpellier had the Ebola virus have proved to be false according to reports in the French media.

Industry slams FDA draft guidance on biosimilarity

Industry slams FDA draft guidance on biosimilarity

By Zachary Brennan

Industry groups BIO and PhRMA, as well as biotech company Genentech, are taking issue with US FDA draft guidance that is designed to help companies design and use clinical pharmacology studies to help prove that a developing biosimilar is similar to its...

Biopharma companies race to develop Ebola vaccine

Biopharma companies race to develop Ebola vaccine

By Zachary Brennan

As the death toll from the world’s most expansive Ebola outbreak nears 1,000, multiple companies are stepping up efforts to bring antibodies and other vaccines to human trials, though none seem likely to be ready until 2015 at the earliest.

The new modular guideline is intended to update in a consolidated document the existing guidance

EMA revises guidance on developing flu vaccines

By Zachary Brennan

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has released a second module of a new guideline on influenza vaccines for a six-month public consultation, which covers the non-clinical and clinical requirements for the development of new flu vaccines. 

Where are tomorrow’s biosimilar hotspots?

Where are tomorrow’s biosimilar hotspots?

By Fiona Barry

As the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration)’s biosimilars pathway is tested for the first known time following Sandoz’s filgrastim submission last week, an expert predicts imminent biosimilars submissions from Celltrion and Hospira.

Shire's Board succumbs to AbbVie's $53bn bid

Shire's Board succumbs to AbbVie's $53bn bid

By Dan Stanton

The acquisition of Shire for £31bn ($53bn) has moved a step closer but reliance on third party suppliers would only add two facilities to AbbVie's biomanufacturing network.

GPhA, retirees and pharmacies call for same INNs for biosimilars

GPhA, retirees and pharmacies call for same INNs for biosimilars

By Zachary Brennan

The fight over how biosimilars should be named in the US just got more tense as a group of pharmacists, pension systems and the Generic Pharmaceutical Association are calling for a system similar to what’s used in the EU, with the same INNs (international...

US venture capital investors continue to back biotech

US venture capital investors continue to back biotech

By Gareth Macdonald

Biopharma firms continued to attract US venture capital investment in Q1 according to new analysis by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), which says the number of firms that received backing is encouraging.

EMA revises what it classifies as advanced-therapy treatments

EMA revises what it classifies as advanced-therapy treatments

By Zachary Brennan

The European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Advanced Therapies (CAT) has revised a reflection paper on the classification of advanced-therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) to reflect cases in which medicines can be classified as ATMPs. 

Industry and EC to meet to discuss better biopharma access to cash

Industry and EC to meet to discuss better biopharma access to cash

By Gareth Macdonald

European biopharmas trying to avoid “death valley” went to California this week according to industry groups, investors and officials who met in Belgium this week to discuss ways of making it easier for companies to access funding on this side of the...

Global biosimilar regulations diverging, experts say

Dispatches from DIA

Global biosimilar regulations diverging, experts say

By Zachary Brennan

As biopharma companies look to take advantage of a biosimilar market set to exceed $3.7bn by 2016, experts say the different regulations governing the follow-on biologics may be an issue as the markets become more developed.