April 13, 2015 - Healthcare Finance

KPMG LLP, the large audit, tax and advisory firm, is strengthening its position in the healthcare IT market by acquiring Beacon Partners. This marks KPMG's ninth acquisition in 17 months. KPMG recently acquired technology consulting firm Zanett Commercial Solutions and digital/mobile firm Cynergy Systems. With the addition of Beacon, KPMG gains credentialed consultants in business applications and electronic health records systems, according to the company. The influx of personnel adds skills in operations, revenue cycle, performance improvement, clinical process improvement, business planning, ACO development, and analytics capabilities, it stated. Beacon, of Weymouth, Mass., uses information technology to improve providers' overall operational, clinical and financial performance.

April 13, 2015 - Outsourcing Pharma

With an eye for a stronger presence in Europe, CRO Clinipace has merged with Accovion, Frankfurt, Germany-based full-service CRO.

April 13, 2015 - Bio Space

The chief executive of Cambridge-based Voyager Therapeutics told BioSpace this week that a new deal announced on April 13 that it had concluded a $60 million Series B financing round with the help of "crossover" investors will help move the company closer to its goals in a still-booming biotech climate. "A world leader in AAV gene therapy, Voyager's mission is to bring forward life-changing therapies for patients with CNS disorders like Parkinson's disease and ALS," Steven Paul, president and chief executive officer of Voyager, told BioSpace. "With this Series B financing, we have additional funds to expand operations and further invest in our AAV product engine and product pipeline to advance development of these important therapies." "Crossover" investors are defined as firms that invest in both public and private companies. Analysts believe that this may be a sign that Voyager could be moving toward an IPO.

April 14, 2015 - Bio Space

The American biotech sector will see a continued boom in its merger and acquisition cycle after an unprecedented first quarter saw over $100 billion in deals, with companies like Gilead Sciences, Inc., Celgene Corporation, and Biogen, Inc. all poised to participate, said UBS analyst Matthew Roden in a note to investors Tuesday. "Resurgent pipeline success should trigger P/E multiple expansion ahead of rising estimates and de-risking of these pipeline assets could trigger M&A," wrote Roden, who also named BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc., Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Vertex Pharmaceuticals as potential targets. "We don't expect deals for the sake of deals - rather, strategic moves on de-risked, valuable assets," he said.

April 14, 2015 - Pharmaceutical Business Review

Recro Pharma has completed the acquisition of assets from Alkermes and its affiliates including worldwide rights to IV/IM meloxicam, and a contract manufacturing facility, royalty and formulation business. IV/IM meloxicam is a proprietary, Phase III-ready, long-acting COX-2 NSAID designed for the management of moderate to severe acute pain. As part of the deal, Recro paid Alkermes $50m up-front and secured the rights to IV/IM meloxicam and ownership of a cGMP manufacturing facility and related business located in Gainesville.

April 14, 2015 - Device Space

A Japanese healthcare conglomerate is the lead investor ReCor Medical's $15 million Series D round ReCor plans to use to back a U.S. clinical trial of its ultrasound renal denervation device. Otsuka Holdings was joined by Sofinnova Partners in the round. ReCor said it's met with the FDA to discuss its plans for the study of its Paradise RDN system, which would be undertaken at 20 to 25 clinical sites in the U.S. and Europe.

April 14, 2015 - Pharmaceutical Business Review

AstraZeneca and PatientsLikeMe have signed a five-year agreement for the discovery and development of new treatments focused on improving health outcomes for patients across main therapy areas. Under the five-year deal, AstraZeneca will have access to PatientsLikeMe's global network in support of its patient-driven research initiatives. AstraZeneca Global Medicines Development EVP Briggs Morrison said: "Understanding what patients are experiencing every day and how they define the value of their treatments are fundamental to our ability to push the boundaries of science in developing the next-generation of medicines.

April 14, 2015 - Drug Store News

Taiwan-based drug development company Sunny Pharmtech and Vitruvias Therapeutics, a generic drug development company, on Tuesday announced that they will team up to co-develop a portfolio of generic drug products. According to the companies, the partnership will allow them to "develop and commercialize generic products in markets that currently exceed $400 million." Each company will have a 50% stake in the portfolio of products and the first abbreviated new drug application is expected to be filed in fourth-quarter 2015.

Ichor Medical Systems, Inc. announced today that it has entered into a product development collaboration and worldwide license agreement with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Under the agreement, which was facilitated by Johnson & Johnson Innovation, the parties will work together to develop and commercialize DNA-based vaccine products for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B using Ichor's TriGrid? electroporation technology for clinical administration. Ichor will receive an upfront payment, R&D support, and development and sales milestone payments up to a potential total of approximately $85 million USD, as well as royalty payments on any future licensed product sales. Janssen will assume responsibility for certain development costs and all commercialization costs associated with the program, including manufacturing and distribution expense for Ichor's TriGrid Delivery System.

April 15, 2015 - Pharmaceutical Business Review

Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals has entered into an agreement to acquire Advanced Pharmaceuticals and Nutritionals (APN), a Mexican OTC and dietary supplement company. The deal will improve Hi-Tech's Dietary Supplements and OTC product offering as well as expand its distribution through APN's established platform. The transaction accelerates international growth strategy as well as expands market access across a larger global platform with critical mass in all key Latin American countries. According to Hi-Tech, the deal will help the company to capture additional share of the $11-$15bn Latin American OTC market.

April 15, 2015 - Bio Space

Berkeley, Calif.-based Aduro Biotech announced today the initial public offering (IPO) of 7,000,000 shares of stock. The initial price is $17 per share. As part of the celebration, Stephen Isaacs, chair, president and chief executive officer of the company rang the Opening Bell at the NASDAQ The company has two technology platforms, LADD and CDN. Both work to enhance immune responses to cancer cells, and are the basis for several different drugs and therapeutics. Several LADD-based programs are currently in Phase II trials for pancreatic cancer, with several others in preclinical and Phase I trials for mesothelioma, ovarian cancer, glioblastoma, prostate cancer, lung cancer and palpable tumors.

April 16, 2015 - Device Space

CollabRx, Inc. and Medytox Solutions, Inc. today announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement. Closing of the merger is subject to, among other things, gaining stockholder approvals from both companies, receipt of regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. Under the terms of the agreement, which has been unanimously approved and adopted by the Boards of Directors of both CollabRx and Medytox, CollabRx equityholders will own a 10% stake in the combined company and Medytox equityholders will own 90% of the combined company, based on the number of equity securities outstanding immediately following the merger, and excluding convertible preferred shares and notes issued by Medytox, as well as option grants expected to be made in connection with the closing.

April 16, 2015 - Pharma Times

Sanofi has signed a collaboration agreement with Innate Pharma giving it access to the latter's technology to to create new Antibody Drug Conjugates. ADCs combine monoclonal antibodies with a payload of deadly chemotherapy for release inside the targeted cell, the idea being to boost effectiveness of treatment while preventing healthy tissues from harm. The groups plan to combine Sanofi's anti-tumor antibodies with Innate's technology for conjugating cytotoxic compounds, opening the gate to next-generation ADCs "with a potentially improved therapeutic index for patients with cancer", said Innate chief Herv? Brailly.

April 16, 2015 - Pharmaceutical Business Review

US-based pharmaceutical firm Eyenovia has signed an exclusive license and development agreement with Japanese firm Senju Pharmaceutical, to develop ophthalmic therapeutics based on microdrops technology. As part of the deal, Senju acquires the exclusive rights to develop and commercialize microdosed therapeutics in Japan and the rest of Asia. Apart from the licensing deal, Senju is also joining the Series A investment syndicate alongside Private Medical Equity, Eshelman Ventures and Mario Family Partners, while the Japanese firm will also assume responsibility for all research and development (R&D) activities in Asia.

Teva Pharmaceutical Considering Bid for Mylan

April 17, 2015 - The Wall Street Journal

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. is considering a takeover bid for drug maker Mylan NV, according to people familiar with the matter, a sign of the jockeying for dominance among generic drug makers. The Israeli generic drug maker hasn't yet decided whether to make an offer, the people said. Last week Mylan made an unsolicited $28.9 billion proposal to buy Ireland-based Perrigo Co., and a Teva bid would represent an effort to disrupt that.

Sartorius adds biologics testing through acquisition of CRO BioOutsource

April 17, 2015 - Outsourcing Pharma

Sartorius has expanded its biopharma services to include contract testing by buying CRO BioOutsource.