After AstraZeneca, Osbourn Reflects on Roles at CAT & MedImmune

MedImmune, AstraZeneca’s biologics division, is no more. The pharmaceutical giant announced last year that the name would be retired as part of a research and development restructuring. Before MedImmune became an AstraZeneca (NYSE: [[ticker:AZN]]) business unit, it was a standalone biologics company. In 2007, AstraZeneca paid $15.2 billion to acquire the biotech, which it integrated … Continue reading “After AstraZeneca, Osbourn Reflects on Roles at CAT & MedImmune”

Biopharma Execs Remain Optimistic Despite Political Headwinds

Drug pricing debates and uncertainty associated with Brexit are the issues most likely to keep biopharmaceutical executives awake at night. Nevertheless, senior figures remain optimistic about the industry’s prospects in 2020. These are among the major findings of a survey of 500 industry leaders and investors conducted by investment bank Jefferies. “Nearly half of respondents … Continue reading “Biopharma Execs Remain Optimistic Despite Political Headwinds”

Healx Bags $56M to Advance Affordable, AI-Based Orphan Drugs

Atomico, a European venture capital firm, has helped persuade Cambridge, UK-based Healx to return to the capital market a year earlier than anticipated. The biotech has just raised $56 million in Series B funding to bankroll its mission to use AI and machine learning to create affordable rare disease treatments. It is not surprising that … Continue reading “Healx Bags $56M to Advance Affordable, AI-Based Orphan Drugs”

Lundbeck Paying Nearly $2B for Alder to Follow Migraine Rivals to Market

Denmark’s neuroscience-focused pharma firm Lundbeck has agreed to pay $1.95 billion to acquire Seattle-based Alder BioPharmaceuticals to boost its late-stage pipeline and biologics capabilities. Barely a year at the helm, Lundbeck CEO Deborah Dunsire (pictured) is making her second major acquisition as she continues to look for new growth drivers to offset generics erosion of … Continue reading “Lundbeck Paying Nearly $2B for Alder to Follow Migraine Rivals to Market”