The addition of Gilead Sciences veterans to the Assembly Biosciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ASMB]]) C-suite continues with the hiring of William Delaney as chief scientific officer of virology. Delaney worked at Gilead (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GILD]]) for more than 20 years, most recently as executive director of biology. At South San Francisco-based Assembly, he will succeed Richard Colonno, who … Continue reading “Gilead’s Delaney Jumps to Assembly Bio as Chief Scientific Officer”
Former Aimmune Exec Stephen Dilly Named Sierra Oncology’s New CEO
Sierra Oncology (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SRRA]]) has appointed Stephen Dilly to serve as its president and CEO starting June 1. He is also joining the Vancouver, BC-based company’s board of directors. Dilly retired as CEO of Aimmune Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AIMT]]) in 2018. His experience also includes positions at Genentech, Chiron BioPharma, and SmithKline Beecham. Sierra acquired its … Continue reading “Former Aimmune Exec Stephen Dilly Named Sierra Oncology’s New CEO”
AbCellera Raises $105M to Advance Antibody Discovery Operations
Most of the best-selling drugs worldwide today are antibodies, and in the three decades-plus since the first such drug was approved, makers of such treatments have begun endeavoring to design drugs to tackle ever more difficult classes of therapeutic targets. Vancouver, BC-based AbCellera, which launched in 2012 based on work by CEO Carl Hansen (pictured), … Continue reading “AbCellera Raises $105M to Advance Antibody Discovery Operations”
New Webinars: In Vitro Hepatotoxicity Assessment Solutions & Enzyme Fragment Complementation Tech
Xconomy Insight is excited to offer two special webinars to our community this June. Sponsored by Eurofins, registration is free to all. Applying Cell-based In Vitro Assays to Improve In Vitro Hepatotoxicity Assessment Challenges Date: Wednesday, June 10, 2020 Time: 9:00am PDT / 12:00pm EDT Duration: 1 hour Register today In this webinar, we will … Continue reading “New Webinars: In Vitro Hepatotoxicity Assessment Solutions & Enzyme Fragment Complementation Tech”
Gilead Gains Foothold in Solid Tumors With $375M, 10-Year Arcus Bio Pact
With the year’s biggest oncology conference days away, Gilead Sciences is signaling now what its cancer immunotherapy pipeline could look like in the years to come. The drug maker is entering a partnership with Arcus Biosciences that spans the biotech’s four clinical-stage compounds, plus additional programs that may come out of the 10-year alliance. The … Continue reading “Gilead Gains Foothold in Solid Tumors With $375M, 10-Year Arcus Bio Pact”
Merck Outlines COVID-19 Ambitions With Buyout Deal, Collaborations
Merck exited the holiday weekend with some fireworks of its own, announcing three major programs on Tuesday all related to investments in finding ways to treat and prevent COVID-19. The Kenilworth, NJ-based pharma giant said it had inked an agreement to acquire Austrian vaccine developer Themis, which has a COVID-19 candidate in preclinical development; develop … Continue reading “Merck Outlines COVID-19 Ambitions With Buyout Deal, Collaborations”
Insitro Adds $143M to Fuel Machine Learning-Driven Drug Development
A stem cell biologist, a gene editing expert, and a data engineer walk into a room…and that’s just a few of the people Daphne Koller has recruited in the past two years to Insitro. The South San Francisco-based startup has grand plans to reevaluate and, potentially, reinvent the drug discovery and development process using the … Continue reading “Insitro Adds $143M to Fuel Machine Learning-Driven Drug Development”
Viacyte Adds $27M to Move Ahead Trio of Stem Cell Diabetes Treatments
Privately held biotech ViaCyte has banked $27 million, the majority an installment of cash from a tranched $80 million Series D financing round it closed in late 2018. The company says the money will go to further develop the three diabetes treatment programs it has underway, including enough prep work to enable it to bring … Continue reading “Viacyte Adds $27M to Move Ahead Trio of Stem Cell Diabetes Treatments”
COVID-19 Sparks New Opportunities for Digital Health Companies
Clinicians and regulators are rethinking how healthcare is provided amid precautions prompted by COVID-19. In-person physician visits don’t fit within the physical distancing guidelines that are now the new normal. New technology presents alternatives. As a digital therapeutics startup, Akili Interactive finds itself thrust in the midst of these changes. The Boston company has developed … Continue reading “COVID-19 Sparks New Opportunities for Digital Health Companies”
Generation Bio Leads a Trio of Biotech Companies Aiming for the Nasdaq
COVID-19 has ravaged the economy, and it was expected to quash the IPO market, too. But the biotech sector is defying the pandemic with crossover financings and freshly minted public companies. On Friday, three firms added their names to the list of life science companies preparing to join the public markets. Gene therapy company Generation … Continue reading “Generation Bio Leads a Trio of Biotech Companies Aiming for the Nasdaq”
FDA Approves Evofem’s “On-Demand” Non-Hormonal Birth Control Gel
While treatments for many health conditions have undergone reinvention in the past two decades, birth control options haven’t changed much. On Friday, San Diego-based Evofem Biosciences said it received FDA approval for a new kind of contraceptive: a non-hormonal vaginal gel intended for use directly before intercourse. The drug, a combination of lactic acid, citric … Continue reading “FDA Approves Evofem’s “On-Demand” Non-Hormonal Birth Control Gel”
Bio Roundup: mRNA Vaccine Data, Rise of Rallybio, Roche’s Protein Play & More
As the nation started to reopen this week following two months of closed businesses and stay-at-home orders, public health officials and economists cautioned that society won’t truly return to anything resembling a pre-pandemic normal without a COVID-19 vaccine. Moderna (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MRNA]]) moved one step closer to filling that need with the release of preliminary Phase … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: mRNA Vaccine Data, Rise of Rallybio, Roche’s Protein Play & More”
AMAG Pharma Sells Off Women’s Health Product in Planned Divestment
AMAG Pharmaceuticals wants out of the women’s health business—and now it’s halfway there. On Thursday the Waltham, MA-based biotech said it had found a buyer for prasterone (Intrarosa), a steroid designed to treat pain during intercourse associated with menopause, one of two commercialized drugs it has been shopping around. The buyer of the AMAG Pharma … Continue reading “AMAG Pharma Sells Off Women’s Health Product in Planned Divestment”
Sunovion Drug Gets FDA Nod for Treating Parkinson’s “Off” Episodes
The FDA on Thursday approved a Sunovion Pharmaceuticals treatment for Parkinson’s disease, giving patients a new way to take an old drug. The Sunovion product, Kynmobi, is a formulation of apomorphine hydrochloride, a drug that treats “off” episodes experienced by Parkinson’s patients. These are times when the standard of care drug, levodopa, wears off and … Continue reading “Sunovion Drug Gets FDA Nod for Treating Parkinson’s “Off” Episodes”
HotSpot Therapeutics Adds $65M to Steer Allosteric Medicines to the Clinic
HotSpot Therapeutics set out two years ago to find new ways to address elusive disease targets. It now has molecules on the path to becoming potential medicines backed by a fresh $65 million. The Series B round of funding announced Thursday was led by SR One, the venture investment arm of GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: [[ticker:GSK]]). The … Continue reading “HotSpot Therapeutics Adds $65M to Steer Allosteric Medicines to the Clinic”
Vividion Gets $135M in Collaboration With Roche on Protein Degradation
Biotechs are increasingly looking to leverage a mechanism cells use to get rid of unwanted proteins to drug targets previously considered out of reach. Roche ponied up $135 million upfront this week to work with Vividion Therapeutics in search of small molecules that use that “protein degradation” process to do just that. The drug discovery … Continue reading “Vividion Gets $135M in Collaboration With Roche on Protein Degradation”
Applied Molecular Plots IPO to Back Transport of Biologic Drugs to Gut
The human gut hosts a hub of activity spanning the immune system, the nervous system, and more. But drugging this nexus comes with challenges. Applied Molecular Transport is developing biologic drugs that use a cell’s own mechanisms to get a therapy to a target and the biotech is now planning to tap the public markets … Continue reading “Applied Molecular Plots IPO to Back Transport of Biologic Drugs to Gut”
Explore San Diego’s Precision Medicine and Genomics Sector in Xconomy’s New Podcast and Special Report
Learn what’s fueling San Diego’s biotech investment and partnership opportunities by downloading Xconomy’s new special report and podcast that package the highlights from the recent Xcelerating Life Sciences San Diego: Biomedical Breakthroughs in Precision Medicine & Genomics event. The special report includes: San Diego Biotech Entrepreneurs, Innovation Leads to “Maturing” Ecosystem What It Takes for … Continue reading “Explore San Diego’s Precision Medicine and Genomics Sector in Xconomy’s New Podcast and Special Report”
With $30M, Octant Launches Synthetic Bio Search for Multi-Target Drugs
Octant, a new drug discovery company, launched Wednesday with millions in backing from tech investors to push ahead plans to leverage advances in science and in tech—including genomics, synthetic biology, and big data computation—to map out the relationships between chemicals, drug receptors, and diseases. On Wednesday the Emeryville, CA-based startup announced it raised $30 million … Continue reading “With $30M, Octant Launches Synthetic Bio Search for Multi-Target Drugs”
Oligomerix Appoints Ex-Pfizer Exec Erhardt as Chief Medical Officer
Oligomerix this week added William Erhardt to its executive team as chief medical officer. Erhardt was most recently senior vice president, head of clinical development & operations at Pfizer (NYSE: [[ticker:PFE]]). New York-based Oligomerix, which is headquartered at the Ullmann Research Center for Health Sciences within the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, is developing small … Continue reading “Oligomerix Appoints Ex-Pfizer Exec Erhardt as Chief Medical Officer”
Mirati Names Synthorx’s Joseph Leveque as New Chief Medical Officer
Mirati Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MRTX]]) this week appointed Joseph Leveque as its new chief medical officer. Leveque most recently served as CMO at San Diego’s Synthorx, which was recently acquired by Sanofi. Prior he served in the same role at ARMO Biosciences, which was acquired by Eli Lilly (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]) in 2018. Previous experience includes positions … Continue reading “Mirati Names Synthorx’s Joseph Leveque as New Chief Medical Officer”
Merck Spinoff Organon Taps Ex-Allergan Execs Walsh, Stahler for C-Suite
Organon, a company spinning off from Merck (NYSE: [[ticker:MRK]]), is filling out its C-suite with the appointment of two new executives. Matthew Walsh is joining as chief financial officer; Rachel Stahler as chief information officer. Both come from Allergan, which was recently acquired by AbbVie (NYSE: [[ticker:ABBV]]). Walsh was Allergan’s executive vice president and CFO … Continue reading “Merck Spinoff Organon Taps Ex-Allergan Execs Walsh, Stahler for C-Suite”
Teva’s Tushar Shah Joins Liquidia as Chief Medical Officer
Liquidia Technologies (NASDAQ: [[ticker:LQDA]]) has appointed Tushar Shah to serve in the newly created role of chief medical officer. Shah is joining Research Triangle Park, NC-based Liquidia from Teva Pharmaceutical (NYSE: [[ticker:TEVA]]), where he was head of global specialty clinical development. Liquidia develops drugs using proprietary nanoparticle technology intended to improve the delivery of medicines. … Continue reading “Teva’s Tushar Shah Joins Liquidia as Chief Medical Officer”
Amplyx Adds Cash from Pfizer, Adage as Funding Round Tops $90M
Amplyx Pharmaceuticals has completed enrollment in one mid-stage trial of its lead drug candidate, a new kind of antifungal treatment, and has finished treating the first patients in two more such studies. Now the San Diego-based company has added $53 million to a round of funding it first closed in 2017, money that it plans … Continue reading “Amplyx Adds Cash from Pfizer, Adage as Funding Round Tops $90M”
Rallybio Lands $145M to Alter Course of FNAIT and More Rare Diseases
One of the risks to a newborn’s life comes from the mother’s immune system. It attacks the platelets of the fetus, depleting these blood-clotting cells and risking uncontrollable bleeding in the baby. Rallybio aims to develop the first FDA-approved treatment for this rare condition and the startup has raised $145 million to bring that drug, … Continue reading “Rallybio Lands $145M to Alter Course of FNAIT and More Rare Diseases”
Ardelyx Adds Tolmar’s Rodriguez as Its First Chief Commercial Officer
Ardelyx (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ARDX]]) has added Susan Rodriguez to its C-suite as the company’s first chief commercial officer. Rodriguez was most recently president of the branded division of Tolmar, a merged entity created from Tolmar Pharmaceuticals and its sister companies. She was the founding CEO of Tolmar Pharma. Before Tolmar Rodriguez held various roles at Abbott … Continue reading “Ardelyx Adds Tolmar’s Rodriguez as Its First Chief Commercial Officer”
Early COVID-19 Vaccine Data Sets Up Moderna for Next Stages of Testing
Moderna’s experimental COVID-19 vaccine is showing signs it can elicit antibodies at levels comparable to those found in the blood of dozens of patients who have recovered from the infectious disease, according to early results released Monday. The company is now preparing to quickly bring its vaccine candidate into the next stages of human testing. … Continue reading “Early COVID-19 Vaccine Data Sets Up Moderna for Next Stages of Testing”
Akcea Therapeutics Taps Michael Price as Its Chief Financial Officer
Akcea Therapeutics on Monday said it appointed Michael Price as its new chief financial officer. He takes over the role from former CFO Mike MacLean, who joined the Boston-based rare disease drug developer shortly after its initial public offering in 2017. Price was most recently CFO at another rare disease drug developer, Novelion Therapeutics, which … Continue reading “Akcea Therapeutics Taps Michael Price as Its Chief Financial Officer”
Antibiotic Development: HHS Not Yet Sold on “Pull” Incentives
The US Health and Human Services agency isn’t ready to go all in on “pull” incentives to encourage the development of new antibiotics, the agency indicated in response to a new Government Accountability Office report. “It is still unclear whether post-market financial incentives should necessarily be part of HHS’s forthcoming strategic framework to further incentivize … Continue reading “Antibiotic Development: HHS Not Yet Sold on “Pull” Incentives”
Deciphera Pharmaceuticals Wins Early FDA Nod for GI Cancer Treatment
Some patients with a deadly type of tumor that forms in the gastrointestinal tract don’t respond to existing targeted therapies. On Friday the FDA approved Deciphera Pharmaceuticals drug ripretinib (Qinlock), a new treatment intended for patients with a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) who have failed at least three previous treatments. Deciphera (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DCPH]]) said the … Continue reading “Deciphera Pharmaceuticals Wins Early FDA Nod for GI Cancer Treatment”
ADC’s $233M IPO Brings It to NYSE With Cancer Drug Launch on Horizon
ADC Therapeutics is making its public markets debut, raising about $233 million six months after the cancer drug developer withdrew its initial IPO plans. Not only did Épalinges, Switzerland-based ADC go through with the stock offering this time around, it was also able to boost the deal’s size—not once, but three times. On Monday, the … Continue reading “ADC’s $233M IPO Brings It to NYSE With Cancer Drug Launch on Horizon”
Bio Roundup: FDA Dings BMS, Genfit’s Fall, Alexion’s Activist & More
This was a disappointing week for at least two major drug makers. French firm Genfit reported a trial failure in an intensely competitive indication, and New York-based Bristol Myers Squibb encountered a delay when the FDA declined to review its experimental multiple myeloma treatment. Genfit (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GNFT]]) was developing a treatment for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, or … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: FDA Dings BMS, Genfit’s Fall, Alexion’s Activist & More”
From Overseas, Legend Biotech and Calliditas Therapeutics Eye the Nasdaq
Legend Biotech, a cancer cell therapy developer with roots in China, is preparing for a US stock exchange listing as its lead candidate keeps pace in the race for a multiple myeloma drug that addresses a new molecular target. The drug, known as JNJ-4528, is being developed in partnership with Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: [[ticker:JNJ]]) … Continue reading “From Overseas, Legend Biotech and Calliditas Therapeutics Eye the Nasdaq”
Biotech “Mapmaker” Immunai Launches With $20M to Chart the Immune System
It may seem like an unlikely link but the body’s response to arthritis may hold answers for better cancer drugs, says Luis Voloch, chief technology officer of startup Immunai. Immune cells respond to both conditions, but in different ways. Insights into the response for one disease could inform the treatment of the other, he says. … Continue reading “Biotech “Mapmaker” Immunai Launches With $20M to Chart the Immune System”
Boehringer Ingelheim Acquires Northern Biologics’ Preclinical Pipeline
Two preclinical programs developed by Canadian biotech Northern Biologics have been acquired by privately held German company Boehringer Ingelheim, which is looking to bolster its cancer immunology portfolio. The assets acquired from Northern Biologics in the deal, announced Thursday, are designed to target two aspects of what’s known as the tumor microenvironment: stroma, or connective … Continue reading “Boehringer Ingelheim Acquires Northern Biologics’ Preclinical Pipeline”
Artax Biopharma Names Joseph Lobacki as New Chief Executive Officer
Artax Biopharma has appointed Joseph Lobacki as its new chief executive officer. Lobacki’s prior experience includes roles at Sanofi Genzyme, Medivation, Verastem (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VSTM]]), and Micromet, which was later acquired by Amgen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMGN]]). He succeeds company co-founder Damia Tormo, who has served as Artax’s CEO since its 2013 founding. The company says Tormo will … Continue reading “Artax Biopharma Names Joseph Lobacki as New Chief Executive Officer”
Gossamer Announces Resignation of Chief Medical Officer Jakob Dupont
Gossamer Bio’s chief medical officer, Jakob Dupont, is leaving the company this week. Dupont is resigning to “pursue oncology opportunities” closer to his family in the San Francisco Bay Area, the company reported Tuesday. Dupont’s resignation takes effect Thursday, according to a regulatory filing. Gossamer (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GOSS]]) said he will advise the San Diego-based company … Continue reading “Gossamer Announces Resignation of Chief Medical Officer Jakob Dupont”
BCMA Delay: FDA Refuses Review of Bristol Drug, Asks for More Info
Bristol Myers Squibb’s bid to win FDA approval for its multiple myeloma cell therapy has hit a detour. The FDA declined to review the experimental treatment and has instead asked the company to provide more information. Bristol (NYSE: [[ticker:BMY]]) announced Wednesday that it received a “refusal to file” letter for the experimental therapy, idecabtagene vicleucel … Continue reading “BCMA Delay: FDA Refuses Review of Bristol Drug, Asks for More Info”
QurAlis Hauls In $42M to Move New ALS Therapies Into Human Testing
Few drugs exist that treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a progressive disease that kills the nerve cells that allow patients to initiate and control muscle movement. QurAlis, a Cambridge, MA-based startup, has an ambitious plan to develop a number of “precision” therapies for the disease based on forms of the condition identified by genetic mutation or … Continue reading “QurAlis Hauls In $42M to Move New ALS Therapies Into Human Testing”
Oncology Biotech CEO Activates “Latent Viral Side” Against COVID-19
In every National Football League game, athletes must accomplish two difficult things that rest at opposite ends of the spectrum: rigor and speed. If their movements are off by even half a second, they risk being tackled by their opponent. Game over. In this COVID-19 day and age, believe it or not, the NFL serves … Continue reading “Oncology Biotech CEO Activates “Latent Viral Side” Against COVID-19″
Pliant Pushes Forward With IPO Plans to Back Fibrosis Drug Studies
Pliant Therapeutics has a pipeline of experimental fibrosis treatments and a research alliance with Novartis. Now the biotech is preparing an IPO to raise cash to advance its clinical-stage programs. In paperwork filed with securities regulators, Pliant set an $86 million IPO target. That amount is a placeholder figure as the South San Francisco-based biotech … Continue reading “Pliant Pushes Forward With IPO Plans to Back Fibrosis Drug Studies”
Celsius Therapeutics Names Jeanne Magram Chief Scientific Officer
Celsisus Therapeutics has appointed Jeanne Magram to serve as the Cambridge, MA-based drug developer’s chief scientific officer. She was most recently the CSO of Quentis Therapeutics. Magram’s experience also includes positions at Northern Biologics, Pfizer (NYSE: [[ticker:PFE]]), Boehringer Ingelheim, OSI Pharmaceuticals, and Roche. Celsius is using single-cell genomics to develop new treatments for cancer and autoimmune … Continue reading “Celsius Therapeutics Names Jeanne Magram Chief Scientific Officer”
Bolt Bio Picks Sunesis’s William Quinn as Chief Financial Officer
Bolt Biotherapeutics has appointed William Quinn to serve as its chief financial officer, the same position he held most recently at Sunesis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SNSS]]). Quinn’s experience also includes roles at Bullet Biotechnology and Jazz Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:JAZZ]]). Preclinical-stage Bolt Bio is developing a new class of cancer immunotherapies called immune-stimulating antibody conjugates. Last year, … Continue reading “Bolt Bio Picks Sunesis’s William Quinn as Chief Financial Officer”
Join us this Wednesday for Xcelerating Life Sciences: Biopharma’s Future in Digital Health
Learn how digital tech is accelerating medical breakthroughs by registering your team to attend Xcelerating Life Sciences Boston: Biopharma’s Future in Digital Health. While some content focuses on the Boston ecosystem, we’re confident the forum – and virtual networking – will be valuable to a national audience. The May 13, 2020 event will explore the … Continue reading “Join us this Wednesday for Xcelerating Life Sciences: Biopharma’s Future in Digital Health”
Genfit Contender in Heated NASH Drug Race Fails in Phase 3 Study
Genfit, once considered among the frontrunners in the biotech race to commercialize a treatment for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), has come up short. The French company said Monday that its investigational treatment, elafibranor, did not meet the main goal of a late-stage trial evaluating its ability to resolve the fatty liver disease without worsening related scarring. … Continue reading “Genfit Contender in Heated NASH Drug Race Fails in Phase 3 Study”
AMAG Pharma Cuts 140 Jobs Amid Restructuring, COVID-19 Disruptions
Disruption caused by the pandemic has intensified a round of planned layoffs at AMAG Pharmaceuticals, new CEO Scott Myers said Monday morning on his first earnings call with the company. The Waltham, MA-based firm said it would cut 140 positions, or about 30 percent of its workforce, as part of a restructuring plan announced in … Continue reading “AMAG Pharma Cuts 140 Jobs Amid Restructuring, COVID-19 Disruptions”
MyoKardia’s Heart Drug Shines in Phase 3, FDA Filing Planned for 2021
An experimental MyoKardia drug developed to treat an inherited cardiovascular condition that restricts blood flow is showing it can improve on the symptoms of this condition as well as the heart’s ability to function. MyoKardia (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MYOK]]) is testing its drug, mavacamten, in patients who have obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a hardening and thickening of … Continue reading “MyoKardia’s Heart Drug Shines in Phase 3, FDA Filing Planned for 2021”
Dyno Debuts With Plan, Partnerships for Better Gene Therapy Vectors
Gene therapies deliver healthy genetic material to patients’ cells to replace a mutated, disease-causing variant. Dyno Therapeutics aims to create better delivery vehicles for those genes by using machine-learning tools to engineer new types of harmless viruses that are more effective and simpler to manufacture. The Cambridge, MA-based biotech emerged from stealth Monday having signed … Continue reading “Dyno Debuts With Plan, Partnerships for Better Gene Therapy Vectors”
Eli Lilly Gets Edge in the “RET” Race With FDA Nod for Cancer Drug
[Updated, 5/11/2020, 10:03 a.m. See below.] Eli Lilly received accelerated FDA approval Friday for a drug that treats advanced cancers carrying a certain genetic signature. It’s the latest targeted cancer therapy to pass the regulatory bar and the first that addresses tumors characterized by aberrations in one particular gene. The gene in question, RET, produces … Continue reading “Eli Lilly Gets Edge in the “RET” Race With FDA Nod for Cancer Drug”
Bio Roundup: Acquisitive Alexion, CRISPR on COVID, C. diff Success & More
Alexion Pharmaceuticals CEO Ludwig Hantson has made no secret that he wants to diversify his company’s drug portfolio and he has shown willingness to open the corporate checkbook to accomplish that goal. Last October, Alexion (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALXN]]) struck a $930 million deal to acquire Achillion Pharmaceuticals, a biotech whose lead drug complements the Boston company’s … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Acquisitive Alexion, CRISPR on COVID, C. diff Success & More”