Selecta inks discovery deal with Sanofi worth up to $900M
Vaccine outfit Selecta Biosciences has signed an agreement with Sanofi to discover antigen-specific immunotherapies for food allergies, and the deal includes rights to an initial therapy with the option to develop two more.
Indian regulators want crackdown on unethical CROs
Thanks to lax regulations and legal loopholes, Indian regulators have little control over the conduct of CROs in the country, but the government is on the path to reforms that would help rein in "fly-by-night" trial operators, officials said.
Parexel partners with Taiwan hospital for drug development
Parexel International is adding another academic partner to its list of overseas collaborators, inking a deal with the National Taiwan University Hospital to provide drug development services in the country.
CROs lack oversight, report says; ACRO cries foul
The majority of Big Pharma companies use CROs to conduct clinical trials in the developing world, but very few could provide evidence that they'd ever disciplined contractors that ran afoul of ethics codes, possibly putting participants at risk, according to a study by the Access to Medicine Foundation.
AMRI shutters R&D site, moving jobs to Singapore
CRO AMRI is closing up its R&D shop in Bothell, WA, and shipping the site's biology capabilities to its drug discovery operation in Singapore.
Pfizer, AstraZeneca team up for R&D nonprofit
Big Pharma seems to be feeling the spirit of collaboration of late, and Pfizer and AstraZeneca have joined forces to launch the Néomed Institute, a nonprofit drug R&D outfit that will unite CROs, schools, biotechs and VCs to develop and commercialize new therapies.
Medpace snags MediTech for device expertise
CRO Medpace has bought MediTech Strategic Consultants, a European contract researcher that specializes in medical device R&D.
U.K. wants CRO input on clinical trial reforms
The EU is looking to liberalize its clinical trial regulations to spur drug development in the Continent, and the U.K.'s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) wants to hear from CROs and drugmakers on the proposed reforms.
QPS boosts Phase I capabilities in Netherlands
QPS is adding 24 beds to its Phase I facility in Groningen, Netherlands, citing an increase in demand for its quick-turnaround, complex research.
Innovent targets WuXi with biologics plan
China's Innovent Biologics is looking to build the largest GMP biologics plant in China, a belt currently held by WuXi PharmaTech, and the company has $25 million in new investments to get it done.
ShangPharma stumbles over increased costs in Q3
Chinese CRO ShangPharma posted a 39.5% drop in net income in the third quarter, as increasing costs tamped down a 10.6% rise in net revenue.
PPD gets high-tech for adaptive trials
As clinical trials get more and more complex, Pharmaceutical Product Development has reached out to technology consultancies Tessella and Berry Consultants to use FACTS, adaptive trial software that lets study designers simulate trials in their early planning stages.
UPDATED: Catalent slashing jobs in U.K.
Catalent is cutting 45 jobs from its Swindon, U.K., facility, a move the company told a local newspaper is part of a restructuring effort at the site.
Big Pharma supergroup plots clinical trial site database
Earlier this year, 10 of the biggest names in drug development joined forces to streamline outsourcing R&D, and the resulting nonprofit is creating a huge database of global clinical trial sites.
Chiromics inks discovery deals with Bristol-Myers, GSK
It's been a banner week for New Jersey CRO Chiromics, as the company's chemical compound library has enticed Big Pharmas Bristol-Myers Squibb and GlaxoSmithKline.
Aptuit extends GSK partnership at Italian site
Aptuit and GlaxoSmithKline have agreed to extend their partnership for another two years, a move Aptuit says is a validation of its drug discovery efforts.
WuXi ticks up income after strong Q3
WuXi PharmaTech posted 3.2% net income growth in the third quarter, as the costs of expanding its research and manufacturing capabilities ate into 21% year-over-year revenue growth.
Icon launches new functional service model
Icon is continuing to change up its business model, kicking off a new functional service provider offering through its DOCS subsidiary.
Parexel looks to the future with university partnership
In an interview with Pharmalot's Ed Silverman, Parexel Vice President Albert Siu said the company is looking both to recruit the next generation of trial managers and benefit the industry as a whole by encouraging students to learn the details of the field.
Covance posts profit drop but beats predictions in Q3
Covance reported third-quarter net income of $37.8 million, a 7% drop from a year earlier, but enough to beat Street estimates.
