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☆ AstraZeneca bets on new cancer treatments with $2 billion Fusion Pharma purchase
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it will buy clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company Fusion Pharmaceuticals Inc for about $2 billion in cash as the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker bets on next-generation cancer treatments. The drugmaker will pay $21 per Fusion share, a premium of more than 97% to the U.S.-listed company's closing price on Monday. Fusion is developing "next-generation" radioconjugates (RCs) to treat cancer. RCs deliver a radioactive isotope directly to cancer cells through precise targeting using molecules and have emerged as a promising modality in cancer treatment over recent years, AstraZeneca said. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy have been the mainstays of cancer treatment for decades.

Persons: AstraZeneca, Susan Galbraith Organizations: Fusion Pharmaceuticals Inc, Amolyt Pharma, AstraZeneca, Fusion, Oncology, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, FDA Locations: Swedish, U.S, radioconjugates

☆ AstraZeneca, AI biologics firm Absci tie up on cancer drug - FT
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The AstraZeneca logo is pictured outside the AstraZeneca office building in Brussels as part of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination campaign, Belgium, January 28, 2021. REUTERS/Johanna Geron/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Absci Corp FollowAstraZeneca PLC FollowDec 3 (Reuters) - Anglo-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca (AZN.L) has signed a deal worth up to $247 million with U.S. artificial intelligence (AI) biologics firm Absci (ABSI.O) to design an antibody to fight cancer, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. The collaboration aims to harness Absci's AI technology for large-scale protein analysis to find a viable oncology therapy, a leading focus of AstraZeneca, the report said. Absci and AstraZeneca did not immediately respond to a Reuters requests for comment. Absci applies generative artificial intelligence to design optimal drug candidates based on target affinity, safety, manufacturability and other traits.

Persons: Johanna Geron, Sean McClain, Absci’s, Shivani Tanna, William Mallard Organizations: AstraZeneca, REUTERS, U.S, Financial Times, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Swedish, Bengaluru

It also expects total revenue to increase by a mid single-digit percentage, compared with low-to-mid single-digit growth previously. For the third consecutive quarter, strong sales of AstraZeneca's blockbuster cancer treatments and healthy demand for its drugs in emerging markets offset the loss of sales of its COVID-19 vaccine and therapy. The results add to a string of strong quarters for Britain's biggest company by market capitalisation - worth 159 billion pounds ($195 billion) - bolstered by a strong pipeline of drugs. It said that in the first nine months of 2023, nine medicines delivered more than $1 billion in revenue. Excluding sales of its COVID-19 products, third-quarter sales rose 12% to $2.96 billion in emerging markets on a constant currency basis.

Persons: Phil Noble, China's, Maggie Fick, Eva Mathews, Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Mark Potter Organizations: AstraZeneca, REUTERS, Britain's, Thomson Locations: Macclesfield, England, China, London, Swedish, Bengaluru

In a filing to Shanghai's stock exchange, CanSino said it would manufacture and supply unspecified mRNA products to AstraZeneca. AstraZeneca said the deal would support investigational mRNA vaccines in its early pipeline. The country approved in March its first homegrown mRNA vaccine against COVID, developed by CSPC Pharmaceutical Group (1093.HK). CanSino has been working on its own mRNA COVID vaccine, and said in February it was in discussion with Chinese regulators around the protocol for a late-stage study for its COVID mRNA booster vaccine, CS-2034. It also comes after vaccine maker Moderna (MRNA.O), which has said that it was keen to sell its mRNA vaccine to China, announced a deal last month to develop and manufacture mRNA medicines in the country.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Biologics, CanSino, Wang Wentao, Casey Hall, Ludwig Burger, Miyoung Kim, Mark Potter, Himani Organizations: AstraZeneca, REUTERS, HK, CSPC Pharmaceutical, CS, Communist Party, China's Commerce, Moderna, Thomson Locations: Swedish, China, Frankfurt

SummaryCompanies Q2 sales and earnings beat estimatesReiterates full-year guidanceNo revenue from COVID vaccine in Q2Shares up 3.1% in early tradeCompany is largest drugmaker in ChinaLONDON, July 28 (Reuters) - AstraZeneca (AZN.L) on Friday delivered better-than-expected profits and sales in the second quarter as a strong performance of its blockbuster cancer drugs helped offset the loss of COVID-19 vaccine sales. The Anglo-Swedish drugmaker posted an adjusted profit of $2.15 per share, up 25% and exceeding the $1.98 per share expected in company-compiled consensus estimates. Total revenue in the quarter was $11.4 billion, up 6% and beating company-compiled analyst estimates of $10.97 billion. Excluding COVID medicines, sales in China grew by 7% at constant exchange rates in the quarter, the fourth consecutive quarter of growth on that basis. AstraZeneca is the largest drugmaker in China, which accounted for 13% of last year's revenue.

Persons: Swedish drugmaker, Pascal Soriot, Markus Manns, Alexion, drugmaker, Maggie Fick, Radhika Anilkumar, Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Josephine Mason Organizations: AstraZeneca, UK's, Pfizer, Moderna, U.S, Union Investment, Thomson Locations: China LONDON, Swedish, China, London, Bengaluru

☆ AstraZeneca's Tagrisso slashes death risk in certain post-surgery lung cancer patients
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Natalie Grover | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, June 4 (Reuters) - AstraZeneca's lung cancer therapy, Tagrisso, cut the risk of death by more than half in patients with a certain form of lung cancer who were diagnosed early enough to have their tumour surgically removed, trial data showed. The drug has regulatory approvals across multiple geographies for certain patients with so-called non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have a mutation of the EGFR gene. In the trial, Tagrisso or a placebo was given to patients to assess whether the AstraZeneca therapy could keep their cancer at bay. An estimated 88% of patients treated with Tagrisso were alive at five years compared to 78% on placebo, trial data also showed. AstraZeneca is also expecting to provide details on the impact of combining Tagrisso with chemotherapy in patients with advanced EGFR-mutated lung cancer later this year.

Persons: Tagrisso, Susan Galbraith, Dave Fredrickson, Natalie Grover, Angus MacSwan Organizations: American Society of Clinical Oncology, AstraZeneca, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Swedish, London

☆ Wood Group’s non-deal requires a rapid Plan B
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, May 15 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Ken Gilmartin needs a Plan B. The chief executive of $1.3 billion John Wood Group (WG.L) did little to encourage Apollo Global Management’s (APO.N) interest, despite the U.S. private equity house submitting no less than five separate bids for the UK infrastructure business. But now Apollo has ditched its most recent plan to buy Wood Group for 240 pence a share – and the target’s shares have slumped 35% back to 145 pence. Gilmartin and the Wood Group board reckon the company will be successful as a solo operation. But if investors were convinced, then Wood Group’s share price shouldn’t have plummeted back to around where it was when Apollo’s interest emerged in February.

☆ Newmont’s $19 bln gold deal lacks investor sparkle
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, May 15 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Newmont (NEM.N) boss Tom Palmer has finally dug out a deal with rival Newcrest Mining (NCM.AX). After months of discussions the two sides on Sunday agreed to an all-share transaction that values the Australian target’s enterprise at A$28.8 billion ($19.3 bln). The logic is that absorbing Newcrest will boost the Canadian buyer’s output of gold and copper. In return, the U.S. group is paying a punchy 27% premium to its prey’s stock price before their merger haggling went public. That implies an after-tax return on Newmont’s investment of around 7%, roughly in line with its cost of capital.

☆ Swedish drugmaker finds alluring poison pill
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, May 10 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Sweden’s rare disease drug maker is experiencing unfortunate deal side effects. On Wednesday, shares in Swedish Orphan Biovitrum (SOBI) (SOBIV.ST) fell 15% after it announced a plan to buy CTI BioPharma (CTIC.O), a specialist in rare blood cancers, for $1.7 billion. The Anglo-Swedish drugmaker refused to tender its shares amid a squabble over the U.S. rights for a respiratory drug. But SOBI’s new deal, which will be funded by a rights issue backed by main shareholder Investor AB (INVEb.ST), suggests Oelkers has support for a solo future. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Italian corporate activism has a long way to go
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MILAN, May 10 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Fighting opaque governance at Italy’s state-backed companies is proving a tough nut to crack. That’s a victory for the Italian Treasury – the utility’s top investor with 23.6% – which managed to install oil and gas veteran Paolo Scaroni as chairman, along with other board members. The Italian state is in dire need of improving the way it picks its corporate representatives. But to confront Rome, investors will need to make a good case. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Disney boss races to hold back the dam
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

How that unfolds is in the hands of Comcast (CMCSA.O) boss Brian Roberts, whose cable operator owns the studio behind the cinematic video game hit as well as one-third of Hulu. The shift is understandable, however, considering what Disney is up against. In the quarter ended April 1, the division that houses Disney+ narrowed its operating loss from a year earlier, but subscribers also fell 2% to 158 million compared to the previous quarter. A rare bright spot was the theme parks, particularly overseas, but Iger has a growing number of holes to plug to ensure the dam holds. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

LONDON, April 27 (Reuters) - AstraZeneca (AZN.L) on Thursday beat expectations for its first -quarter profit and revenue, helped by sales of its roster of drugs in emerging markets. The London-listed drugmaker, which reports its results in U.S. dollars, reported adjusted profit of $1.92 per share on sales of about $10.9 billion. Excluding sales of its COVID-19 products, sales grew 22% to $3.1 billion in emerging markets on a constant currency basis. AstraZeneca's best-selling cancer drugs — Tagrisso, Imfinzi and Lynparza — generated $1.4 billion, $900 million and $651 million of sales, respectively, in the quarter. Cowen analysts expected the three drugs to bring in about $1.45 billion, $735 million and $700 million respectively, in quarterly sales.

☆ AstraZeneca boosts cancer portfolio with $320 mln Neogene deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 29 (Reuters) - AstraZeneca (AZN.L) will acquire biotechnology company Neogene Therapeutics for up to $320 million, the London-listed drugmaker said on Tuesday, seeking to build its pipeline of cell-based cancer treatments. Though AstraZeneca's oncology portfolio accounted for more than a third of the company's revenue last year, it does not have an approved cell-based cancer therapy and is behind rivals such as Novartis (NOVN.S) and Gilead (GILD.O). Neogene's approach goes one step further in that its experimental T-cell receptor therapies seek to target DNA mutations specific to tumours, not only certain proteins on the surface of cancer cells. Linnemann founded Neogene in the Netherlands in 2018 along with the Netherlands Cancer Institute's Ton Schumacher. AstraZeneca will make an initial payment of $200 million to Neogene, with a further $120 million dependent on the company meeting certain targets.

☆ Big pharma not doing enough to improve drug access - analysis
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Natalie Grover | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A doctor tests a child for malaria at the Ithani-Asheri Hospital in Arusha, Tanzania, May 11, 2016. While there has been progress, there remain some gaping holes that need to be prioritised in the coming years, Access to Medicine Foundation CEO Jayasree Iyer told Reuters. The findings mirror a long-established pattern - that the pharmaceutical industry will prioritise countries where there is a market, she said. "If we consistently see that the industry leaves low income countries behind, then we're never going to solve the problem of access at scale," she said. In terms of overall rankings on the Access to Medicine Index, British drugmaker GSK (GSK.L) retained the top spot, closely followed by U.S. pharma major Johnson & Johnson (J&J) (JNJ.N).

☆ AstraZeneca tops quarterly estimates buoyed by cancer drug sales
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Natalie Grover | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Sales of AstraZeneca's key cancer medicines — Tagrisso and Imfinzi — helped the company's revenue beat, with sales of its broader oncology portfolio rising 24%. Previously, it had forecast a 2022 gain in the "mid-to-high twenties percentage". Novartis in late October said strong U.S. currency was a drag on the value of its quarterly sales generated outside the United States. AstraZeneca on Thursday said its anticipated 2022 revenue growth would be impacted by a currency headwind of a "mid single-digit percentage". Core earnings per share for the year will also be negatively affected by "mid-to-high single-digit percentage," it added.

☆ Explainer: COVID, flu and RSV this U.S. winter: Why experts are worried
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Nancy Lapid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/File PhotoOct 26 (Reuters) - U.S. doctors are warning that a surge in cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is coinciding with an increase in COVID transmission and an earlier-than-normal flu season, raising the specter of a "tripledemic" of respiratory illness this winter. In particular, RSV infections among young children are reportedly filling some U.S. hospitals to capacity. Older children and most adults typically experience mild, cold-like symptoms. In the meantime, it is important "for everyone to get up to date on their COVID and flu vaccines," Varma said. Part of the increase in RSV cases is due to the relaxation of COVID-precautions, such as masking and social distancing, which reduced rates of both RSV and flu during the pandemic, Varma said.

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