Aug. 13 Company Quick Takes: Pharming licenses Novartis' CDZ173; plus Novartis, Merck-Harvard, Mustang, J&J
Pharming licenses Novartis autoimmune candidate
Pharming Group N.V. (Euronext:PHARM) gained rights to PI3Kδ inhibitor CDZ173 from Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS; SIX:NOVN) for patients with activated PI3Kδ syndrome, a primary immune deficiency. Novartis will receive $20 million up front and is eligible for undisclosed milestones and tiered double-digit royalties. CDZ173 is in a pivotal Phase II/III trial.
Grassley demands answers from Novartis on Zolgensma data manipulation
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has become the latest lawmaker to weigh in on the Zolgensma onasemnogene abeparvovec-xioi data affair. In a letter sent to Vasant Narasimhan, CEO of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS; SIX:NOVN), the Senate Finance chair requested records on the company’s internal inquiry into manipulation of data for the gene therapy and asked for details on how many employees have been fired as a result, and what steps are being taken to ensure manipulated data are not sent to FDA in the future (see “Timeline of a Debacle: Novartis Missteps Hold Lessons for Diligence, New Modalities”)...