Feb. 26 Quick Takes: Takeda acquires PvP for celiac therapy; plus Lilly, Esperion, Supernus, Moderna, Taiho-Arcus, Twist-Sophia

After PvP Biologics Inc. finished a Phase I trial demonstrating proof of concept of its celiac disease therapy, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (Tokyo:4502; NYSE:TAK) exercised its option to acquire the biotech for an undisclosed upfront payment plus up to $330 million in milestones. TAK-062 (formerly Kuma062), a gluten-degrading recombinant enzyme, is at least the second celiac therapy Takeda has acquired since October (see “Takeda Commits to Cour’s Tolerance Inducing Therapy”).

FDA’s Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee voted 6-5 that Cyramza ramucirumab from Eli Lilly and Co. (NYSE:LLY) has a favorable risk-benefit profile when used in combination with Tarceva erlotinib to treat first-line, metastatic EGFR-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Cyramza, an anti-VEGFR-2 mAb, is already approved with chemotherapy to treat patients with metastatic NSCLC who progressed on or after platinum-based chemotherapy (see “Lilly Looks to Expand Cyramza’s Label”)...