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ARTICLE | Company News

July 15 Company Quick Takes: Boehringer takes out cancer vaccine company Amal; plus Farxiga setback, Alkermes and more

July 15, 2019 8:56 PM UTC

Boehringer buying cancer vaccine play Amal
Boehringer Ingelheim (Ingelheim, Germany) is acquiring Amal Therapeutics S.A. (Geneva, Switzerland), a University of Geneva spinout developing cancer vaccines. Amal's shareholders will receive an undisclosed upfront payment; the total deal value is €325 million ($366.6 million), including milestones. Amal’s lead program, ATP128, is due to begin a clinical study this month to treat stage IV colorectal cancer. Amal closed the second tranche of a €29 million ($32.9 million) series B round in November 2018; Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund was among its investors (see “Swiss Cancer Play Amal Eyes Clinic”).

FDA rebuffs Farxiga for adjunct treatment of Type I diabetes
AstraZeneca plc (LSE:AZN; NYSE:AZN) said it received a complete response letter from FDA for an sNDA for Farxiga dapagliflozin as an adjunct Type I diabetes treatment. The company did not disclose the reason for the FDA’s decision, but said it will discuss next steps with the agency. The European Commission approved the sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor for the indication in March. It is approved as an adjunct for Type II diabetes in the U.S. ...