for the rights to gram-negative antibiotics and molecules that modulate the oncology target Ras. Sanofi will be responsible for preclinical and clinical research for the aminoglycosides.—LISA JARVIS
MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS
Givaudan flavorists sample food ingredient aromas.
enhance development of flavors that meet the needs of local customers in the Asia Pacific region. Among the trends the center will address is a need for healthy foods that don’t compromise on taste, says the firm.—MARC REISCH
ANTIBIOTICS
▸ Sanofi gets Warp Drive aminoglycosides Sanofi has taken in-house an early-stage antibiotics program developed by its partner Warp Drive Bio. The novel aminoglycosides were discovered using Warp Drive’s genome mining technology, which involves searching the sequences of bacteria for gene clusters that encode for analogs of known antibiotics. Sanofi has been an investor in Warp Drive since 2012 and earlier this year agreed to pay up to $750 million
▸ J&J negotiates to buy Actelion Johnson & Johnson and Switzerland’s Actelion Pharmaceuticals confirm that they have held preliminary discussions about a potential transaction. According to news reports, J&J has made two bids well above Actelion’s current market value of about $21 billion. The nearly 20-year-old Swiss firm is recognized for its development of endothelin receptor antagonists, which include the pulmonary arterial hypertension drug Tracleer and newer potential PAH blockbusters Opsumit and Uptravi. For the first nine months of 2016, Actelion had sales of $1.75 billion.—ANN THAYER
NUCLEIC ACIDS
▸ Arrowhead sheds programs, staff In a surprise move, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals is discontinuing development of
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Business Roundup ▸ Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan is reducing its workforce by 140 and cutting production by 600,000 metric tons per year at its Cory, Saskatchewan, potash facility. The firm says it is shifting production to lower-cost sites.
veloping zinc-air batteries, has received a $20 million investment from Asia Climate Partners. ACP, a private equity firm, hopes the investment will lead to more renewable energy access in Southeast Asia.
▸ Nanoco has acquired patents from Eastman Kodak related to the use of quantum dots in electroluminescent displays, a future display technology that can replace organic light-emitting diode displays. Nanoco is a developer of cadmium-free quantum dots.
▸ CABB Group has replaced the mercury cell chlorine unit at its Pratteln, Switzerland, fine chemicals site with membrane-based chlorine production. The $53 million investment increases output 75% to 47,000 metric tons per year.
▸ Fluidic Energy, an Arizona State University spinoff de-
▸ Indigo, an agriculture start-up, will partner with Australia’s Flinders Univer-
multiple RNAi drug candidates that use the same delivery technology. The decision comes just weeks after FDA placed a hold on a clinical trial of ARC-520, a hepatitis B treatment, following the death of several non-human primates in a preclinical toxicology study of the drug. Arrowhead is abandoning three programs—ARC-520, ARC-521, and ARC-AAT—that use the same liver-targeted, intravenously administered delivery vehicle. Arrowhead will refocus its R&D on subcutaneous and non-hepatic delivery systems. As a consequence of the changes, the biotech is laying off 30% of its workforce.—LISA JARVIS
PHARMACEUTICALS
▸ MedImmune, Abpro form research venture MedImmune, the biologics division of AstraZeneca, and Abpro, a synthetic biology specialist, are collaborating in a spinoff company, AbMed, that will develop antibodies targeting angiopoietin-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor (Ang2VEGF). AbMed will operate as a subsidiary of Abpro, which will receive development and commercialization rights to research programs. MedImmune will receive development, regulatory, and sales milestone and royalty payments. MedImmune will also take a minority equity stake in AbMed.—RICK MULLIN
sity, to develop and commercialize endophyte microbe strains, which they call probiotics for plants. Flinders researchers have shown the strains promote robust growth in legumes and say they have the potential to benefit major grain and pasture crops. ▸ Albany Molecular Research Inc. has signed a multiyear agreement to supply Shire with the active pharmaceutical ingredient for an undisclosed product in Shire’s portfolio. AMRI already supplies the API for Vynase, a Shire attention deficit hyperactivity disorder drug. ▸ Kymab, a British developer of monoclonal antibody
drugs, has raised $100 million in a Series C round of venture capital funding. The company says it will use the money to develop its pipeline of immuno-oncology, auto-immunity, hematology, and infectious disease drugs. ▸ Continuus Pharmaceuticals has been awarded $4.4 million from FDA and BARDA to develop a science-and risk-based approach for monitoring and improving drug quality through integrated continuous manufacturing. Over three years, the company intends to build an automated pilot plant to test relevant regulatory principles, including real-time release and traceability.
DECEMBER 5, 2016 | CEN.ACS.ORG | C&EN
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