On February 3, 2022 Mersana Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRSN), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing a pipeline of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) targeting cancers in areas of high unmet medical need, reported a research collaboration and license agreement with Janssen Biotech, Inc., one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, to discover novel ADCs for three targets (Press release, Mersana Therapeutics, FEB 3, 2022, View Source [SID1234607662]). The agreement was facilitated by Johnson & Johnson Innovation.

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"We are very excited to enter into this collaboration with Janssen as we work to transform outcomes for patients," said Anna Protopapas, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mersana Therapeutics. "Our fully homogenous Dolasynthen platform enables both precise control of drug-to-antibody ratio (DAR) as well as the ability to vary the DAR across a broad range. Dolasynthen provides a unique opportunity to optimally design an ADC matched to a given target. We look forward to bringing both the differentiated capabilities of our Dolasynthen platform and our deep expertise in optimizing ADCs to this collaboration."

Ms. Protopapas continued, "In addition, by extending our platforms and expertise to new programs beyond our promising wholly-owned and first-in-class pipeline of ADC candidates, we see this value-driving collaboration as further strengthening our financial position as we seek to deliver important new treatments for patients living with cancer."

Under the terms of the agreement, Janssen will provide proprietary antibodies for three targets. Mersana will apply its expertise and its proprietary Dolasynthen platform to discover novel ADC product candidates. Mersana may leverage Synaffix’s GlycoConnectTM technology as its preferred site-specific ADC bioconjugation technology. Mersana will collaborate with Janssen on target candidates during preclinical development, with Janssen being solely responsible for clinical development and commercialization. Mersana will receive an upfront payment of $40 million. Mersana is eligible to receive reimbursement of certain costs as well as more than $1 billion in potential milestone payments, plus mid-single-digit to low double-digit percentage royalties on worldwide net sales of ADCs against the selected targets.

On February 3, 2022 Dewpoint Therapeutics, Inc., the biomolecular condensates company, reported the completion of a $150 million Series C financing (Press release, Dewpoint Therapeutics, FEB 3, 2022, View Source [SID1234607661]).

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The funding round was led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2, along with other new investors General Catalyst, Mubadala Capital, 3E Bioventures, Mirae Asset Capital, and NS Investment. Also joining the round were existing investors Leaps by Bayer, Polaris Partners, Samsara BioCapital, ARCH Venture Partners, EcoR1 Capital, and Maverick Ventures.

Proceeds from the financing will be used to advance multiple pipeline programs through to IND and further invest in Dewpoint’s fully integrated, multi-component biology platform as well as its artificial intelligence-driven data science platform. Dewpoint will also expand research infrastructure to support the company’s growth with over 20 pipeline programs in discovery and development spanning oncology, neuromuscular, cardiopulmonary, and virology indications.

"We are delighted to have achieved this significant milestone, which allows us to welcome several high-calibre tech and biotech investors to our existing syndicate of innovative life-science investors," said Ameet Nathwani, Dewpoint Chief Executive Officer. "This latest financing will further accelerate our goal of developing breakthrough medicines to address a vast array of diseases resulting from dysregulation of biomolecular condensates. We are extremely grateful for the commitment of our existing investors and multiple pharmaceutical alliance partners in supporting the advancement of this cutting edge field of drug discovery."

Condensates are membraneless organelles that form dynamically throughout the cell via a process called phase separation. Their behavior is governed by the concentrations of, and multivalent interactions between, proteins and nucleic acids. These subcellular compartments organize and concentrate molecules within cells enabling key biochemical processes, and drive various diseases. Through understanding condensate biology, Dewpoint has developed the ability to tackle the root cause of complex diseases and address previously undruggable targets.

Over several years, Dewpoint has invested in a digital discovery platform and state-of-the-art biological or "wet lab" methods of investigating condensate function and targeting. This includes the development of advanced AI and computer vision capabilities, proprietary data and small molecule libraries, a proprietary knowledge graph of condensates and their functional connection to disease pathology, and compounds that modulate their behavior. Such compounds are referred to by the company as c-mods, and target condensates to restore normal condensate properties and cellular function.

"Research into biomolecular condensates has unveiled whole new ways for how we can intervene and prevent life-threatening diseases", said Vikas Parekh, Managing Partner at SoftBank Investment Advisers. "We believe that Dewpoint is a leader in this emerging sector with a highly-experienced management team and partnerships with some of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. We are thrilled to partner with the Dewpoint team to help realize condensates’ transformative potential for drug discovery."

"These are exciting times for drug discovery and development, where breakthrough innovation is poised to drive a shift from treating symptoms to reversing the root cause of diseases," said Dr. Juergen Eckhardt, Head of Leaps by Bayer. "Dewpoint’s integration of novel biology with its AI-driven platform is charting a pathway to drive this paradigm shift. I’ve been impressed by the team’s ability to uncover new insights into the complex behavior of biomolecular condensates, and optimistic about the potential impact for patients."

On February 3, 2022 Hoffmann-La Roche reported that Sales are expected to be stable or grow in the low-single digits (at constant exchange rates) (Press release, Hoffmann-La Roche, FEB 3, 2022, View Source [SID1234607660]). Core earnings per share are targeted to grow in the low- to mid-single digit range (at constant exchange rates), including the accretive effect of the recent share repurchase . Roche expects to increase its dividend in Swiss francs further.

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Roche anticipates sales of COVID-19 medicines and diagnostics to decrease by approximately CHF 2 billion to around CHF 5 billion, and sales losses to biosimilars in the current year to be roughly CHF 2.5 billion. Excluding those effects, Group sales are expected to grow in the high-single digit range.

CEO Severin Schwan on the full-year results: "We achieved good results in 2021. The demand for our new medicines and diagnostics remains very high. I am particularly pleased with the progress of our product pipeline across several areas, including oncology, vision loss and neurological diseases. Based on our strong product portfolio in both divisions and the promising product pipeline, we are well positioned for future growth."

Group results
In 2021, Group sales rose 9% (8% in CHF) to CHF 62.8 billion. Core operating profit increased 4% (2% in CHF), reflecting the strong underlying business performance, and core EPS grew 6% (3% in CHF). The Swiss franc’s appreciation against almost all currencies affected the results expressed in Swiss francs compared to constant exchange rates.

IFRS net income was CHF 14.9 billion. This represents an increase of 2% (-1% in CHF), driven by the operating results.

In December, Roche completed the CHF 19.0 billion repurchase of Roche shares held by Novartis. This restores Roche’s full strategic flexibility while retaining its operational scope of action.

Pharmaceuticals Division sales increased by 3% to CHF 45.0 billion. Strong demand for newly launched medicines to treat severe diseases, namely Hemlibra (haemophilia), Ocrevus (multiple sclerosis), Tecentriq (cancer), Evrysdi (spinal muscular atrophy), and Phesgo (cancer) drove this growth; medicines for the treatment of COVID-19 also contributed to sales growth (Ronapreve for high-risk COVID-19 patients and Actemra/RoActemra for severe COVID-19 pneumonia).

On February 3, 2022 Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd. (BSE: 500124, NSE: DRREDDY, NYSE: RDY, NSEIFSC: DRREDDY, along with its subsidiaries together referred to as "Dr. Reddy’s") reported that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Nimbus Health GmbH ("Nimbus Health") (Press release, Dr Reddy’s, FEB 3, 2022, View Source [SID1234607659]). Nimbus Health is a privately owned, licensed pharmaceutical wholesaler from Germany focusing on medical cannabis in Germany. Dr. Reddy’s will acquire Nimbus Health for an upfront payment plus performance and milestone-based earn-outs over the next four years.

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Founded in 2018, Nimbus Health is one of the pioneer companies for medical cannabis in Germany. The acquisition will allow Dr. Reddy’s to build on Nimbus Health’s strengths and introduce medical cannabis-based medicines as a promising treatment option for patients. The company will be operating under the brand Nimbus Health and as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dr. Reddy’s.

The demand for medical cannabis has increased over the past years with the legalization of medical cannabis by the German Parliament (Bundestag) in 2017. The medical cannabis market in Germany is already valued at ~122 Mio. € with growth of ~25% in 2021 compared to 2020 and a CAGR of ~55 % since 2017, making Germany one of the largest markets in Europe. Around 150,000 German patients benefit from medical cannabis for their unmet health needs1.

The closing of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.

Patrick Aghanian, Head of European Generics, Dr. Reddy’s, commented: "Medical cannabis is increasingly used to address and treat high unmet medical needs, especially in pain management and CNS. Further, with numerous studies being conducted to leverage and introduce medical cannabis, we believe this is a must-be field for future healthcare delivery. Nimbus Health has established itself as a fast-growing, highly reputable, pioneering platform with an excellent network of trade partners and know-how access, where the German sick-funds fully reimburse medical cannabis. As more European countries adopt the usage of medical cannabis, the ability to leverage and access newer geographies will be key. We are very excited that with Nimbus joining Dr. Reddy’s family, together with Linus and Alessandro, we embark on a new, exciting journey of medical cannabis, which supports Dr. Reddy’s mission of meeting unmet patient needs."

"We were really excited when Dr. Reddy’s approached us and recognized Nimbus’s highly efficient importing, registering, and launching platform for various medical cannabis brands in Germany. The close alignment between the values of Dr. Reddy’s and Nimbus gave us the confidence that we can stay focused on the existing business and grow future endeavors together. We are glad to work with Dr. Reddy’s to activate synergies supporting growth in all sectors." commented Linus Maximilian Weber, Founder and Managing Director of Nimbus Health.

Dr. Alessandro Rossoni, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Nimbus Health, says: "The relationship between Dr. Reddy’s and Nimbus Health has developed very positively over the past year. It felt like a natural match to make the next steps together. We are excited that Dr. Reddy’s acknowledged the potential of Nimbus in the medical cannabis market. Dr. Reddy’s commitment sets a significant milestone for further developing medical cannabinoid-based medicines and unlocking new possibilities to benefit patients. We are very confident that being part of Dr. Reddy’s will help us strongly take our operations to the next level and further increase our impact in this quickly developing market.

On February 3, 2022 F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. (hereafter "Roche") [Head Office: Basel, Switzerland. CEO: Severin Schwan] reported its financial results for fiscal 2021 (January 1 – December 31, 2021) (Press release, Chugai, FEB 3, 2022, View Source [SID1234607658]).

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Roche owns 59.89% of Chugai’s outstanding shares (61.16% of the total number of shares issued excluding treasury stock) as of the end of December 2021.

Its press release and presentation materials can be found on its website (View Source).
Chugai’s performance for the period of January 1 to December 31, 2021 is included in the announced Roche Group’s results.