Sealed court documents obtained by Fierce Biotech reveal how Novo Nordisk and Singapore's KBP Biosciences went from partners in a $1.3 billion deal to legal foes. Takeda has decided to cease all research work in cell therapy. Enhertu delivered a head-to-head win against Roche's Kadcyla in early breast cancer.
1. Novo vs. KBP: How a $1.3B deal turned into a fraud accusation and an international legal fight
Fierce Biotech has obtained thousands of pages of sealed court documents related to the legal dispute between Novo Nordisk and Singapore’s KBP Biosciences on their $1.3 billion partnership on cardiovascular and kidney disease candidate ocedurenone. Novo alleges that KBP defrauded it into the deal, while KBP alleges Novo mismanaged the drug program and shifted the blame onto the biotech. This is the first chapter of a series.
2. UPDATED: Takeda lays off 137 US staff as part of retreat from cell therapy
Takeda is ending all research into cell therapies as part of a “strategic portfolio prioritization.” The company is looking to sell its cell therapy platform along with certain preclinical programs. The change includes cutting 137 roles at Takeda’s Massachusetts R&D site and taking an impairment loss of 58 billion Japanese yen ($394 million) related to its 2021 acquisition of GammaDelta Therapeutics.
AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo’s Enhertu showed a “highly statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement” in invasive disease-free survival versus Kadcyla in a head-to-head phase 3 in HER2-positive early breast cancer patients who are at high risk of recurrence following neoadjuvant treatment. The latest Destiny-Breast05 win adds on to the drug’s positive Destiny-Breast11 readout in the neoadjuvant setting.
4. Korea's Boryung looks to stir up new value in Sanofi's legacy chemo Taxotere with $205M rights buy
Sanofi has agreed to sell its chemotherapy Taxotere (docetaxel) in 19 countries to Korea’s Boryung Corporation for up to 175 million euros ($205 million), including 14 million euros ($16 million) upfront. The territories include Korea, Germany, Spain and China. The drug recorded 70 million euros ($82 million) in sales last year, according to Boryung.
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