GSK and ViiV Healthcare’s £6 Million Global Fund Pledge
The Global Fund has announced that GSK and its majority-owned specialist HIV firm ViiV Healthcare have pledged £6 million (~$8 million) to support community-led health responses against HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria in low-income countries. The investment will be matched by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, bringing the total to £12 million. The commitment aligns with the Fund’s upcoming 8th Replenishment campaign for the 2027-29 cycle. ViiV Healthcare CEO Deborah Waterhouse said, “By supporting programs that are led by countries, community-owned and community-driven, we’re helping to build stronger, more resilient health systems where they’re needed most.”
Major Reshuffle in Novo Nordisk Boardroom
Novo Nordisk has undergone a significant boardroom reshuffle initiated by its largest shareholder, the Novo Nordisk Foundation.Citing the previous board’s failure to act amid slowing sales and rising competition, the Foundation removed the chairman and several independent members from the Novo board.Former CEO Lars Rebien Sorensen will assume the dual role of Foundation chair and board chairman of Novo Nordisk.Novo’s shares have fallen sharply from their 2024 peak and after the company issued a profit warning, announced a major restructuring and plans to cut 9,000 jobs – most of which in Denmark.Some investors say the strong-handed approach may be tolerated in the short term given the company’s recent strategic errors.
EMA Launches GLP-1 Social Media Campaign
The EMA has launched “#HealthNotHype,” a social media campaign to promote responsible use of GLP-1 receptor agonists following the rapid rise in public attention and the potential of misuse, misinformation, and illegal distribution. The campaign partners the EMA with selected content creators – focused on healthcare communication or nutrition – from seven EU countries. EMA Executive Director Emer Cooke said, “#HealthNotHype is about passing the message that GLP-1 receptor agonists are not magic solutions for weight loss. Like all medicines, they have benefits and risks and are not for everyone… By working with content creators, we want to ensure that validated scientific information is part of the conversations people are having on social media about these medicines.”
Financial and Scientific Boost for BMS and Evotec
Evotec SE has received a $25 million payment from Bristol‑Myers Squibb (BMS) in recognition of scientific progress achieved under their strategic neuroscience collaboration. The partnership, initiated in 2016, is focused on discovering and developing disease-modifying treatments for neurodegenerative diseases where current therapies remain limited. The pipeline includes a program in-licensed by BMS in 2021, which has completed phase I clinical trials. The collaboration was extended in 2023 for an additional eight years, underscoring the partners’ commitment to advancing new therapies into the clinic. Evotec CSO Cord Dohrmann said, “This achievement increases the depth of our collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb. Together, we are translating emerging disease biology into potential therapeutic opportunities, with the goal of providing meaningful new options for patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases.”
Novartis’ Neuromuscular Expansion
Novartis has agreed to acquire RNA therapeutics developer Avidity Biosciences (San Diego, CA) in a deal contingent on Avidity spinning off its early-stage precision cardiology programs. The acquisition aims to bolster Novartis’ late-stage neuroscience pipeline by adding Avidity’s Antibody Oligonucleotide Conjugate delivery platform and three late-stage programs targeting neuromuscular genetic disorders: myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan said, “The Avidity team has built robust programs with industry-leading delivery of RNA therapeutics to muscle tissue. We look forward to developing these programs to meaningfully change the trajectory of diseases for patients.”
Prostate Cancer Partnership
GSK and Syndivia announced an agreement by which GSK will acquire exclusive worldwide rights to a pre-clinical antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). The ADC uses Syndivia’s GeminiMab conjugation technology and has shown enhanced anti-tumor activity, as well as a favorable safety profile in preclinical studies. Under the terms, Syndivia will receive an upfront payment of up to £268 million, while GSK accepts full responsibility for development, manufacturing, and global commercialization. Hesham A. Abdullah, Senior Vice President, Global Head Oncology, R&D, GSK, said, “Prostate cancer represents a significant health burden and an emerging area of growth for GSK, where targeted therapies are urgently needed in metastatic castration-resistant settings. The addition of this ADC builds on GSK's growing portfolio and strengths in tumour-targeted technologies, including GSK’227, our B7-H3-targeting ADC.”
Curewell Invests in Wilmington PharmaTech Expansion
US-based CRDMO Wilmington PharmaTech has received a majority investment from Curewell Capital, a private-equity firm focused on healthcare. Wilmington founder and CEO, Hui‑Yin “Harry” Li will retain a significant ownership stake and continue to lead the business: “Together with Curewell Capital, we look forward to accelerating our growth strategy by leveraging our core competencies, and we are committed to further expanding our capabilities and capacity to better serve our global biopharmaceutical partners.”
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