Hello and welcome to another round up from the world of pharma, biotech and healthcare.
Today sees the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) congress kick off in Amsterdam, with all the big players presenting data over the next few days.
On today’s agenda expect new trial data from Novartis’ Ilaris in gout, Lilly’s Oluminant in systemic lupus and AbbVie’s new JAK inhibitor upadacitinib.
Read more here
Brexit
Yesterday saw Theresa May’s government narrowly win some crucial votes in Parliament on Brexit, managing to bring together its warring remainers and brexiteer factions. There is little agreement about what promises the government has made about MPs signing off any deal, with some concluding that a ‘No Deal’ Brexit is impossible – but others not so sure.
Read more from The Guardian here
Autolus aims for $117m IPO
Autolus, one of the UK’s most hotly-topped private biotech is preparing to launch its IPOS on the Nasdaq, and expects to raise $117-132m.
The company is working on several next-generation CAR-T drugs, including one candidate in the competitive BCMA-targeting niche for multiple myeloma.
Autolus has just launched a roadshow to inform investors about its IPO and pipeline, and has also just made two senior appointments.
Andrew Oakley had been appointed the firm’s new chief financial officer, joining Sosei Group where he served as its executive vice president and chief financial officer since February 2017.
Also joining the board of directors is Linda Bain (pictured). She has over 20 years of finance and audit experience in biotech and pharma.
Bain currently serves as Chief Financial Officer of Codiak BioSciences, a privately held company in the emerging field of exosome therapeutics.