> Bavarian Nordic teamed up with Roche to trial its experimental cancer vaccine CV301 in combination with PD-L1 antibody Tecentriq. The phase 2 trial will assess the combination in bladder cancer patients whose disease has progressed during or following platinum-containing chemotherapy, or within 12 months of neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment with platinum-containing chemotherapy. Bavarian Nordic plans to start the study around the end of the year. Release
> Galapagos and Gilead unveiled two new phase 2 studies of filgotinib. The studies will assess the JAK inhibitor in patients with small bowel and fistulizing Crohn’s disease. News of the two trials comes four months after the partners began a phase 3 of the drug in Crohn’s. Gilead CEO John Milligan sees filgotinib making Gilead a leader in the indication. Statement
> TiGenix posted top-line data from a phase 1/2 trial of its stem cell candidate in patients with acute myocardial infarction. The one-year data suggest is it safe to infuse donor-derived expanded cardiac stem cells into patients in the week after they suffer a heart attack. TiGenix provided little evidence of efficacy beyond a statement that “a larger reduction in infarct size was found in one pre-specified subgroup.” Release
> Galencia confirmed it will push ahead with the spinning off and listing of its Galenica Santé unit in Switzerland. The news follows a period in which Vifor Pharma—the specialty drug business that will be left behind after the pharmacy group IPOs—made a string of deals to equip itself to prosper following the split. Vifor plans to continue investing in its pipeline. The company expects to spend CHF 850 million ($843 million) on new products over the next three years. Reuters
> Innate Pharma and Bristol-Myers Squibb expanded a phase 1/2 trial that is testing lirilumab in combination with Opdivo. The trial design now features additional cohorts of the combination in solid tumors, including an arm that will test Opdivo with or without lirilumab in platinum refractory recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Innate and Bristol-Myers also added a cohort that will receive the triple whammy of lirilumab, Opdivo and Yervoy. Statement
> Autifony Therapeutics secured £1.3 million ($1.6 million) to support its expansion into dementia R&D. The GlaxoSmithKline-spinout, which began life focused on age-related hearing loss, will use the money to apply its voltage-gated ion channel field expertise to Alzheimer’s. Autifony’s expansion into dementia follows its 2015 decision to step up its schizophrenia R&D program. Release