Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk will acquire U.S. drug developer Prothena Corp's experimental heart therapy, PRX004, in a deal that could be worth up to $1.23 billion, the companies said on Monday.
The acquisition is in line with Novo's strategy to diversify its core insulin portfolio that has been facing tough competition, prompting it to turn toward newer diabetes and obesity drugs to revive growth.
Moderna Inc said on Thursday it expects COVID-19 vaccine sales of $18.4 billion this year, above the $15 billion in sales forecast by Pfizer Inc for the only other vaccine authorized for emergency use in the United States so far.
Both vaccines, developed using a technology based on messenger RNA (mRNA), are being distributed at an unprecedented speed as cases mount in the United States, with deaths from COVID-19 surpassing the dire milestone of 500,000.
Gilead Sciences Inc (Nasdaq: GILD) on Thursday forecast its 2021 results above Wall Street estimates after posting a 26% rise in fourth-quarter 2020 revenue, driven by sales of its antiviral drug, remdesivir, which is used to treat COVID-19 patients.
Shares of Gilead were up 2.6% in extended trading.
Gilead said the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect its sales, including its treatments for hepatitis C and HIV, due to fewer people going to their doctors. It expects a gradual recovery in underlying market dynamics starting the second quarter of this year.
Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc (Nasdaq: JAZZ) has agreed to acquire GW Pharmaceuticals plc (Nasdaq: GWPH), maker of the first cannabis-based epilepsy drug, in a $7.2 billion cash-and-stock deal, the companies announced. In a statement Wednesday, Bruce Cozadd, chairman and chief executive officer of Jazz Pharmaceuticals, said the deal will enable the drugmaker to move beyond sleep disorders and cancer treatments by strengthening its neuroscience unit.
Elon Musk said his brain-implant startup has wired up a monkey’s brain to “play video games with his mind.”
During an interview late Sunday with social media app Clubhouse, the technology billionaire chatted about San Francisco-based Neuralink’s efforts to develop a high-tech, wireless interface that would allow people to control computers or cellphones just by thinking.
Musk did not provide any other details on how the monkey’s wirel...
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