The US FDA has granted Fast Track designation for Union therapeutics’ oral orismilast to treat moderate-to-severe hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). Orismilast, a PDE4 inhibitor, targets the PDE4 subtypes which are connected to inflammation. With broad anti-inflammatory properties, the PDE4 inhibitor is also being developed to orally treat psoriasis and atopic dermatitis (AD). It has also received a Fast Track designation for the treatment of moderate to severe AD.

The company intends to discuss with the FDA the most suitable endpoints, and target disease severity, along with further steps in oral orismilast’s clinical development to treat HS.

BioNTech has signed an agreement to buy UK-based artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML)-based products developer InstaDeep in a deal valued at about $440m (£362m) in cash and shares. InstaDeep shareholders will also receive up to $243.1m (£200m) in additional performance-based future milestone payments.

The latest move follows an initial equity investment made by BioNTech as part of the Series B financing round of InstaDeep in January last year. Under the collaboration, the two companies established a joint AI Innovation Lab to apply for advances in AI and ML technology to develop new therapies for different cancers and infectious diseases.

Belharra Therapeutics and Roche Group member Genentech have announced a partnership for the discovery and development of new small molecule medicines across several therapeutic areas.

Under the multi-year partnership, Belharra and Genentech will employ the former’s platform for developing medicines in therapeutic areas including immuno-oncology, oncology, neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases.

Genentech will handle late preclinical, clinical activities of such molecules along with their regulatory development and marketing. Belharra will receive $80m in upfront cash payment and is also eligible for development, commercial, and net sales milestone payments over the course of the partnership.

Gilead Sciences has entered a collaboration and licensing agreement with EVOQ Therapeutics to advance the latter’s technology and develop immunotherapies to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and lupus. Under the deal terms, the two companies will work together to advance the preclinical development of RA and lupus immunotherapies.

Gilead will be responsible for the clinical development and commercialisation and holds the rights to exclusively license the Nanodisc technology of EVOQ for the product candidates. EVOQ’s technology has been designed for lymph-targeted disease-specific antigen delivery. It uses a NanoDisc that is optimised to provide antigens for restoring immune tolerance.

Moderna and the UK government have entered a ten-year strategic collaboration to build a messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) research, development and manufacturing facility in the country. The latest development comes after the parties announced an agreement in principle in June this year. This Moderna Innovation and Technology Centre (MITC) is expected to offer access to a locally produced future mRNA vaccine portfolio against respiratory viruses, subject to regulatory evaluation and licensure.

The centre is anticipated to have to capacity to make up to 250 million doses of vaccines per year.

Under the collaboration, the company will also back the mRNA health and science ecosystem of the country. Planned to be operational by 2025, the construction of the facility is anticipated to begin early next year.

Merck and Synplogen have signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expedite the development and manufacturing of viral vector-based gene therapy applications. The firms intend to merge their expertise to provide simplified viral vector gene therapy development, production and testing in Japan.

Under the deal, Merck will license its VirusExpress 293 Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) Production Platform. This platform will aid Synplogen in boosting the speed of clinical manufacturing while lowering process development duration and expenses. The method will utilise the Millipore Contract Testing, Development and Manufacturing Organization (CTDMO) Services facility of Merck in Carlsbad, California, US.