NCBiotech News

Jazz Pharmaceuticals and Chimerix, a Durham-based biotech company, have entered into a definitive agreement for Jazz to acquire Chimerix for $8.55 per share in cash, representing a total consideration of approximately $935 million. The transaction has been approved by both companies and is expected to close in the second quarter of 2025, the companies said. At the acquisition’s center is Chimerix’s lead clinical asset, dordaviprone, a novel first-in-class small molecule treatment in development for a rare, high-grade brain tumor that most commonly affects children and young adults. There are no therapies approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration specifically for patients with this brain tumor, called H3 K27M-mutant diffuse glioma; radiation is the most common treatment approach.

Kineticos Life Sciences, a Raleigh investment firm, has formed a startup to develop a new generation of antibiotics that can overcome drug-resistant infections. Kinvard Bio has been formed through a licensing agreement with Harvard University. Kineticos is licensing research from the lab of Andy Myers, a professor in Harvard’s Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology whose work has shown promise in preclinical studies on antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Inceptor Bio, a cell therapy company based in Morrisville, has dosed the first patient in a clinical trial of its potential treatment for a type of kidney cancer. To help fund the development of that therapy and others, the company has also closed a $21 million Series A2 financing, led by a syndicate of investors including Raleigh-based Kineticos Life Sciences. Inceptor Bio’s lead therapy, known as IB-T101, is intended to treat patients with clear cell Renal Cell Carcinoma (ccRCC), the most common type of kidney cancer. Over 300,000 new cases of the cancer arise annually worldwide, and treatment options are limited.

Laura Rowley, Ph.D., vice president of the Life Sciences Economic Development group at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, is a recipient of the 2025 Economic Development 40 Under 40 Award, the biennial award recognizing rising stars under 40 years old in the economic development industry. The awards program is hosted by Development Counsellors International (DCI), a New York-based integrated marketing firm that works with economic development and travel organizations around the globe, and Jorgenson Pace, Inc., a leading national executive search firm specializing in economic development, community development and non-profit sectors.

Monroe Biomedical Research (MBR), a dedicated clinical trial site, is growing its footprint to enhance early-phase clinical trials and attract more research opportunities to North Carolina. Construction is underway on a new 12,000-square-feet facility adjacent to MBR’s existing 7,000-square-feet space in Monroe. Set for completion in June 2025, the new facility will include 15 beds and accommodations for study volunteers requiring extended stays. MBR’s two buildings will be registered as a dedicated private research campus, enhancing the state’s capacity for early-phase clinical trials and attracting more studies to the region.

Two pharmaceutical companies with operations in North Carolina are joining forces for a greater impact on women’s health.

Cosette Pharmaceuticals, based in Bridgewater, N.J., with a pharmaceutical production plant in Lincolnton, N.C., will acquire the Australian pharmaceutical company Mayne Pharma Group, which has its U.S. headquarters in Raleigh. Cosette will pay about $430 million for Mayne, or $7.40 Australian per share.

When Oderah Udemadu started studying chemistry as an undergraduate at the University of North Carolina Charlotte, he had no idea his journey would take a different turn. It wasn’t until friends introduced him to the Biomedical Research Institute and Technology Enterprise (BRITE) at North Carolina Central University in Durham that he discovered an opportunity too good to pass up. 

That decision ultimately set him on a path that led to a career at Merck.

A 30,000-square-foot Charlotte R&D and manufacturing facility opened in 2019 by Illinois-based medical device company Medical Murray is under new ownership. Tempe, Arizona-based Aptyx, a global developer and manufacturer of complex components and devices for the life sciences, bought the facility for an undisclosed sum and says it will retain the existing workforce of approximately 80 people. Both firms are privately held. Medical Murray will continue to operate separately through its two remaining facilities in the Chicago suburbs of Lake Zurich and North Barrington.

Two large philanthropic efforts announced this month are expected to boost healthcare research and education at North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

The Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, a collaboration between NC State and UNC-CH, received a $20 million contribution from Ross W. Lampe Jr., an NC State graduate. The funds will be used to further the department’s mission of combining engineering and medical research to improve lives, the department said in a statement.

Two North Carolina universities with growing research capabilities have received the highest classification that a doctoral university can receive.

East Carolina University and the University of North Carolina Charlotte both announced on Feb. 13 that they have been classified as Research 1 (R1) by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

DetraPel, Inc., a clean-tech advanced materials company, will relocate its headquarters and advanced manufacturing operations to Charlotte. The company will invest $3.5 million and bring more than 30 new jobs to Southwest Charlotte. 

“As DetraPel has evolved into a leading barrier coating company, we have sought a location that reflects our ambitious vision,” said DetraPel CEO David Zamarin. “Today marks a significant milestone in our company’s journey as we officially announce Charlotte as the new home for our headquarters and manufacturing operations."

BioSkryb Genomics, a Durham company focused on single-cell and ultra-low input multiomics, has introduced a new service called ResolveSEQ MRD, which allows more detailed classification and characterization of measurable residual disease (MRD) for blood cancers. 

For anyone looking to build a career in biopharma manufacturing, there’s no shortage of opportunities in North Carolina.

That’s the conclusion of hiring managers at four of the state’s leading life sciences companies who spoke at a recent career event at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. With industry growth continuing, employers are looking for people to fill jobs – and that extends to recent graduates and others with no previous experience in biopharma.

groninger, a German manufacturer of filling and closing machines for the pharmaceutical, consumer healthcare and cosmetics industries, is expanding its U.S. headquarters in Charlotte. groninger USA announced through the City of Charlotte that it will invest $15.1 million and create 60 new jobs paying an average of $76,037. The expansion will increase the company’s Charlotte workforce to 172 full-time employees over the next five years, up from 112. The Charlotte location handles sales, service, and parts manufacturing for groninger USA customers in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

Solvias, a global provider of chemistry, manufacturing, and control (CMC) analytics and headquartered in Switzerland, announced today the opening of its cutting-edge Center of Excellence for Biologics and Cell and Gene Therapy in the heart of Research Triangle Park (RTP), North Carolina. 

The new facility expands Solvias’ global network of centers and reinforces its commitment to advancing transformative therapies for cancer and rare diseases.