(ENDPTS.COM) What’s on Sanofi’s M&A list now that Medivation is gone? Catalyst g

What’s on Sanofi’s M&A list now that Medivation is gone? Catalyst gets an SPA; Adaptimmune partners with Merck


As we’ve said before at Endpoints News, this has been a rough year for Sanofi $SNY. Now that Medivation has slipped through its fingers, falling to Pfizer, CEO Olivier Brandicourt has had to answer fresh questions about its M&A strategy. What will be their next target? The answer — in their Q3 call — was cancer, immunology and rare diseases. Says the CEO: “When it comes to what is going to be our interest in the future, oncology is still part of it, if we are finding potential targets which make sense strategically and economically. But we are opening our M&A strategy to what we said last year, which is a segment where we consider that we have established, already, some good presence, but we need to strengthen that presence by inorganic growth. And so, we mentioned several things last year. We mentioned immunology, we mentioned MS. Even in the first market, if you think about it, we are in genetic rare diseases, so rare disease can be also an area.”

Catalyst Pharmaceuticals says it has reached an agreement with the FDA on an SPA for the late-stage study of Firdapse (amifampridine phosphate) for the symptomatic treatment of Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome.

Adaptimmune $ADAP has signed up with Merck to run a combo study that matches its T-cell therapy NY-ESO SPEAR with Merck’s checkpoint inhibitor Keytruda.

Foxconn tests wireless charging for iPhone 8: source

Foxconn tests wireless charging for iPhone 8: source

TAIPEI -- Hon Hai Precision Industry, better known as Foxconn Technology Group, is making wireless charging modules to go with the iPhone's 10th anniversary range slated for release in 2017, according to an industry source familiar with the matter.

"But whether the feature can eventually make it into Apple's updated devices will depend on whether Foxconn can boost the yield rate to a satisfactory level later on," the source said.

Yield rate measures the number of satisfactory units in the production of a batch of components. If the yield rate of a component is low, then its production could be deemed to be too unprofitable. In that scenario, there is a risk that the component will be left out of the final product.

The source adds that Foxconn is making modules that will be incorporated into the handsets, but it is unclear whether all iPhone models for release in 2017 will come with the new function.

Apple Inc. did not respond to an email seeking clarification and Foxconn declined to comment.

The introduction of wireless charging capabilities is part of Apple's ongoing efforts to overhaul the iPhone design to boost sales during the 10th anniversary of its ubiquitous and iconic device that had transformed mobile internet and communications since the release of its first incarnation. For now, the new model has been widely dubbed iPhone 8, although Apple may christen it differently given the special occasion of its launch.

Apple suffered its first annual revenue decline since 2001 in the fiscal year ended in September largely due to a saturated smartphone market and sluggish demand for its latest iPhone 7 series, which had been criticized for a lack of innovative features.

The Nikkei Asian Review reported on Oct. 26 that Apple plans to replace iPhone's current metal casing with a glass back and a metal frame for all its three new handset models next year.

In addition, the premium 5.5.-inch handset will sport a curved organic light-emitting diode screen, while the other two models will stick with existing flat low temperature poly-silicon display, NAR has also reported.

Tai Jeng-wu, president of Sharp Corp, an iPhone LTPS panel supplier, confirmed in a speech on Saturday that future iPhones would employ OLED display, although he did not specify when Apple would make the switch. The Japanese electronics conglomerate is now controlled by Foxconn.

While wireless charging and curved OLED display are going to be new features for iPhones, some premium Android handsets have been offering these for a while.

Samsung Electronics' S6 Edge, S7 Edge and the now terminated Note 7, and Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi's latest Note 2 all have curved OLED screens.

Likewise, the Android camp has been offering a built-in wireless charging feature for some time now, with South Korea's Samsung and LG Electronics leading the trend.

>>> Ariad Pharm announces the FDA has accepted for review the NDA for its brigat

--> ARIA +3.08% in Pre-Open "9.05 vs 8.78 - 9.01/9.05 - 30k shares traded

Ariad Pharm announces the FDA has accepted for review the NDA for its brigatinib in patients with metastatic ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer who have progressed on crizotinib

The FDA granted ARIAD's request for Priority Review and has set an action date of April 29, 2017 under the PDUFA.
  • Co's NDA submission includes clinical data from its Phase 1/2 and pivotal Phase 2 ALTA trials of brigatinib.
  • Co plans to submit a MAA for brigatinib to the EMA in early 2017.

>>> US Early premarket gappers

Early premarket gappers

Gapping up: MRVL +10.3%, BHI +7.7%, DNR +5.4%, LVLT +5.2%, LVLT +5.2%, WTI +4%, ERJ +3.5%, CHKP +3.1%, SWHC+2.2%, VALE +2.2%, INCR +1.8%, MU +1.7%, LL +1.5%, BBL +1.4%, VRX +1.2%, ABX +1.2%, NVS +1.2%, STM +1.2%, AUY+1.2%, AUY +1.2%, BHP +1.1%, DDD +1%, AG +0.8%, TSLA +0.8%, SO +0.8%, GE +0.7%, RIO +0.7%, CNHI +0.5%

Gapping down: GRVY -8.2%, CTL -7.9%, DM -3.8%, UCP -2.5%, CONE -1.9%, NKE -1.8%, SYT -1.8%, ROP -1.7%, NVO -1.6%,TEVA -1.3%, IROQ -0.9%, CAH -0.7%

>>> US Gapping Down

Gapping down
In reaction to disappointing earnings/guidance:
  • ZBH -9%, CTL -7.7%, BSFT -5.1%, DM -3.3%, UCP -2.5%, ROP -1.7%, LL -1.2%, IROQ -0.9%, CAH -0.7%
Other news:
  • MEMP -40.4% (confirms plans to suspend quarterly cash distributions and initiates process to explore strategic alternatives)
  • GRVY -2.1% (modestly pulling back following Friday's strength post earnings)
  • PGNX -1.8% (receives notification of a Paragraph IV certification for certain patents for RELISTOR)
  • MOMO -0.5% (Chief Technology Officer Zhiwei Li resigns for personal reasons effective November 1)
Analyst comments:
  • NKE -1.9% (downgraded to Underperform from Neutral at BofA/Merrill )
  • NVO -1.4% (downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Citigroup )
  • XOM -0.9% (downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Goldman; removed from Conviction Buy List)
  • ABBV -0.7% (downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Credit Suisse)
  • HD -0.6% (downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at Piper Jaffray)
  • LOW -0.5% (downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at Piper Jaffray)