(Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of updates by global companies, issued on Thursday and Friday and not separately reported by Alliance News:
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Panasonic Corp - Osaka, Japan-based electronics company - Agrees to acquire Blue Yonder, a digital fulfilment platform provider. Panasonic will purchase the remaining 80% of shares in Blue Yonder that it does not already own for USD5.6 billion. Including repayment of outstanding debt, the additional investment totals USD7.1 billion, valuing Blue Yonder at USD8.5 billion.
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Telstra Corp Ltd - Melbourne, Australia-based telecommunications firm - Secures 1,000 megahertz in the 26 gigahertz spectrum auction, investing AUD277 million to extend its offering in 5G. The new spectrum will increase capacity and speeds for Telstra customers, building on the existing 5G services Telstra provides across the country. Telstra intends to pay for the spectrum in five equal annual instalments.
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Novartis AG - Basel, Switzerland-based pharmaceutical company - Plans to initiate Smart, a phase 3b clinical study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Zolgensma in young children with spinal muscular atrophy weighing more than 8.5 kilograms but less than 21 kilogram. The new clinical data will supplement emerging real-world evidence and use of this therapy in the European Union and Canada, where regulatory approval includes dosing guidance for babies and young children up to 21 kilograms. The global study is expected to enrol 24 symptomatic children with spinal muscular atrophy across sites in Europe, North America, Australia and Taiwan, and will follow patients for a period of 12 months.
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Roche Holding AG - Basel, Switzerland-based healthcare company - Says US Food & Drug Administration approved the Ventana MMR RxDx panel for advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer patients. MMR is a molecular mechanism that functions to correct errors that can spontaneously occur during DNA replication. Testing can identify patients eligible for treatment with Jemperli monotherapy, an anti-PD1 immunotherapy from GlaxoSmithKline PLC that was approved by the US regulator on Thursday. "We are excited to launch this companion diagnostic test with GSK to help recurrent or advanced endometrial cancer patients with limited treatment options," said Thomas Schinecker, chief executive of Roche Diagnostics. "This test provides clinicians with an effective tool to identify patients best suited for treatment with GSK's Jemperli, providing a new therapeutic option for women with MMR-deficient endometrial cancer whose disease progresses on or following initial chemotherapy treatment."
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Lonza Group Ltd - Basel, Switzerland-based chemicals & biotechnology company - Intends to construct a new small molecule manufacturing complex at its Visp site. The new manufacturing complex will occupy an overall footprint of 2,000 square metres with six levels of manufacturing space. The complex will offer several opportunities for future expansions supporting the small molecules technologies offering, which include drug substance, particle engineering technologies such as spray drying dispersion, and drug product. The first buildout represents a manufacturing line for antibody-drug conjugate payload molecules, which is expected to start its first operations in the third quarter of 2023. Upon completion, the manufacturing complex will employ 200 people.
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Siemens Energy AG - Munich, Germany-based energy firm - Enters into a cooperation agreement with Messer Group to work on green hydrogen projects in the 5 to 50 megawatt range for industrial and mobility applications. Within the framework of this agreement Messer Iberica has already submitted three clean hydrogen projects in the chemical complex of Tarragona to the Spanish government. These projects will have a total electrolyzer capacity of 70 megawatts. The intention of the partners is to achieve the most economic operation possible, by maximising cost efficiency and the utilisation of all co-products.
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Iberdrola SA - Bilbao, Spain-based electric utility firm - Signs long-term on-site power purchase agreement with Wallbox to produce, consume and reuse 100% of the energy produced at its plant and offices in Barcelona's Zona Franca. The Wallbox factory there will have photovoltaic solar panels that will produce 1,500 kilowatt hours a day for self-consumption by the facilities and offices, equivalent to the consumption of 500 homes. Installation at the offices will begin at the end of April and is expected to be completed by the end of June, allowing the photovoltaic system to come into operation at the beginning of the second half of 2021.
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Charter Communications Inc - Connecticut, US-based telecommunications & mass media company - Subsidiaries CCO Holdings LLC and CCO Holdings Capital Corp close USD1.0 billion offer of senior unsecured notes due 2033. The notes bear interest at a rate of 4.5% per annum.
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By Evelina Grecenko; evelinagrecenko@alliancenews.com
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