British biotech’s sales soar 26pc

Oxford Biomedica, a British biotech firm working on the development of the world’s leading gene therapy for cancer, posted reduced losses of £2.2m from £6.9m a year earlier and a 26pc leap in sales to £15.7m. It signed a deal worth up to $100m (£77m) with drugs giant Novartis last month over leukaemia treatment development.