Bristol Myers Squibb Co.'s ongoing investment in protein degradation, a field electrified by both high scientific interest and potentially big-dollar deals, expanded Oct. 4 to include a new research collaboration with Synthex Inc. Valued at up to $550 million for Synthex, plus possible royalties, the license agreement will see the pair use genetic engineering technologies to develop small-molecule degraders. BMS also made an up-front payment and investment in Synthex of undisclosed value.

Deaths low, fewer new candidates, but pandemic not over

Although U.S. President Joe Biden suggested in September that the pandemic is over, health officials insist there is still much to do in preparation for an endemic stage of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The number of weekly COVID-19 confirmed cases both globally and in the U.S. is similar with each of the last two years, but deaths from the virus are at some of the lowest levels since the pandemic began. Still, the virus will continue to evolve and circulate, and the biopharma industry will need to develop new booster vaccines, antivirals and monoclonal antibodies, among other candidates, to prepare for upcoming battles. Global cases and deaths by week have continued to fall throughout September. For the week ended Oct. 2, there were 3.15 million confirmed cases and 9,953 deaths worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

Cellarity adds $121M in series C to look beyond targets in cell-centric approach

At first glance, Cellarity Inc. might appear as one more company harnessing the computational power of AI and machine learning to boost drug discovery efforts. A closer look, however, reveals a different approach, one that looks at cells and cellular behavior to address disease rather than the traditional method of seeking out molecular targets. The cell-centric drug discovery model is one that is unique to Cellarity, according to CEO Fabrice Chouraqui. It also was a strategy that appealed to Flagship Pioneering, which unveiled the company in late 2019 and on Oct. 4 disclosed a $121 million series C round that included backing from Flagship Pioneering and other investors in 2021’s $123 million series B round as well as four new investors, including Kyowa Kirin Co. Ltd. and Hanwha Impact Partners.

Sibylla Biotech closes $23M series A round for drugging protein intermediates

Sibylla Biotech Srl raised €23 million (US$22.9 million) in series A funding to progress its two lead programs in targeted protein degradation, to broaden its pipeline, and to enhance its computationally intensive discovery platform. The Trento, Italy-based company is expanding the druggable proteome in a highly original fashion. It applies mathematical techniques originally developed in theoretical physics to simulating the intermediate folding states of target proteins that have no obvious drug-binding pockets. These may well have transient structures that a small molecule can bind. So instead of drugging the native, biologically active molecule, it aims to develop small-molecule drugs that lock them into an intermediate state. They are then eliminated by the usual protein degradation pathways that operate within cells.

Current TMB estimation methods fall short in minority populations

Tumor mutational burden (TMB), a biomarker used to assess whether a patient will respond to immunotherapy, needs to be recalculated in order to be useful for patients of Asian or African descent. Scientists at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute found a significant bias in the estimated TMB values affecting these populations and adjusted them for those patients.

Top-line results suggest Paradigm’s injectable Zilosul could be disease-modifying in osteoarthritis

Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. reported top-line data from its phase II trial of Zilosul (pentosan polysulfate/PPS) that suggest the non-opioid treatment for knee osteoarthritis is effective in navigating pain management but also has the potential to be disease modifying.

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