Shares of Immunic Inc. (NASDAQ:IMUX) fell 75.7% by midday as Wall Street reacted to findings from a preplanned interim group-level data analysis of the company’s phase Ib trial with oral IMU-935, testing patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis. The group averages for Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) reductions in the two active arms failed to separate from placebo at four weeks. Although the active arms performed according to expectations, placebo decreases in PASI pr described as a potent and selective oved greater than in similar studies, the firm said. IMU-935 is an inverse agonist of the transcription factor RORγt.

Celltrion signs ₩1.77 trillion deal with Pinotbio for its ADC linker-payload platform technology

Celltrion Healthcare Inc. has signed a deal with Pinotbio Inc. to develop antibody-drug conjugates for up to 15 separate cancer targets incorporating the linker-payload platform technology Pinot-ADC. Celltrion could pay Pinotbio as much as ₩1.77 trillion (US$1.24 billion) to exercise options for all 15 targets in the collaboration. But, for starters, it will pay Pinotbio ₩1 billion up front.

Neurological disease stocks up 11% on FDA approval and strong pivotal data

Approval of a new depression drug, stellar phase III data for both a schizophrenia therapy and an Alzheimer’s disease candidate, as well as an accelerated approval filing for a Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene therapy, are all reasons that BioWorld’s Neurological Diseases Index climbed from a negative position throughout much of 2022 to its 11% above-water mark as of Oct. 20.

Deliver, but not to the liver: Liberate Bio developing targeted nucleic acid delivery technologies

The extraordinary proliferation of different genetic therapeutic modalities in the last decade has not been matched by a commensurate flourishing of delivery technologies. The liver is the natural destination for many carriers when administered systemically. But getting beyond the liver to other organ systems has proven to be a significant challenge. Only a tiny percentage of carriers – even those with targeting moieties – escape first pass metabolism in the liver and reach their target destination. “The key issue is getting out of the liver,” Nessan Bermingham, founder and interim CEO of Liberate Bio, Inc., told BioWorld. “That’s not a trivial problem.”

Newco news: Bioengineering MVP? Valitor aims to build a better therapeutic

With roughly a decade of work behind it, Valitor Inc. is ready to put its Multivalent Polymer (MVP) platform to the test, having recently announced its presence with a $28 million series B round and appointment of biopharma veteran Steven Lo as CEO. The next step is IND-enabling studies for its lead ophthalmology candidate, with clinical testing slated to start in 2024.

Gut microbiota degrade intestinal nicotine, alleviate smoking-related liver disease

Peking University researchers in collaboration with the NIH have discovered a new biochemical pathway related to a bacterium that eliminates nicotine in the intestine. The findings could lead to new ways to improve nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in smokers.

Also in the news

Abbvie, AM-Pharma, Altamira, Aum, Biohaven, Biontech, Bristol Myers Squibb, Corium, Covis, Eyenovia, Harbour, Iterum, Kite, Leo, Medicane, Moderna, Novavax, Novocure, Palatin, Pfizer, Providence, Refuge, Revance, Spikimm, Talaris, T-Knife, Tvardi, Venatorx, Vivacelle, Xeris