Radiance Biopharma Inc. bought its way into the ROR1 antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) space through a potential $1 billion-plus licensing deal, including a $15 million up-front payment, with CSPC Megalith Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd. for rights to RB-164 (SYS-6005) in the U.S. and select countries. Under the terms, CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd.’s subsidiary, Megalith, agreed to hand off exclusive development and commercialization rights to the ADC candidate to Radiance for the U.S., Canada, EU, U.K., Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Australia. In addition to the up-front fee, Radiance will pay CSPC up to $150 million in potential development and regulatory milestone payments and up to $1.075 billion in potential commercial milestone payments, along with tiered royalties on annual net sales.

Incyte joins the group getting guidance from AI’s Genesis

Artificial intelligence technology developer Genesis Therapeutics Inc. is getting an up-front $30 million payment from Incyte Corp. as the two collaborate on small-molecule therapies. Genesis could bring in as much as $295 million per target in development, regulatory and commercial milestones, bringing the deal to about $620 million total. The companies have two targets already in mind, and Incyte could nominate another target for a predetermined fee. Genesis signed on with Gilead Sciences Inc. in September 2024 to develop small-molecule treatments across several targets. There was an up-front payment to Genesis, but specific terms for target fees and milestones were not released. Incyte also has deals with Genentech and Eli Lilly and Co.

US HHS long-COVID adcom casualty of latest cuts

Another day, another executive order. One of the latest ones, signed yesterday, continues to build on U.S. President Donald Trump’s campaign promises to reduce the size of the federal government. The “Commencing the reduction of the federal bureaucracy” order cuts specific elements of the bureaucracy that Trump determined are unnecessary. Among the programs, foundations and advisory committees on the editing room floor are the Health and Human Services Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Long COVID and CMS’ Health Equity Advisory Committee. The order holds the promise of more cuts to come, as it gives the assistants to the president for national security affairs, economic policy and domestic policy 30 days to identify additional entities and federal advisory committees that should be terminated because “they are unnecessary.” Coming in the wake of large-scale personnel cuts that began last week, the EO will add to the uncertainty hanging over federal agencies.

EG 427 adds €27M series B for neurogenic bladder program

EG 427 SAS has closed a €27 million (US$28.3 million) series B round, which will fund it to completion of the first clinical trial of the lead gene therapy program, opening the way for its herpes simplex viral-vectored products to be developed in a range of chronic neuro-urology disorders. The U.S. phase Ib/IIa study of EG-110A in the treatment of neurogenic detrusor overactivity in patients with spinal cord injury received the go-ahead from the U.S. FDA in June 2024. It is now recruiting a total of 16 patients at four specialist centers in the U.S. The trial is due to read out in 2026, providing safety, and potentially early efficacy data that will enable EG-110A to be tested in other larger, underserved, bladder dysfunction indications, including overactive bladder.

Clots and metastasis in cancer patients start in the lung

The lung and thrombosis may play a key role in cancer and metastasis progression, according to a collaborative study led by Cornell University scientists. In the nonmetastatic lung microenvironment of several cancer types, the development of a prothrombosis niche promotes metastasis formation through the release of small extracellular vesicles loaded with an integrin protein.

Also in the news

Allurion, Alzinova, Ascletis, Askbio, Boehringer Ingelheim, Brexogen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Celltrion, Clarity, Doron, Eleva, Epitopea, Exosome, Harmony, Immunitybio, Imunon, Karyopharm, Maia, MSD, Phio, Plus, Precision, PTC, Recce, Rentschler, Reverb, Supernus, Vivozon, X4