Oxford Biotherapeutics is partnering with Roche AG to expand the current field of tumor antigens that can be drugged with antibodies, as part of a potential $1 billion-plus agreement. The agreement will see Oxford Biotherapeutics apply its membrane protein discovery platform to search for novel cancer cell antigens, which will be validated through the research collaboration, with Roche then taking the lead in advancing any resulting antibody programs. While it will be eligible for up to $36 million in up-front payments, there are no details of the number of targets Oxford Biotherapeutics will aim to uncover, the types of antibody constructs, or the timescale of the agreement.

Black Diamond lands $780M Servier deal for RAS/RAF candidate

Black Diamond Therapeutics Inc. is getting $70 million up front and could earn up to $710 million in milestone payments in a deal with Servier, which is picking up rights to phase I-stage BDTX-4933, a small-molecule candidate targeting both RAS mutations and RAF alternations for treating solid tumors, including non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It’s a particularly encouraging agreement, given that the drug had been “deprioritized” late last year as Black Diamond directed its resources to its more advanced candidate, BDTX-1535, a brain-penetrant EGFR receptor inhibitor expected to yield phase II NSCLC data in 2025. The company’s shares (NASDAQ:BDTX) were trading up 30% at midday.

Immunovant FcRn blocker batoclimab wins in MG, CIPD

Immunovant Inc. reported top-line results from its phase III study with FcRn inhibitor batoclimab in myasthenia gravis (MG) and first data from period 1 of the phase IIb study in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). The data look promising, with deeper IgG reduction levels turning up good results in MG and CIDP. The New York-based firm intends to use the findings to help advance next-generation FcRn prospect IMVT-1402 in both indications and is planning to run potentially registrational studies. The U.S. FDA has granted IND clearance. Shares of Immunovant (NASDAQ:IMVT) were trading at $20.10, up $1.31.

Humanized antibody prevents angioinvasion of fungi causing mucormycosis

Mucormycosis, a fungal infection caused by fungi from the order Mucorales, can cause severe disease, especially in immunocompromised subjects. These fungi are ubiquitous and can be found in environmental sources such as crop residues and soil. Among the multiple factors that increase the risk of mucormycosis infection are immunosuppression and diabetes mellitus. The infection is highly invasive, with a mortality rate exceeding 40%, and closer to 100% in individuals where the infection is disseminated and in patients with neutropenia who are unable to mount a defense against infection, thus representing an area of unmet need. In a paper appearing March 12, 2025, in Science Translational Medicine, researchers from Vitalex Biosciences LLC, Lundquist Institute, Harbor-University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center and other collaborators describe humanizing a murine C2 antibody, as a step toward translating a mAb developed for mucormycosis into a clinical candidate. The humanized antibody, VX-01, targets the Mucorales spore coat protein (CotH3), which are fungal invasins that bind to glucose-regulated protein 78 and integrins in host cells.

Legislation would authorize AI to write prescriptions

The unrelenting pressure on medical practice in the U.S. has sparked some innovations, but a legislative innovation is now in the works that would fundamentally shift how at least some drugs are prescribed. The Healthy Technology Act of 2025 (H.R. 238) would allow AI and machine learning algorithms to write prescriptions for pharmaceuticals, although the lack of co-sponsors for H.R. 238 suggests that this bill is not ready for prime time just yet. H.R. 238 is premised on the notion that the FDA must clear or approve such an algorithm, and that a state has signed off on the AI before the algorithm can be deployed there. As medical software, the device would fall under the jurisdiction of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, which would likely view such a product as more than an example of a clinical decision support product.

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