In its largest acquisition to date, Incyte Inc. snagged rights to phase III-stage VGA-039, a monoclonal antibody the firm said could offer a new standard of care in von Willebrand disease (VWD), in a buyout of Star Therapeutics’ Vega subsidiary that includes a $1.25 billion up-front payment and up to $750 million tied to the achievement of sales milestones. Incyte execs described the deal as an “important new growth driver” that could build on its hematology franchise, currently led by blockbuster JAK inhibitor Jakafi (ruxolitinib). The announcement was followed shortly by news of another large buyout, Johnson & Johnson’s deal to acquire Firefly Bio Inc. for $1 billion in cash, both moves continuing this year’s trend of firms seeking larger, more strategic M&A transactions.

Nurix signs up its 4^th and largest partnership to develop its BTK degrader

Building on its partnerships with Gilead Sciences Inc., Sanofi SA and Pfizer Inc., Nurix Therapeutics Inc. has brought on Roche Holding AG to help develop bexobrutideg, an oral degrader of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase. Nurix will receive $700 million up front and is eligible for up to $2.4 billion in development, regulatory and sales milestone payments. The companies will split profits and losses from U.S. sales through a co-promotion model, while Roche takes full responsibility for ex-U.S. commercialization in exchange for royalties ranging from the low- to high-teens. Shares of Nurix (NASDAQ:NRIX) were trading up 8.4%, or $1.23, to $15.87 in midday trading.

Tango’s dual-drug approach showing phase I/II promise in PDAC

Shares of Boston-based Tango Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:TNGX) were trading at $27.10, up 34%, or $6.88, on positive initial data from its phase I/II study of vopimetostat (vopi), a PRMT5 inhibitor, paired with Revolution Medicines Inc.’s RAS(ON) inhibitors in patients with MTAP-deleted and RAS-mutant metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) as well as non-small-cell lung cancer. Amid the quantity of results disclosed, “the key signal here is the early response rate and durability being observed with vopi in combination with daraxonrasib [darax] in second-line-and-beyond PDAC (12 evaluable patients), where the combo is reporting a 92% objective response rate [ORR] and six-month progression-free survival [PFS] rate of 90%,” Mizuho analyst Joseph Catanzaro said in a report. Wall Street is comparing the numbers those from Revolution’s RASolute 302 phase III trial, where darax monotherapy in a pure second-line PDAC population reported a 33% ORR and six-month PFS rate of 58.7%. Revolution, of Redwood City, Calif., unveiled the results June 1 at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago.

Competitive approach better than restricting deals with China?

The introduction of the bipartisan Biotech Investment National Security Act in the U.S. House has industry and venture capitalists urging lawmakers to take a breath, step back and consider a less invasive approach when it comes to U.S. biopharma deals with Chinese innovators. Yes, U.S. reliance on China is a national security issue, but banning deals involving biotech innovations coming out of China could result in adverse events, both ethically and competitively, Incubate Coalition Executive Director John Stanford told BioWorld. “Use a scalpel here,” he said. “Throwing biotech [under the Comprehensive Outbound Investment National Security Act mandates] is a sledgehammer.”

Engitix seals GSK deal for targets to reverse liver fibrosis

Extracellular matrix (ECM) specialist Engitix Ltd. is teaming up with GSK plc to delve into the mechanisms underlying regression of fibrosis after treatment for chronic liver disease, and identify and validate new drug targets involved in this process. The work will build on models of ECM remodeling Engitix has developed using tissue samples from patients whose fibrosis regressed following therapy for liver disease. GSK has the option to license assays, datasets and targets, and will lead any further development if it decides to in-license any targets. London-based Engitix is in line for £44.5 million (US$60 million) in up-front and near-term payments, followed by up to $157 million per target in downstream milestones, with sales royalties to follow if any products make it to market.

Skape Bio unlocks GPCR targets with de novo-designed miniproteins

Modulating G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is one of the major challenges in biomedicine. These are flexible proteins with small, deep binding pockets. The scientific community has explored small molecules, antibodies and nanobodies to develop ligands. Skape Bio Inc. is betting on creating miniproteins, a strategy that brings precise solutions for different functions. To do this, they use a combination of computational methods that enables the de novo design of miniproteins that bind to GPCRs, activating or blocking them. Behind this methodology are the Copenhagen-based biotech, Nobel laureate David Baker, and scientists at the University of Washington. With this AI-assisted advance, Skape Bio becomes a pioneer and leader in the field, introducing a new class of biotherapeutics.

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Abcellera, Amneal, Azafaros, Bayer, Chiesi, Climb, Diakonos, Dicot, Fulcrum, Genovyn, Gilead, H. Lundbeck, Innocare, Iqvia, Lakefront, Livanova, Lupin, Medtronic, Mezzion, Nrx, Otsuka, Ouro, Photocure, Retia, Seres, Tandem, Tempest, Travere, Vesica, Vivos