Iaso Biotechnology Co. Ltd. has announced that China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has approved the IND application for IASO-782 injection for a new indication – systemic lupus erythematosus.
Artiva Biotherapeutics Inc. raised $167 million through an upsized IPO, with funds aimed at the development of its lead AlloNK program for systemic lupus erythematosus and other autoimmune indications. Just a few days ago, the San Diego based company had aimed to sell 8.4 million shares between $14 and $16 each, but it raised the number of shares offered to 13.92 million and lowered the price to $12 each. The upsize brings Artiva’s shares outstanding following the IPO to about 22.8 million, giving the company a market cap of $273.6 million based on the IPO price.
Astrazeneca plc has added a novel target for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) to its discovery portfolio through its collaboration with Benevolentai Ltd. The novel target was discovered using Benevolentai’s artificial intelligence (AI) drug discovery platform and experimentally validated by Astrazeneca.
Exo Therapeutics Inc. has presented data on its preclinical program targeting TBK1/STING interaction of the cGAS-STING pathway. The company has identified potent, selective exosite-targeted TBK1/STING inhibitors, optimized properties toward development candidate nomination and demonstrated efficacy across preclinical models.
Scientists at Shanghai Synergy Pharmaceutical Sciences Co. Ltd. and Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd. have synthesized non-receptor tyrosine-protein kinase TYK2 inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and lupus erythematosus.
Researchers from Fate Therapeutics Inc. presented preclinical data for the multiplexed-engineered, off-the-shelf chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) natural killer (NK) cell therapy, FT-522, as a potential therapeutic against autoimmune diseases.
GSK plc has identified cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (MB21D1; cGAS) inhibitors and their prodrugs reported to be useful for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus or lupus nephritis.
The bifunctional antibody approach continues to pay off for Zenas Biopharma Inc., which banked an upsized $200 million series C preferred stock financing led by SR One along with NEA, Norwest Venture Partners and Delos Capital. Enavate Sciences and Longitude Capital participated significantly as well.
Females have a much greater risk of developing an autoimmune disease than males do. Eighty percent of autoimmune disease patients are female, and specific disorders can have an even more lopsided ratio – 90% of systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus) and almost 95% of Sjögren’s disease patients are female.
With an IND filing in systemic lupus erythematosus expected during the third quarter of 2024, Cullinan Therapeutics Inc. changed its name from Cullinan Oncology Inc. and detailed its plans to target autoimmune diseases with CLN-978, a CD19xCD3 T-cell engager.
