The White House laid out several timelines Oct. 18 as part of a national biodefense strategy for countering biological threats and enhancing global pandemic preparedness.
Differences in individual responses to COVID-19 vaccines have been linked directly to different human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles and it has been shown that people carrying one specific variant, HLA-DQB1*06, generate higher antibody responses and are better protected from SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Nanoviricides Inc. has completed its IND-enabling preclinical drug development tasks pertaining to NV-CoV-2 for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection and is working to prepare an IND application to submit to the FDA.
PT Etana Biotechnologies Indonesia secured a series B financing of undisclosed value, led by Chinese investors that include Jack Ma’s Yunfeng Capital and Highlight Capital. The funds will be used to strengthen the company's pipeline and to expand its local manufacturing capacity.
While biopharma grants and company deals with nonprofits and government entities have dropped below each of the last two years, the volume of activity for non-pandemic-related efforts has remained steady. A total of 837 biopharma-nonprofit deals and grants combined so far this year are worth $10.8 billion, which is down by 21.6% over last year’s $13.7 billion and by 15.6% over 2021’s 992 volume. Also down are the deals and grants focused on the COVID-19 pandemic.
A phase IIb trial of nangibotide in septic shock has demonstrated preliminary signs of efficacy in a subset of biomarker-defined patients and provided its developer, Inotrem SA, with a dataset that will inform the design of a registration program for the drug. Subject to agreement from regulatory agencies, the company aims to move the triggering receptor on myeloid cells 1 inhibitor into a first phase III trial in early 2024. “We should have a clearer picture by the beginning of the second next year,” CEO Sven Zimmermann told BioWorld.
It was a busy day at Moderna Inc. as Merck & Co. Inc. exercised its option to jointly develop and commercialize a personalized cancer vaccine with Moderna in a deal the two companies inked in 2016. Moderna also notched another emergency use authorization (EUA) for its COVID-19 vaccine, this one targeting the omicron variant, for use by those under age 18.
Aim Vaccine Co. Ltd. priced an IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, raising HK$70.01 million (US$9 million) to fund work on its late-stage vaccine pipeline. Its shares increased only 3.09% on debut Oct. 6 but closed the week at HK$24.80, up 54% over its listing price of HK$16.16.
The factors why the clinical outcomes during infection with SARS-CoV-2 virus are highly heterogenous remains poorly understood. Apolipoprotein E (APOE) is a secreted protein with roles in lipid metabolism; interestingly, APOE has been shown to modulate immunity, including infection and antitumor immunity.
Aim Vaccine Co. Ltd. priced an IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, raising HK$70.01 million (US$9 million) to fund work on its late-stage vaccine pipeline. Its shares increased only 3.09% on debut Oct. 6 but closed the week at HK$24.80, up 54% over its listing price of HK$16.16.
