A primary endpoint failure but with outstanding estimated glomerular filtration rates and impressive safety data in the phase II trial called Bestow are adding up to plans for later-stage work with Eledon Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s tegoprubart (tego) for preventing rejection in de novo kidney transplant.
Memo Therapeutics AG is laying plans to advance its BK polyomavirus neutralizing monoclonal antibody potravitug into phase III development after reporting positive phase II results in treating infections in immunocompromised kidney transplant patients.
Accunea Ltd.’s bioanalysis technology, Renosure, can measure creatinine clearance in machine perfused kidneys, according to data presented at the recent European Society of Organ Transplantation 2025.
In a deal worth up to $1.8 billion, Biogen Inc. is buying Human Immunology Biosciences Inc. (Hibio), bolstering its late-stage immune-disease treatment portfolio and diversifying its pipeline. The massive amount comprises $1.15 billion up front and as much as $650 in potential milestone payments. The deal in rare diseases brings Biogen phase III-ready felzartamab, a fully human monoclonal antibody that selectively depletes CD38-positive plasma cells and natural killer cells. Hibio also is developing izastobart, an anti-C5aR1 antibody. Both assets were in-licensed from Morphosys AG in June 2022. Hibio also has mast cell programs in the discovery stage.
Memo Therapeutics AG has added a further CHF20 million (US$22 million) to its series C, bringing the total for the round to CHF45 million and enabling the company to expand the phase II trial of its lead program, AntiBKV, in neutralizing BK virus infection in immune compromised kidney transplant recipients.
Eledon Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s tegoprubart, an investigational anti-CD40 ligand antibody, was used as part of the immunosuppressive regimen after the first-ever transplant of a kidney from a genetically modified pig to a human. The tegoprubart procedure was done March 16 at Massachusetts General Hospital on a 62-year-old man with end-stage renal disease.
Tolerogenixx GmbH raised €7 million (US$7.6 million) in an extension to its series A round, which will enable it to continue phase IIb development of a cell therapy that induces donor-specific immune tolerance in kidney transplant recipients. At the same time, the company disclosed five-year follow-up data from a phase Ib trial of the therapy, which demonstrated that recipients continue to have stable graft function and to avoid acute rejection and severe opportunistic infections while on a reduced regimen of immunosuppressive drugs.
Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. has received FDA clearance of its IND application to support a phase I trial with TNX-1500, an anti-CD40L monoclonal antibody. The first indication Tonix is seeking for TNX-1500 is the prevention of organ rejection in patients receiving a kidney transplant. Enrollment in the phase I study is expected to open in the third quarter of this year.
The limited state of current clinical transplantation science was recently the subject of an opinion piece from an individual that received her first heart transplant at just 25 years of age only to soon succumb at the age of 60 to one of the many risky outcomes expected for anyone taking standard requisite immunosuppression regimens used for any transplantation, in her case terminal cancer.
Verici Dx plc reported positive results in the initial validation of its pre-transplant blood test for predicting the risk of early acute kidney rejection.
