Xortx Therapeutics Inc. has entered into a binding term sheet to acquire a renal anti-fibrotic therapeutic program from Vectus Biosystems Ltd., including a novel new chemical entity, VB4-P5.
Researchers from Gedeon Richter plc have reported the discovery of novel dual vasopressin V1A/V2 antagonist drug candidates for the potential treatment of hyponatremia.
Purespring Therapeutics Ltd. has raised £80 million (US$104.6 million) in a series B, putting it on course to be the first to take a gene therapy for a kidney disease into the clinic. The money enables the company to move the lead program, PS-002, for the treatment of IgA nephropathy to clinical proof of concept and advance programs in other complement-mediated kidney diseases, and in an undisclosed glomerular kidney disease.
Purespring Therapeutics Ltd. has raised £80 million (US$104.6 million) in a series B, putting it on course to be the first to take a gene therapy for a kidney disease into the clinic. The money enables the company to move the lead program, PS-002, for the treatment of IgA nephropathy to clinical proof of concept and advance programs in other complement-mediated kidney diseases, and in an undisclosed glomerular kidney disease.
Shanghai Micurx Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has discovered peptide-drug conjugates consisting of peptide-targeting kidney cells covalently linked to anti-inflammatory or immunomodulating or nephron-protective drugs through linkers reported to be useful for the treatment of acute kidney injury, nephritis, chronic kidney disease, chronic glomerulonephritis, diabetic nephropathy and systemic lupus erythematosus, among others.
Coming off a tough year for raising money, Cadrenal Therapeutics Inc. is leading the charge into a new year by completing 2023’s first U.S. IPO. The company closed its IPO of 1.4 million shares at $5 each for $7 million. The stock (NASDAQ:CVKD) began trading Jan. 20 and closed 9.37% downward on Jan. 25 at $2.90 per share.
Medtronic plc and Davita Inc. have agreed to form a new company focused on therapies for renal disease, which will require Medtronic to donate its current kidney care business to the new company. Davita in turn would have to produce $75 million in cash and another $25 million in other assets, but would also have to make as much as $300 million in other payments, depending on the accomplishment of certain milestones. The news comes as Medtronic reports mildly disappointing sales results for the company’s fourth quarter while opening a new front in the two companies’ presence in the renal disease space.
PERTH, Australia – In the second multi-billion-dollar pharma merger this week, CSL Ltd. has announced plans to buy Vifor Pharma Ltd. for an equity value of $11.7 billion. It’s also the second largest biopharma merger of 2021, a whisker above Merck & Co Inc.’s $11.5 billion acquisition of Acceleron Pharma Inc. in November, although way off Astrazeneca plc’s $39 billion buy of Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc. in July.
Everest Medicines Ltd. has in-licensed a Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor for the treatment of renal diseases from Suzhou Sinovent Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. and Sinomab Bioscience Ltd. in a deal worth up to $561 million. Everest gained global rights to develop, produce and commercialize the candidate, XNW-1011.
Merck & Co. Inc. is bringing in Amathus Therapeutics Inc. to collaborate on developing small molecules to treat neurodegenerative disease. The deal is one of several in the past 18 months that has expanded Merck’s presence in the space.
