Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Achilles, Acticor, Acurx, Aileron, AM-Pharma, Arcutis, Biophytis, Citius, Codagenix, Concert, Curevac, Deciphera, George Medicines, Ildong, I-Mab, Kintara, LG Chem, Marinomed, Nanobiotix, Nicox, Nippon Shinyaku, Novavax, Novocure, Precision Biosciences, Rafael, Savara, XNK.

As confirmed cases and deaths from COVID-19 continue their downward slide, biopharma research efforts remain front and center, providing a new therapeutic for emergency use in the U.S. and high-efficacy phase III data for what could become the country’s fourth vaccine and its first protein subunit option.

New top-line data from Kintara Therapeutics Inc.’s phase II study of its lead candidate, VAL-083, in recurrent glioblastoma multiforme were incrementally better than data released in April, and that’s just fine with CEO Saiid Zarrabian. “Normally, in my experience, top-line data usually regresses a little,” Zarrabian told BioWorld. “The fact that it improved could be a reflection of the small size of the study, but it adds a little more interest to top-line data.”

Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Adocia, Alnylam, Altimmune, Angion, Arrowhead, Atea, Axcella, Bone, Brickell, Compugen, Cynata, Cytokinetics, Diffusion, Embera, Gensight, Histogen, International Stem Cell, Lyra, Madrigal, Meissa, NMD, Novome, Oasmia, Ocuphire, Pharmajet, Retrotope, Saniona, Sellas, Sinovac, Sirnaomics, United, Vedanta.

Shares in Altimmune Inc. and Angion Biomedica Corp. were sharply down after the companies announced trial disappointments from a nasal COVID-19 vaccine and two investigational therapies. Altimmune was worst hit, with shares (NASDAQ:ALT) dropping 38% to $9.80 June 30 after announcing its nasal COVID-19 vaccine did not produce enough immune response and axing an immunotherapy trial after encountering problems finding enough subjects.

Hightide Therapeutics Inc. presented top-line results of its lead program, HTD-1801, from a multicenter phase II trial in primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), which showed the drug candidate reduced alkaline phosphatase levels compared to placebo.

Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Addex, Astrazeneca, Brim, Celularity, Cerevel, Ciclomed, Compass Pathways, Elicio, F-star, Harmony, Horizon, Iovance, Moderna, Orchard, Pfizer, Propella, Synthetic Biologics, Trillium, VBI.

Shares of Sensei Biotherapeutics Inc. (NASADQ:SNSE) fell 16% to $9.10 on June 29 after an announcement by President and CEO John Celebi that the antigen display technology used in its prior lead candidate, SNS-301, "is suboptimal for use in an active cancer vaccine." A phase I/II trial evaluating it will be discontinued, he said. Now, work on a next-generation vaccine, SNS-401-NG, and the monoclonal antibody SNS-VISTA will take precedence in a portfolio reprioritization at the company, with IND-enabling studies for the anti-VISTA program planned to start by the end of 2021 and for the next-gen vaccine in second half of 2022.