LONDON – Aviadobio Ltd. has raised $80 million in a series A round to take a precision microdosed gene therapy for treating familial frontotemporal dementia into a phase I/II clinical trial.
While discussing positive data on its lead candidate lenzilumab for treating hospitalized COVID-19 patients, Humanigen Inc.’s CEO sparred a bit with the FDA and its refusal to grant the treatment emergency use authorization. The monoclonal antibody, Cameron Durrant told investors on a Dec. 2 call, could possibly have saved 60,000 to 70,000 patients while the company waits for another meeting with the FDA.
Ursula Matulonis, a co-principal investigator in the latest study with Immunogen Inc.’s antibody-drug conjugate mirvetuximab soravtansine in stubborn ovarian cancer, said the top-line data are “truly spectacular” and bring “the potential to be transformative for patients.”
LONDON – Quell Therapeutics Ltd. has raised $156 million in an oversubscribed series B, enabling it to start a phase I/II trial of its engineered T regulatory (Treg) cell therapy for promoting long-term immune tolerance in liver transplant patients, averting the need for chronic immunosuppression.
Shares of Krystal Biotech Inc. (NASDAQ:KRYS) rocketed 121.7% higher, to $88.44 on Nov. 29, after top-line data showed its investigational gene therapy for dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB) achieved the primary endpoint of a pivotal phase III trial, healing 67% of skin wounds associated with the disease vs. placebo at six months.
Molnupiravir, the take-at-home pill from Merck & Co. Inc. hailed as a potential game-changer against COVID-19, is not as effective as previously thought, according to newly released trial data from the company.
Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Akcea, Astrazeneca, Avrobio, Cytodyn, Gilead, Hutchmed, Index, Ionis, Merck & Co., Pfizer.