“Men in general have been playing golf for a longer time – in those old boy networks we still haven’t tapped into.” It may seem far-fetched, but that is put forward as a reason for underinvestment in women’s health companies. The argument goes that women heading women’s health startups find it hard to raise money because their networks are weaker, making it harder to tap into investment networks.
As companies continually search for next-generation obesity prospects, one of the leaders in the disease space, Novo Nordisk A/S, has obtained an exclusive license to a preclinical-stage, first-in-class, small-molecule inhibitor of Acyl-CoA synthetase 5 (ACSL5) developed by Lexicon Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Sotio Biotech AS is exercising an option under a license and option agreement to obtain a license to Synaffix BV’s technology to develop two bispecific antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) programs for solid tumors.
Kyorin Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has out-licensed its preclinical candidate, KRP-M223, and its back-up compounds to Novartis Pharma AG in a deal worth up to $777.5 million. Under the terms, Novartis gains an exclusive worldwide license to develop, manufacture and commercialize Kyorin-discovered KRP-M223.
Ellipses Pharma Ltd. has agreed to in-license global rights to GENA-104, a first-in-class immuno-oncology monoclonal antibody that targets CNTN4, from Genome & Co. Ltd. Targeting CNTN4 is a new approach that blocks the CNTN4-APP checkpoint interaction on T cells, promoting tumor cell killing, with potential use in cancers that respond poorly to conventional checkpoint inhibitors.
Tevogen Bio Holdings Inc. has expanded its relationship with Microsoft Corp. to broaden their AI-focused collaboration and build its Predictcell technology for predictive precision T-cell targeting.
A year after its $175 million IPO in 2024, Arrivent Biopharma Inc. picked up rights to develop and commercialize Lepu Biopharma Co. Ltd.’s antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) candidate, MRG-007, worldwide excluding the greater China region.
Immvention Therapeutix Inc. has entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Novo Nordisk A/S to co-develop oral therapies for sickle cell disease and other chronic conditions.
Arrivent Biopharma Inc. has entered into an exclusive license agreement with Lepu Biopharma Co. Ltd. for MRG-007, an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) in development for gastrointestinal cancers.