Fennec Pharmaceuticals Inc. has out-licensed its chemoprotective formulation of sodium thiosulfate, Pedmarqsi, to Norgine BV for €40 million (US$44 million) up front and up to an additional €210 million (US$229 million) in commercial and regulatory milestones. The injectable drug reduces the risk of cisplatin-induced ototoxicity in pediatric patients 1 month and older with localized, nonmetastatic solid tumors.
Chinese biotechs Biotheus Inc. and Hansoh Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd. partnered again under a new potential ¥5 billion (US$698.98 million) deal to develop bispecific antibody-drug conjugates (BsADCs), using Biotheus’ EGFR-cMet bispecific antibody.
The U.K. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has released a preliminary health technology assessment for three modules of the Proknow series of software systems by Stockholm-based Elekta AB, which may improve the delivery of radiotherapy services across the U.K. However, NICE indicated it wants to see more evidence regarding the impact of these software modules on radiotherapy treatment plans.
Scientists at Taipei Medical University in Taiwan have developed a compound that could prevent resistance to temozolomide in the chemical treatment of glioblastoma.
Shanghai Allist Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. has patented nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds acting as GTPase KRAS, particularly G12D or G12V mutant, inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer.
Abbvie Inc. has prepared and tested new antibody-drug conjugates comprising an antibody targeting seizure protein 6 homolog (SEZ6) covalently linked to DNA topoisomerase I inhibitors through a linker.
Asgard Therapeutics AB has raised €30 million (US$32.8 million) in a series A round to advance a novel approach to cancer immunotherapy, in which it is proposed to reprogram cancer cells into functional antigen-presenting dendritic cells in vivo, activating a host immune response against the tumor.
Two sNDAs, one from Bristol Myers Squibb Co. (BMS) and the other from Mirum Pharmaceuticals Inc., have received U.S. FDA approval to further expand their treatment indications.
Medical Korea 2024 opened to a large audience in Seoul, South Korea for a two-day run to highlight advances in the medical field, including those in radiotherapy.