Grove Biopharma Inc., a spinout from Northwestern University targeting intracellular protein-protein interactions with a novel synthetic biology-based approach, has closed a $30 million series A financing. Proceeds will be used to further advance Grove Biopharma’s Bionic Biologics platform and drive its lead oncology programs toward the clinic.
Acquired resistance to doxorubicin significantly reduces its therapeutic efficacy, limiting its clinical use in breast cancer treatment. Pan-AKR1C inhibitors have demonstrated potential in restoring drug sensitivity in resistant cancer cells.
Europe was a bigger counterpart to China in pharmaceutical dealmaking than the U.S. last year, speakers at Chinabio Partnering Forum said April 23, and the trend is likely to continue in 2025 with the shuttering of U.S. capital and volatility ailing global markets.
Ascentage Pharma Group Corp. Ltd. said two of its novel candidates have been included in the 2025 Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology Guidelines, including its in-house developed Bcl-2 selective inhibitor, lisaftoclax (APG-2575), which is under review in China and could be the first domestically approved Bcl-2 inhibitor and the second global approval.
Synthetic lethality specialist Tessellate Bio NV has closed its first deal, agreeing to a €500 million-plus (US$570 million) research and license agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, to develop small molecules targeting tumors that depend on alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) for their growth.
Veraxa Biotech AG is merging with special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Voyager Acquisition Corp. to become a publicly traded company that will develop treatments for solid tumors.
Ensem Therapeutics Inc. has gained IND clearance from the FDA for ETX-636, a novel allosteric pan-mutant-selective PI3Kα inhibitor and degrader. A first-in-human trial will begin this quarter. The phase I/II study will evaluate ETX-636 administered alone and in combination with fulvestrant in participants with advanced solid tumors, including breast cancer, harboring a PI3Kα mutation.