Merus NV added Gilead Sciences Inc. to its collaboration roster, entering a deal potentially worth more than $1.5 billion. While its previous agreements have focused primarily on bispecific antibodies, the Gilead alliance takes aim at trispecifics, antibodies capable of binding three targets at once. In other news, shares of Biomx Inc. (NYSE:PHGE) jumped 194% March 6, ending the day at 68 cents, up 45 cents, on news that it was merging with fellow phage-focused company Adaptive Phage Therapeutics Inc. and raised $50 million in a concurrent private placement.
Nuvalent Inc. has disclosed new heteroaromatic macrocyclic ether compounds acting as proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase ROS (ROS1; MCF3) and/or ALK tyrosine kinase receptor inhibitors potentially useful for the treatment of cancer.
Bristol Myers Squibb Co. has identified tetrazole derivatives acting as diacylglycerol kinase α (DGK-α; DGKA) and/or diacylglycerol kinase ζ (DGK-ζ; DGKZ) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer and viral infections.
Sonata Therapeutics Inc. and the Champalimaud Foundation have announced a research collaboration for the development of Sonata’s SNT-3012 for the treatment of pancreatic and colorectal cancers.
Monopar Therapeutics Inc. has released promising preclinical imaging data of a therapeutic radioisotope bound to its proprietary urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR)-targeting agent, MNPR-101.
Crossbow Therapeutics Inc. has nominated its first development candidate, CBX-250, a first-in-class, potent and specific T-cell engager (TCE) for the treatment of myeloid leukemia. CBX-250 targets a cathepsin G (CTSG) peptide-human leukocyte antigen (pHLA) complex abundantly expressed on leukemic cells, but not on normal cells.
The EMA validated two marketing approval applications of Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd. and Astrazeneca plc’s antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) datopotamab deruxtecan (dato-dxd) on Mar. 4, for two types of lung and breast cancer.
A new spinout from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, is tackling biology to better understand immune cell function and to find targets that were thought to be undruggable.