Finding ways to turn “cold” tumors “hot” remains an ambition pursued by drug developers with differing approaches – combination regimens hold particular appeal – and one up-and-comer in the effort that has gained the notice of Wall Street lately is Carisma Therapeutics Inc. Philadelphia-based Carisma is advancing CT-0508, an autologous HER2-targeted CAR-macrophage therapy in phase I, used alongside Keytruda (pembrolizumab), the PD-1 receptor binder from Merck & Co. Inc.
Extending its efforts in the booming antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) space, Beigene Co. Ltd. tapped Duality Biologics Co. Ltd. in a deal that could be worth a potential $1.3 billion, picking up an option for rights to a preclinical-stage ADC candidate targeting select solid tumors. It marks the seventh $1 billion-plus ADC-focused deal so far in 2023 and the second for Dualitybio, which inked a potential $1.7 billion deal in April.
Nanobiotix SA has landed Johnson & Johnson Inc. subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceutica NV as commercialization partner for NBTXR-3, a radioenhancer for boosting the effectiveness of standard radiotherapy, in a deal worth up to $1.86 billion for the initial indications. That headline figure covers current programs in head and neck cancers and lung cancers. There is the potential for Nanobiotix to earn up to $650 million more if Janssen decides to pursue up to five new indications that it will select, while for new indications that Nanobiotix selects to develop in alignment with Janssen, Nanobiotix will receive up to $220 million per program.
China’s Center for Drug Evaluation and South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety cleared Transcenta Holdings to begin phase III pivotal trials of osemitamab (TST-001) in combination with nivolumab and chemotherapy for first-line treatment of HER2-negative, Claudin 18.2 expressing locally advanced or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal cancer.
Theralase Technologies Inc. has pioneered technology said to selectively infiltrate and kill non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) at the cellular level. Bladder cancer generally is the 10th most common cancer in the world (6th in men and 17th in women), and gradually showing up in greater numbers in other patient groups.
Five months after raising $45 million, Lunaphore Technologies SA reported its consent to be acquired by Bio-Techne Corp., a reagents and instruments manufacturer for the diagnostic market. This acquisition by the Nasdaq-listed bio-tech giant, “will enable us to begin a worldwide commercial rollout of our products and automated spatial biology technology,” Ata Tuna Ciftlik, co-founder and CEO of Lunaphore Technologies, told BioWorld. The amount of the transaction was not disclosed. This acquisition is expected to close in the third quarter of 2023.
Biopolar Hongye (Nantong) Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. and Hangzhou Hertz Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. have described apoptosis regulator Bcl-2 wild-type, Bcl-2 (D103Y mutant) and/or Bcl-2 (G101V mutant) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer, infections, immunological and inflammatory disorders.
Oncobix Co. Ltd. has divulged novel heterocyclic-substituted pyrimidine derivatives acting as ALK tyrosine kinase receptor inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer.
Shanghai Visonpharma Co. Ltd. has identified pyridine[4,3-d]pyrimidine compounds acting as Toll-Like receptor 7 (TLR7) and TLR8 agonists reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer and viral infection.
Nanjing Zenshine Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. has disclosed fused heterocyclic compounds acting as phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase α (PI3Kα) (H1047R mutant) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer.
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