Shouyao Holdings Co. Ltd. raised ¥1.48 billion ($233 million) in a listing on the Shanghai STAR Market to support the company’s ongoing clinical programs, led by a second-generation anaplastic lymphoma kinase inhibitor. Company shares (SHA:688197) debuted at ¥39.90, then fell 19.5% to close at ¥32.11 on March 23.
As congressional scrutiny of the U.S. FDA’s accelerated approval path continues, the agency is focusing research efforts into appropriate disclosure on direct-to-consumer websites about a drug’s accelerated approval and the status of confirmatory trials. Previous research by the FDA’s Office of Prescription Drug Promotion (OPDP) found that 27% of DTC websites providing information about a drug with accelerated approval don’t disclose that the products are on the market through accelerated approval.
Researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine have turned pancreatic cancer’s immunosuppressive properties, and mechanisms, against itself. The team have used the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes as a delivery vehicle for tetanus toxoid protein, a highly immunogenic antigen that is used in childhood tetanus vaccinations. In mouse models of pancreatic cancer, treatment reduced both primary tumors and metastases, and extended survival.
Diagnostic imaging group Bracco Imaging SpA signed a licensing and collaboration agreement with Philochem AG. The companies will focus on developing and commercializing a small molecule for diagnostic imaging applications that can detect metastatic solid tumors in cancer patients.
In its drive to rewrite the rules of the tumor microenvironment so it can capture of the holy grail of successfully battling solid tumors by using T cells, Affini-T Therapeutics Inc. has completed an oversubscribed $175 million. The focus is to develop multiple oncogene driver programs for treating solid tumors such as those with mutated KRAS variants into the clinic, pursue complementary technology licenses to strengthen its cell therapy platform and to optimize its discovery engine.
Oric Pharmaceuticals Inc. is quitting development of ORIC-101 after interim analyses of two phase Ib studies concluded that the clinical activity does not justify going forward with the compound. The company was testing ORIC-101, a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist, combined with Abraxane in various solid tumors and paired with Xtandi in metastatic prostate cancer.
Spotlight Therapeutics Inc., a company developing cell-targeted in vivo CRISPR gene editing biologics, has raised $36.5 million in series B financing to support advancement of its first-in-class immuno-oncology program and further applications of its in-house technology platform. The financing round was co-led by new investors GordonMD Global Investments and Epiq Capital Group, with participation from Magnetic Ventures, as well as existing investors GV, Emerson Collective and others.
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