The axolotl, which can regenerate many of its body parts, was the inspiration for Walking Fish Therapeutics Inc., which just closed on a $50 million series A financing to advance its B-cell therapies for oncology, rare disease, regenerative medicine, autoimmune disease and recombinant antibody production.
Sanofi SA has added to its general medicines portfolio with a $1.9 billion acquisition of Kadmon Holding Inc. and its recently-approved graft-vs.-host disease drug Rezurock (belumosudil).
Less than six months after closing a $55 million series A round, Asher Biotherapeutics Inc. has added another $108 million in a series B round to accelerate development of its early stage pipeline of targeted cytokine-based immunotherapies for cancer, autoimmune disease and infection.
Hebecell Corp. closed on a $53 million series A funding to continue advancing its off-the-shelf pluripotent stem cell CAR-natural killer cell (PSC-CAR-NK) therapy program into the clinic. Allen Feng, Hebecell’s chief scientific officer, has worked in stem cell development for more than 16 years. He’s seen a lot of technological change, especially in the past two years. Everyone is using the same technology, he said, but added that Hebecell’s technology is different from anyone else’s. It’s much simpler technology and has “very good potential” to move into large-scale industrial production.
Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc. has added two potential drugs to its pipeline targeting autoimmune and kidney-related diseases through an acquisition and a licensing deal. Victoria, British Columbia-based Aurinia is building on its first ever FDA approval at the beginning of the year, for Lupkynis (voclosporin) for treating active lupus nephritis in adults.
Gentibio Inc. has raised $157 million to develop its engineered regulatory T cells (Tregs), setting itself a target to cure type 1 diabetes and treat other diseases caused by the immune system. Boston-based Gentibio launched in August last year with $20 million seed funding from Orbimed, Novartis Venture Fund and RA Capital. Those investors stayed on into the next round, which was led by Matrix Capital Management with participation by Avidity Partners and JDRF T1D Fund.
LONDON – Mestag Therapeutics Ltd. has closed a hefty $45 million seed round to advance development of antibodies targeting activated fibroblasts, in the treatment of cancer and immune diseases.
After a long and tortuous development Astrazeneca plc’s anifrolumab has been approved by the FDA for the autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), setting up a rivalry with its U.K.-based counterpart Glaxosmithkline plc. The first-in-class type 1 interferon receptor antibody, the first new drug for the disease in a decade, will be marketed under the brand name Saphnelo for adults with moderate to severe disease who are receiving standard therapy.
LONDON – Topas Therapeutics GmbH announced the close of a series B round at €40 million (US$47.5 million), to take forward its two lead immune tolerizing programs. The first, TPM-203, is in clinical development for the treatment of the rare, severe autoimmune skin disorder pemphigus vulgaris, while the second, TPM-502, is due to enter the clinic in celiac disease before the end of the year.
Six weeks ahead of its PDUFA date, Kadmon Holdings Inc.’s NDA for Rezurock (belumosudil) has been approved to treat chronic graft-vs.-host disease. The selective oral inhibitor of Rho-associated coiled-coil kinase 2, a daily treatment for patients 12 and older after failure of at least two prior lines of systemic therapy, is the New York-based company’s first approved therapy.