Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc. is suspending further development of voclosporin ophthalmic solution (VOS) for dry eye syndrome after a dose-ranging trial of the candidate failed to meet its primary endpoint of improving a measure of the condition after four weeks of treatment.
A multi-institutional team of researchers has implicated lipid droplets, which are key energy storage units of individual cells, in innate immune defense.
DUBLIN – The cash spigot is still turned on, as two more European firms disclosed series A rounds on Oct. 13. Chord Therapeutics SA took in €16 million (US$18.8 million) to repurpose cladribine for rare autoimmune disorders. Rappta Therapeutics Oy raised €9 million to take forward a novel concept in cancer, focused on developing small-molecule activators of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A).
PERTH, Australia – Regenerative medicine company Mesoblast Ltd. saw its stock drop 37% on the news that it received an FDA complete response letter to its BLA for Ryoncil (remestemcel-L) for the treatment of pediatric steroid-refractory acute graft-vs.-host disease.
Immune Regulation Ltd., a U.S.-U.K. venture advancing peptide-based therapies for rheumatoid arthritis and allergic diseases, has closed a £40.6 million (US$53.4 million) series B financing that will support its preparation for multiple phase II studies next year, as well as an evaluation of one candidate in COVID-19-related acute respiratory distress syndrome. Morningside Ventures led the round, along with existing shareholders, including London-based 24Haymarket.
Synthekine Inc., a California startup developing new medicines for cancer and autoimmune disorders, has closed an $82 million series A financing. The funds will help the company move its two lead programs into the clinic, expand its discovery pipeline and hone its cytokine engineering platforms.
Results from the first trial testing the oral autotaxin inhibitor ziritaxestat in adults with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis have encouraged its originator, Galapagos NV, to explore next steps for the program, it said on Sept. 11.
Corbus Pharmaceuticals Holdings Inc.’s lenabasum having failed its phase III test in diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (SSc), attention turned to prospects with the cannabinoid receptor type 2 agonist for other indications.
Less than a month after would-be competitor DBV Technologies SA suffered a regulatory setback with its peanut allergy patch candidate, Aimmune Therapeutics Inc. – which at the start of the year gained FDA clearance for Palforzia in the same space – is undergoing an all-cash takeover valued at $2.6 billion by Nestle SA unit Nestle Health Science SA.
Annexon Biosciences Inc.’s handsome $250 million IPO this summer verified the mounting interest in its two front-running C1q inhibitors: ANX-005, which has turned up promising phase Ib data in Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), with a phase II/III effort planned for next year, and ANX-007, due to enter a phase II experiment in geographic atrophy (GA) during 2021 as well.
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