Celltrion Inc. announced Oct. 29 the signing of an $87.75 million joint drug R&D agreement with AI and spatial transcriptome-based biotech Portrai Inc.
An examination of X-ray and MRI scans of 518 patients before and after treatment with Levicept Ltd.’s Levi-04 has shown that, in addition to providing significant analgesia, the selective neurotrophin-3 inhibitor may have a disease-modifying effect in osteoarthritis of the knee.
While recent advances in gene therapy have offered unprecedented options for patients with hemophilia, new data presented at the 32nd Annual Congress of the European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ESGCT), held in Seville Oct. 7-10, revealed persistent concerns regarding the durability of these treatments and their potential liver toxicity.
Anaptysbio Inc. said it intends to split into two publicly traded companies – one for developing a pipeline, the other for managing royalties – each with its own business model. The royalty company will hold and manage the rights to big-earning Jemperli (dostarlimab) royalties from collaborator GSK plc, along with imsidolimab milestones and royalties from Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Bar what it described as a “placebo wobble,” Moonlake Therapeutics AG turned in positive results from the phase III trials of sonelokimab in treating hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), only to see its share price take a complete battering. The stock (Nasdaq:MLTX) fell 90%, or $55.75, to close Sept. 29 at $6.24, after the Zug Switzerland-based company published 16-week data from two identical trials, Vela-1 and Vela-2.
While U.S. policymakers are scaling back funding on mRNA vaccine research, Australia is accelerating investment in the technology. At the center of this effort is Moderna Inc., which is establishing an mRNA research and manufacturing footprint in the country and banking on decades of local expertise to bring new therapies to the clinic and serve as a regional hub for Asia Pacific.
Genfleet Therapeutics (Shanghai) Inc. debuted on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on its second attempt at an IPO, raising HK$1.819 billion (US$234 million). Genfleet’s shares (HKEX:2595) rose to HK$44.00 at the opening bell on Sept. 19 and closed at HK$42.10, about 106% higher than the listing price.
Dualitas Therapeutics Inc. exited stealth mode with a $65 million series A investment that was co-led by Versant Ventures and Qiming Venture Partners USA.
South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced Sept. 12 plans to significantly raise drug application fees for biosimilars but slash their review times starting next year.
Bio-Thera Solutions Inc. announced Aug. 26 that the European Commission cleared Usymro (BAT-2206) as a biosimilar to Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s Stelara (ustekinumab). The EMA issued marketing authorization for Usymro on Aug. 14, following the EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use adopting a positive opinion on June 19.