Japan’s Healios K.K. is in discussions with Japan’s Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Agenc about the regulatory path forward for its Multistem somatic stem cell products, for which it conducted phase II/III trials in ischemic stroke and a phase II trial in acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Lee’s Pharmaceutical (HK) Ltd. and its affiliate, Zhaoke Pharmaceutical (Hefei) Co. Ltd., expanded their rights to lucinactant Surfaxin, lyophilized lucinactant Surfaxin LS and Aerosurf from Windtree Therapeutics Inc. in a $78.9 million global license deal to develop and commercialize the candidates for the treatment of preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome and other potential indications.
Top-line data from Verona Pharma plc’s phase III ENHANCE-2 study show its inhaled ensifentrine hit the primary and secondary endpoints in treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Next up: data from the companion phase III, ENHANCE-1, which is expected by the end of 2022.
Structure Therapeutics Inc. raised $33 million in a financing round to speed up clinical trials of its lead assets targeting chronic diseases and to improve its technology platform. Previously known as Shouti Inc., the company also has rebranded itself as Structure to “reflect its foundation in structural biology and computational design.”
Genentech Inc. is paying Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals Ltd. $100 million in up-front and near-term payments for the development and commercialization rights to vixarelimab, a fully human monoclonal antibody. Kiniksa also could receive up to approximately $600 million in certain clinical, regulatory and sales-based milestones, as well as royalties on annual net sales.
A paper published March 22 in the journal Chest highlighted research that found patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) who had poor quality of life specifically related to cough were more likely to be hospitalized for respiratory issues, need a lung transplant and die. The findings in 1,447 patients matter because they back previous investigations and provide a way of predicting the advance of ILD, of which idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a prominent type. A handful of companies are working on drugs to tackle cough in IPF, often an early symptom of the disease.
AI-enabled drug discovery company Insilico Medicine Ltd. has raised $60 million in a series D round to support expansion of its pipeline. The Hong Kong and New York-based company will use the proceeds to support clinical testing of its lead asset, a potential treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), as well as the advancement of its Pharma.AI platform.
Bridge Biotherapeutics Inc. inked an exclusive in-license agreement for Shaperon Inc.’s G protein-coupled receptor 19 (GPCR19) agonist, BBT-209, a potential treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Bridge will pay Shaperon ₩2 billion (US$1.63 million) up front. The potential deal value, which includes up-front, milestone, and royalty payments, is ₩30 billion.
AN2 Therapeutics Inc., a company developing a once-daily treatment for people with chronic non-tuberculous mycobacterial lung disease, raised $69 million in an upsized IPO. The offering of 4.6 million shares (NASDAQ:ANTX), initially priced at $15 each, met a modest market reception, with shares rising to $15.40 by market close on March 25. The Menlo Park, Calif.-based company is developing epetraborole, a boron-containing small-molecule inhibitor of bacterial leucyl-tRNA synthetase, in-licensed from Anacor Pharmaceuticals Inc., now part of Pfizer Inc.
While full details of the underlying science are due to be published in a peer reviewed journal, Kither Biotech Srl has announced its closure of an €18.5 million (US$20.4 million) series B financing with which it aims to translate its approach to rare respiratory diseases into the clinic.
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