A mysterious turn in the phase IIb story with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) candidate bexotegrast sent shares of Pliant Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:PLRX) down 60.6%, or $4.72, to close Feb. 10 at $3.07.
Sionna Therapeutics Inc. has opened on Nasdaq in the year’s fourth IPO, this one priced at the upper end of its original per-share range at $18. The cystic fibrosis therapy developer is looking for gross proceeds of about $191 million by offering 10.58 million shares of common stock. On Feb. 7, shares (NASDAQ:SION) closed the day 39% upward at $25.
The European Commission on Feb. 5 cleared Shanghai Henlius Biotech Inc.’s serplulimab (HLX-02) under the brand name of Hetronifly as a first-line combination therapy with carboplatin and etoposide to treat extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer.
Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh have tested a broadly neutralizing antibody that binds the stem of a protein against H5N1 avian influenza, which prevented severe disease in nonhuman primates and was effective for at least 8 weeks. The scientists remark on the potential of the design developed by Astrazeneca plc against a possible outbreak of the influenza A virus.
Windward Bio AG was established with plans to both license a drug and establish wet labs to create an internal pipeline of drug candidates. SR One, Omega Funds, RTW Investments, Qiming Venture Partners, Quan Capital and Pivotal Bioventure Partners funded the Basel, Switzerland-based company’s $200 million series A financing round.
Yuhan Corp., Oscotec Inc. and Genosco Inc. were three companies with Asian ties to reap benefit from Johnson & Johnson’s stellar top-line Mariposa study results, wherein J&J’s Rybrevant (amivantamab-vmjw) and Lazcluze (lazertinib) combo regimen beat out Astrazeneca plc’s standard of care in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
SK Bioscience Co. Ltd. won €50 million (₩75.5 billion, US$52.03 million) up front from Sanofi SA to expand an earlier agreement to develop and commercialize novel pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs). The first deal resulted in GBP-410 (SP-0202), its pediatric 21-valent PCV candidate that moved into phase III study last week.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s chief operating officer Stuart Arbuckle said during the Stifel Healthcare Conference in November that his firm’s launch last year of Casgevy (exagamglogene autotemcel) for sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia “was the beginning of diversifying on top of our cystic fibrosis [CF] base” – a base that itself continues to grow.
Kyorin Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has acquired Bayer AG’s phase II obstructive sleep apnea candidate, BAY-2925976, in a deal worth €85M (US$89.3 million) plus sales-based royalties and commercial milestones.
Puretech Health plc has announced phase IIb data showing its reformulation of pirfenidone has improved the tolerability and increased the efficacy of the marketed antifibrotic in the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The tweak on the original molecule involved substituting three hydrogen atoms with three of the heavier counterpart, deuterium, improving stability, whilst retaining the antifibrotic effect.
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