Candid Therapeutics Inc. launched with ex-China control of two bispecific T-cell engager antibodies that it plans to develop for autoimmune diseases. The San Diego-based company will start off with a pocketful of cash, having raised over $370 million for the development of the in-licensed candidates.

Distinguishing between contract law and patent law, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled against a Merck KGaA subsidiary, saying Ares Trading SA is still on the hook for paying royalties to a research partner through 2027 on sales of its cancer drug Bavencio (avelumab), a PD-L1 inhibitor granted accelerated approval in 2017 as a treatment for metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma.

Highfield Biopharmaceuticals Inc. has filed an IND application with China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) to conduct a clinical trial of HF-50, an immunoliposome that directs T cells to attack solid tumors and enhances anticancer activity with an immune modulator.

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is an IL-6 type cytokine involved in the inflammatory response, stem cell self-renewal and tumor progression, that binds to LIFR and gp130 on the cell surface. LIF is overexpressed in several types of cancer such as pancreatic, breast or prostate cancer and thus is considered a therapeutic target for the treatment of cancer.

After decades of being woefully under-diagnosed and all but ignored by the biotech and pharma industry, recent advances in understanding its complex etiology could be opening the way to new treatments for endometriosis. Impetus is coming from (modest) increases in funding for basic research, such as the Biden administration’s $200 million for women’s health research and NIH grants under an ‘Advancing cures and therapies and ending endometriosis diagnostic delays’ call announced in March of this year.

Instil Bio Inc. plans re-energize the company by in-licensing the development and commercial rights to antibodies outside of China from Shanghai-based Immuneonco Biopharmaceuticals Inc. In return, Immuneonco is getting an undisclosed up-front payment and the chance for near-term payments of up to $50 million.