Mestag Therapeutics Ltd. has raised a $40 million round from existing investors as it completes final preparations for its lead program MST-0312 to enter clinical development in mid-2026. MST-0312 is a bispecific antibody aimed at the lymphotoxin-β receptor (LTBR), which is essential for the development of lymphoid tissues.
Akeso Inc.’s first-in-class trispecific antibody, AK-150, has received IND clearance from China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for clinical trials in patients with advanced solid tumors. Engineered using Akeso’s AI-driven drug discovery platform and its proprietary Tetrabody technology, AK-150 is a humanized anti-CSF-1R, ILT2 and ILT4 trispecific antibody that achieves multipathway blockade of both innate and adaptive immunity.
Two biotech and three med-tech companies are slated for Kosdaq debuts this month, signaling a potential rebound for Korea financings in 2026. Kanaph Therapeutics Inc. will open with a ₩40 billion (US$26.99 million) raise and Imbiologics Corp. will debut with ₩52 billion. Additionally, Mezoo Co. Ltd., Cosmo Robotics Co. Ltd. and Recensmedical Inc. will launch IPOs.
U.K. biopharma is working with the country’s space agency and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to plot a route for manufacturing biologic drugs in low earth orbit.
The signaling axis orchestrated by OX40L-OX40 is a T-cell costimulatory pathway implicated in multiple autoimmune diseases, such as atopic dermatitis (AD). Antibodies targeting this pathway have proven useful at treating AD in the clinical setting. Earendil Labs recently presented data regarding HXN-1021, an anti-OX40L antibody with potent activity and extended half-life, in vivo.
IgE is known to drive allergic disease, and omalizumab is the only approved anti-IgE antibody to date that has shown suboptimal IgE affinity and limited use in scenarios with high IgE levels.
Belgian pharma giant UCB SA is putting skin in the bispecific T-cell engager (TCE) game, announcing a potential $1.1 billion deal to license Antengene Corp.’s ATG-201. ATG-201 is a CD19/CD3 bispecific TCE antibody aimed at autoimmune disorders, though specific indications were not disclosed.
Antiverse Ltd. has announced the close of a $9.3 million series A financing. The funding will support expansion of the company’s proprietary AI antibody design platform, accelerate development of its internal therapeutic pipeline, and advance lead antibody programs toward in vivo efficacy studies.
Broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) target conserved HIV envelope regions to neutralize diverse strains, eliminate infected cells and reduce viral reservoirs, complementing antiretroviral therapy and supporting prevention and functional cure strategies.