Three years ago when Keting Chu pondered the name for a new biopharma company that would fold in infectious disease assets from Novartis AG, she looked out over her West Coast backyard. “I was looking for a name that made you think of California,” she told BioWorld. She nixed the idea of incorporating redwood trees into the name, but then she saw the blue jays flying around those trees and thought, “that’s a beautiful bird.” Hence, Chu founded and became CEO of Bluejay Therapeutics Inc., first raising $20 million through a series A in June 2021 and a $41 million series B in August 2022. On May 9, the San Mateo, Calif.-based company closed a $182 million series C round, with plans to accelerate development of lead compound BJT-778 to treat chronic hepatitis D virus, a condition for which there are no approved therapeutics in the U.S.
Memo Therapeutics AG has added a further CHF20 million (US$22 million) to its series C, bringing the total for the round to CHF45 million and enabling the company to expand the phase II trial of its lead program, AntiBKV, in neutralizing BK virus infection in immune compromised kidney transplant recipients.
The bifunctional antibody approach continues to pay off for Zenas Biopharma Inc., which banked an upsized $200 million series C preferred stock financing led by SR One along with NEA, Norwest Venture Partners and Delos Capital. Enavate Sciences and Longitude Capital participated significantly as well.
The administration of a cross-reactive monoclonal antibody (MAb) protected hamsters and African green monkeys (AGM) several days after Nipah virus (NiV) infection.
The FDA has cleared Oncoc4 Inc.’s IND application for ONC-841, a potential first-in-class Siglec-10-blocking antibody for the treatment of solid tumors.
Samsung Bioepis Co. Ltd. and Celltrion Inc. are making headway in Europe and U.S. with respective follow-on biologic products, with Samsung Bioepis the latest to gain EMA approval for Pyzchiva, a Stelara (ustekinumab, Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc.) biosimilar, on April 23.
An oral Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor that Sanofi SA acquired in 2020 through its $3.68 billion buyout of Principia Biopharma Inc. is headed toward regulatory filings in the U.S and EU by the end of the year, following phase III data in immune thrombocytopenia.
The leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor B2 (LILRB2), also known as ILT4, is an immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif (ITIM)-containing receptor that is widely expressed on immunosuppressive myeloid cells in the tumor microenvironment.
Spikimm SAS has signed an exclusive collaboration and license option agreement with SATT Conectus Alsace SAS for monoclonal antibodies targeting the BK virus. Reactivation of the BK virus (BKV) in patients receiving kidney transplant, bone marrow or stem cell grafts has potential serious consequences.
Essential Pharma Ltd. is paying up to £70 million (US$88.7 million) to acquire Renaissance Pharma Ltd., taking ownership of Hu14.18, a treatment for high-risk neuroblastoma. The antibody has completed a 64-patient phase II trial conducted by St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, in which it showed an improvement in overall survival of around 50% compared to currently available therapies.
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