After raising AU$4 million (US$2.6 million), Argenica Therapeutics Pty. Ltd. is gearing up to begin phase II trials in ischemic stroke for ARG-007, a glutamate receptor modulator that is believed to reduce brain tissue death after stroke.
Incannex Healthcare Ltd. had quietly been developing its commercialization plans for psychedelic clinics well before Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration announced it would allow psilocybin and MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine) to be prescribed by authorized psychiatrists for treatment-resistant depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Immutep Ltd. announced an AU$80 million (US$52.1 million) capital raise that consists of a AU$50 million placement and a AU$30 million entitlement offer to eligible shareholders to fund clinical programs for lead candidate eftilagimod (IMP-321, efti), a lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3) fusion protein and major histocompatibility complex class II agonist that stimulates both innate and adaptive immunity for treating cancer.
Medicinal cannabis company Zelira Therapeutics Ltd.’s stock shot up 224% on May 31 on the heels of news that its cannabinoid product, ZLT-L-007, outperformed Lyrica (pregabalin, Pfizer Inc) in a head-to-head trial in diabetic nerve pain.
Mixing a trendy drug for a global health problem like obesity with a demand that far exceeds the supply cooks up a recipe too good for counterfeiters to ignore. That’s the problem patients are facing with Novo Nordisk A/S’ semaglutide products, Ozempic and Wegovy, which have been in short supply all over the world since early last year due to significant, and unexpected, demand for weight management.
University of Sydney spinout Kinoxis Therapeutics Pty announced a partnership and licensing agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH to develop first-in-class oxytocin-targeting precision psychiatry treatments to improve the quality of life of people living with neuropsychiatric disorders. Under the terms of the agreement, Kinoxis will receive an up-front payment and research support payments and is eligible for research, preclinical, clinical, regulatory and commercial milestones of up to AU$266 million (US$181 million), in addition to sales-based royalties.
Australia’s Department of Health is seeking input from the public on the country’s health technology assessment process that informs decisions about what drugs or devices should be reimbursed and under what circumstances a therapy should be subsidized and at what cost to the taxpayer.
Specialised Therapeutics Asia Pte Ltd. has inked a $73 million deal with CTTQ-Akeso Biomed Tech. Co. Ltd. to buy the rights to commercialize the latter’s anti-PD-1 antibody in Australia and Southeast Asia.
Global interest in radiopharmaceuticals is growing, and some big deals in the space have sparked interest in the last few years. Novartis AG has spent about $6 billion in acquisitions and is seen as the global leader.
The Australian government will deliver $50 million to a new biomedical and med-tech incubator (BMTI) program for health discoveries spanning early-stage drug development through to cutting edge medical devices and evidence-based digital health technologies.