T-Curx GmbH has obtained clinical trial approval from the Swiss agency Swissmedic for the company’s nonviral lead CAR T program, TCX-001. The first-in-human phase I study will open in Switzerland, and a submission to the EMA will seek to expand the trial to sites in Germany. The study will enroll adults with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), including patients not eligible for stem cell transplantation.

Antengene Corp. Ltd. has obtained IND approval from China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for ATG-201 for the treatment of B-cell related autoimmune diseases.

Sensorion SA has selected SENS-601 (GJB2-GT) as its lead program and has filed clinical trial applications to study its use for GJB2-related hearing loss. SENS-601 is an AAV-based gene therapy program, utilizing a gene therapy platform codeveloped with Institut Pasteur.

The recent introduction of the bipartisan Biotech Investment National Security Act in the U.S. House has industry and venture capitalists urging lawmakers to take a breath, step back, and consider a less invasive approach than restricting U.S. biopharma deals with Chinese innovators.

China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) on June 4 granted conditional approvals to two oncology drugs from Lupeng Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. and Vcare Pharmatech Co. Ltd., as well as one hemophilia drug developed by Staidson Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

Japan has granted marketing approval to Oncolys Biopharma Inc.’s oncolytic adenovirus product, Telomelysin (suratadenoturev, OBP-301), for treating esophageal cancer in patients who are not eligible for curative resection or chemoradiotherapy. The approval marks the first oncolytic adenovirus product approved for esophageal cancer.

Wuxi Apptec isn’t going down without a fight after the U.S. Department of Defense added it to the Section 1260H list June 8 as a designated “Chinese military company,” which makes it a “biotechnology company of concern” under the Biosecure Act. “Such designation is mistaken and baseless,” the global contract research, development and manufacturing organization said in an open letter to its life sciences partners. “We will pursue every available avenue to correct this mistake.” That includes appealing the designation.

Gen1e Lifesciences Inc. has obtained both orphan drug and rare pediatric disease designations from the U.S. FDA for GEn-1123 for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

The University of Oxford and Moderna Inc. have announced authorization by the U.K.’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to initiate a phase I/II study of mRNA-4194, Moderna’s investigational mRNA-based cancer vaccine for Lynch syndrome.

The recent introduction of the bipartisan Biotech Investment National Security Act in the U.S. House has industry and venture capitalists urging lawmakers to take a breath, step back, and consider a less invasive approach than restricting U.S. biopharma deals with Chinese innovators.