Touting a science-driven, regenerative medicine-based treatment for hair loss “designed for the 21st century,” Pelage Pharmaceuticals Inc. drew a solid group of investors to the table in an oversubscribed $120 million series B round to fund an upcoming phase III program for PP-405, a topical small molecule targeting hair follicle stem cells.
Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) – the rare blood disorder characterized by premature destruction of red blood cells – found itself in the spotlight, as did shares of Omeros Corp. (NASDAQ:OMER), which closed Oct. 15 at $10.42, up $6.32, or 154%, on word of an asset purchase and license agreement with Novo Nordisk A/S for zaltenibart (formerly OMS-906).
John Squires, the recently anointed director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, has determined that a machine learning patent application met the standard for patent subject matter eligibility, an outcome that seems to bode well for ML-based patent applications going forward.
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, and other regulatory decisions and designations: Avidity, Beone, Bicara, Lundbeck, Mannkind, Medincell, Revir, Teva.
Astellas Pharma Inc. reported Oct. 14 that its CLDN18.2-targeting monoclonal antibody, zolbetuximab (Vyloy), did not meet the primary endpoint of overall survival in the phase II Gleam trial of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.