Even before the Trump administration’s executive order wiping out the concept of diversity, equity and inclusion, the statistics on female representation in the biotech industry painted a story of stagnating progress. But for Jane Wall, managing director of the U.K. Bioindustry Association (BIA), the available statistics also begged a question: Where was the U.K. specific data that could inform attempts to change things? There was “much frustration around stats being recycled without context or background – and very little our community could relate to,” Wall said.

The BioWorld Drug Developers Index underperformed both the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index (NBI) and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) throughout February and March. However, it showed some recovery by the end of April, finishing the month down 4.67%, slightly worse than the DJIA’s 4.41% decline. The NBI ended April slightly up from both, with a year-to-date drop of 1.16%.

Incyte Corp.’s Zynyz (retifanlimab-dlwr) has received another U.S. FDA approval and put some distance between it and a 2021 complete response letter. The FDA gave the humanized monoclonal antibody targeting PD-1 the nod for first-line treatment of adults with inoperable locally recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal. That makes it the only approved first-line treatment for this cancer.

Gene and cell therapies (GCTs) can target the kidney to treat congenital, acute or chronic diseases affecting this organ. However, its complex structure poses a challenge for these technologies. To be precise and effective in the long term, new approaches should circumvent the specificities of renal tissue, with novel methods of delivery and gene transfer to offer new therapeutic options for patients who lack them.

Rznomics Inc. scored a potential ₩1.9 trillion (US$1.35 billion) global license option agreement with Eli Lilly and Co. to codevelop a novel RNA editing gene therapy to treat hereditary hearing loss.

Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. announced a global offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange to raise up to $1.27 billion to advance its growing pipeline focused on oncology, metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, immunological and respiratory diseases, and neuroscience.

Newco Avidicure NV arrived on the scene with a hefty $50 million in seed funding to advance novel antibody formats the company says will surpass the best qualities of first-generation antibodies, checkpoint inhibitors, T-cell engagers and antibody-drug conjugates.