Biopharma financings reached $70.09 billion in the first half of 2024, a 129% increase from the $30.57 billion raised in the first half of 2023. At more than $70 billion, this year's financings are already approaching the full-year total of $70.97 billion for 2023. June saw $7.57 billion in total financings, a decrease from $9.15 billion in May.
Health ministers from EU member states called for action to “enhance access to innovative medicines” following a Council meeting on June 21, when they agreed to continue work on improving health policy coordination across the bloc. Health must be “kept as a priority” by the new European Commission that is shortly due to start a five-year term, following the June EU elections, ministers said, setting out the key areas where they want the incoming commission to concentrate its efforts.
Scientists at the University of Washington have engineered human plasma B cells modified to express long-lasting bispecific antibodies that could be used to treat leukemia without requiring continuous dosing.
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Eleva, Eli Lilly, Full-Life, Gyre, Regeneron, Sanofi.
Biopharma happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Apollomics, Aptamer, Astrazeneca, Endopure, GB, Glycotope, Pentixapharm, Scilex, Semnur.
One year after arriving on the scene with a $120 million series A, ophthalmic gene therapy specialist Beacon Therapeutics Ltd. has raised $170 million in a series B.