Just a year out of the gate, Atlas Venture-backed Spero Therapeutics LLC snagged Roche AG as a partner to develop anti-infectives for drug-resistant bacterial infections, targeting a pathway that involves both virulence and persistence of gram-negative bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa).
On Friday, Amgen Inc. masked disappointing findings on cancer immunotherapy talimogene laherparepvec, commonly known as T-vec, by disclosing that secondary endpoint data on overall survival (OS) in melanoma showed a “strong trend” despite a statistical miss.
Undeterred by the Street’s recent biotech selloff, Lumena Pharmaceuticals Inc. took its place on the initial public offering (IPO) runway, seeking to raise $75 million to advance two drugs designed to treat rare cholestatic liver diseases and serious metabolic disorders, including nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
Days after the FDA approved Biogen Idec Inc.’s Alprolix (coagulation factor IX [recombinant], Fc fusion protein) as the first recombinant, DNA-derived hemophilia B therapy with prolonged circulation, Baxter International Inc. moved to strengthen its own hemophilia franchise by snapping up the assets of Chatham Therapeutics LLC in a $70 million deal plus potential development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments.
April Fool’s Day wasn’t mentioned until the parting comment of Tuesday’s Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee’s (EMDAC) meeting to discuss Mannkind Corp.’s Afrezza, when the FDA’s Jean-Marc Guettier thanked everyone at the meeting for showing up on the first of April. But Mannkind officials had to be pinching themselves when the advisory committee (adcom) members came squarely down on the side of the drug for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
With its feet planted on both sides of the Pacific Ocean and its ambitions nearly as wide, Ruiyi Inc. netted a $15 million series B round from its existing investors, which include 5AM Ventures, Versant Ventures, Apposite Capital, SR One, Merck Serono Ventures and Aravis SA.
Top-line data suggested the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase II trial of Idera Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s lead candidate IMO-8400 met its primary endpoint, demonstrating the compound was safe and well tolerated in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.
Baxter International Inc. emphasized “solid growth opportunities” in revealing its plan to create separate, independent global health care companies, with one focused on the development and commercialization of biopharmaceuticals and the other on medical products.
Early Wednesday, Insmed Corp. provided a detailed debriefing of data from the phase II trial of Arikayce (previously Arikace), its inhaled liposomal amikacin, to treat patients with resistant nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lung infections.
