DUBLIN – Gotham Therapeutics Inc. raised $54 million in a series A round to fund the discovery and early development of small-molecule drugs targeting several protein classes that are involved in the post-transcriptional methylation of mRNA and influencing its expression.
DUBLIN – For many chasing the newest new thing in biotech, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle was something learned during an undergraduate biochemistry module and then promptly forgotten about. But startup firm Sitryx Therapeutics Ltd. is among an emerging minicluster of ventures that is going back over that well-trodden ground and exploring its links with immunology, in an effort to find a new generation of immune-acting drugs for cancer and inflammation.
DUBLIN – European biotechnology is on course for a new high-water mark in terms of equity funding, after a strong performance in the third quarter, particularly among listed firms raising additional cash. In total, European biotech firms engaged in drug development raised $2.489 billion during the third quarter, in disclosed transactions tracked by BioWorld. The sector has so far raised $6.348 billion over the first nine months of the year, which puts it on track to top $8 billion for the full year. It is already within touching distance of last year's full-year total of $6.85 billion. (See BioWorld, Jan. 8, 2018.)
DUBLIN – Minoryx Therapeutics SL raised €21.3 million (US$25 million) in a series B round to move its lead drug candidate, MIN-102, into at least two additional indications, on top of its lead indication adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN), in which it is currently undergoing a phase II/III trial.
DUBLIN – By late 2019, early stage Finnish biotech firm Herantis Pharma plc aims to have a readout from its lead development program, which involves the intracerebral delivery of a first-in-class neurotrophic growth factor to Parkinson's disease patients, and to have completed recruitment onto a phase I/II trial of a novel gene therapy in patients with lymphedema arising from breast cancer treatment.
DUBLIN – Spark Therapeutics Inc. is set to gain a European approval for Luxturna (voretigene neparvovec-rzyl), its gene therapy for treating retinal dystrophy arising from biallelic RPE65 mutations, following a positive vote Friday from the EMA's Committee on Human Medicinal Products (CHMP). Formal approval from the European Commission should follow in the coming months, which would trigger a $25 million milestone payment from Novartis AG and the start of what could be a tortuous series of reimbursement negotiations with the national health authorities of individual European Union member states.
DUBLIN – Shares in Pharming Group fell 21 percent Wednesday on news that the FDA issued a complete response letter to its supplementary BLA for Ruconest (conestat alfa) for preventing hereditary angioedema (HAE) attacks. The agency has requested an additional clinical trial to allow for further evaluation of the drug's effectiveness in the prophylactic setting.
DUBLIN – Shares in Geneuro SA fell more than 16 percent Tuesday on news that Les Laboratoires Servier SAS decided not to trigger an option to take forward GNbAC1, a first-in-class antibody that has completed a phase IIb trial in multiple sclerosis (MS).
DUBLIN – Shares in Argenx NV hit a 12-month high during early trading Monday on news that its fragment antibody, efgartigimod (ARGX-113), exhibited an efficacy signal in a small-scale, phase II trial in primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), which puts it on course for a pivotal phase III trial.
DUBLIN – Another big gun has entered the oncolytic virus fray. Prompted by positive progress in its collaboration with Viratherapeutics GmbH, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH has exercised an option to buy the company outright in a deal worth €210 million (US$245 million) in total.
