Researchers from the Netherlands Cancer Institute have analyzed intratumoral T cells in several cases of colorectal and ovarian tumors. Infiltrating T cells are a positive prognostic factor in both tumor types, but both tumor types also show a relatively low response rate to checkpoint blockade. Nevertheless, the team showed that only a low proportion of the killer T cells infiltrating the tumors recognized tumor antigens. Read More
Diamedica Therapeutics Inc., a phase II biopharma targeting acute ischemic stroke and chronic kidney disease, completed its micro-IPO, raising $16.4 million by offering 4.1 million shares at $4, the low end of its proposed range. Synthorx Inc. went bigger, hauling in $131 million by offering 11.9 million shares at $11, the midpoint of its proposed $10 to $12 range. Read More
Momenta Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., said it priced an underwritten public offering of 17.39 million shares of its common stock at $11.50 each for total gross proceeds of approximately $200 million. The offering underwriter has been granted a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 2.6 million shares. Read More
Orphan Technologies, a Lexington, Mass.-based subsidiary of Petach Tikva-based Neopharm Group, said that it completed a study showing that the prevalence of the rare genetic metabolic disorder homocystinuria (HCU) is substantially higher than previously estimated. The company is developing OT-58, a modified recombinant enzyme therapy for patients with classical HCU. Read More
LONDON - France Biotech's 2018 annual survey shows the sector powering ahead on the back of the country's strong science base and a marked increase in the availability of capital. Read More
HONG KONG – Brii Biosciences has entered into two significant partnerships to expand its pipeline. The first is a license and collaboration agreement with VBI Vaccines Ltd. and Vir Biotechnology Inc. focused on hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Brii Bio licensed greater China rights, which includes the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, for a recombinant protein-based immunotherapeutic (VBI-2601) from VBI Vaccines in a deal that could be worth up to $129 million plus royalties. The second is a China-based exclusive research agreement with Wuxi Biologics Co. Ltd. and Tsinghua University Institute for Immunology to discover and develop bispecific antibodies to treat infectious diseases and other immunologic disorders. Read More
Despite a handful of last-minute lawsuits seeking to halt the proceedings, shareholders of Ovascience Inc. gave their endorsement Dec. 4 to the reverse merger with Millendo Therapeutics Inc. Shares of the combined company, operating under the Millendo name, are expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market Monday under the ticker MLND. Read More
Blue chip biopharma equities closed out the month of November on a high note with the BioWorld Biopharmaceutical index up almost 6 percent, which appeared to have helped erase the memories of a tough October that saw the index fall 10 percent in the wake of a general market correction. (See BioWorld Insight, Nov. 5, 2018.) Read More
Just months after its Nasdaq debut in June, Meiragtx Holdings plc put its relatively new shares to work in an all-stock-based acquisition of Vector Neurosciences Inc. Announced in October, the transaction brought the London and New York-based company an adeno-associated virus (AAV) encoding glutamic acid decarboxylase (AAV-GAD) gene therapy candidate poised for continued phase II development in Parkinson's disease. Now the company has five ongoing clinical programs in eye, salivary gland and central nervous system disorders, advancing alongside a pipeline of preclinical and research programs and is further extending its ambitions. Read More
