LONDON – There has been widespread condemnation following the claim by a Chinese scientist that he has used CRISPR/Cas9 technology to create the world's first genetically edited babies. The two girls, born a few weeks ago, are said to be healthy. Their genomes have been edited to express a modified version CCR5, a chemokine receptor that is the route by which the HIV virus infects white blood cells. Read More
Cardiovascular safety concerns about Zafgen Inc.'s midstage type 2 diabetes (T2D) candidate, ZGN-1061, moved the FDA to push pause on the company's planned U.S.-based trial of the drug with a clinical hold. The setback triggered memories of a death tied to an earlier and now-discontinued candidate Zafgen had advanced from the same class, MetAP2 inhibitors, sending company shares (NASDAQ:ZFGN) down 40.6 percent to $5.41 on Monday. Read More
Edge Therapeutics Inc.'s hunt for a "strategic alternative" after the failure of its flagship candidate, EG-1962 (nimodipine microparticles), ended with a stock-for-stock merger deal with privately held immuno-oncology (I-O) specialist Protein Delivery Sciences Biotechnology Corp. (PDS). Read More
For anyone not hip-deep in the hot field of artificial intelligence (AI), its role in drug discovery — or in any endeavor, for that matter — can feel vague, especially relative to the concrete problems drugmakers face daily. The very definition of AI can seem fuzzy, touted at times as capable of doing everything from organizing your photos to driving your car. Yet, in the biopharma space, as dollars flow in and candidates rise up, clarity is surfacing, too, program by program, bringing with it a more down-to-earth explanation of how the technology is reshaping the discovery enterprise. Read More
LONDON – Omass Therapeutics Ltd. has closed a £14 million (US$18 million) series A round, equipping it to commence commercialization of a new gas phase mass spectrometry technology with which it is possible to study the binding of small molecules to intact protein assemblies. Read More
HONG KONG – Reviews for priority new drugs in Japan in 2017 took the shortest time in five years, amid the drug watchdog's efforts to cut review lag. The review time for priority new drugs in 2017 was 8.9 months, the shortest since 2013, according to a recent report by the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA). Read More
Cobra Biologics Ltd., of Kelle, U.K., Pall Corp., of Port Washington, N.Y., and the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, of London, were jointly awarded a £1.5 million (US$1.92 million) grant from Innovate UK to investigate continuous manufacturing of adeno-associated virus for gene therapy applications. The parties have been working together on the project since September. Read More
Tiziana Life Sciences plc, of London, raised gross proceeds of about £3.42 million (US$4.8 million) from its now-closed underwritten, registered public offering of 442,910 American depositary shares (ADSs). The company granted its sole bookrunner, Laidlaw & Co. Ltd., a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 66,437 ADSs. Read More
