strong>Astellas Pharma Inc., of Tokyo, established a research collaboration with an investigator at Harvard Medical School focused on discovering the pathologic mechanism for retinitis pigmentosa and identifying new therapeutic targets using adeno-associated virus vectors. Read More
Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH, of Tubingen, Germany, and Biontech AG, of Mainz, Germany, said they are moving into the clinic with a fully personalized therapeutic cancer vaccine approach known as Gapvac (Glioma Actively Personlized VAccine Consortium), with approval in Germany for the start of a phase I/II study to test drugs designed and manufactured for each patient individually according to specific characteristics of their tumors and immune systems. Read More
Capricor Therapeutics Inc., of Los Angeles, said it acquired patent rights from Minneapolis-based Medtronic Inc. relating to the formulation and pump delivery of natriuretic peptides, such as cenderitide, a natriuretic peptide for the treatment of post-acute heart failure. Read More
In its ongoing scrutiny of heparin producers, the FDA has added a Beijing firm to a growing list of companies that are on import alert due to concerns about the potential for contamination. Read More
DUBLIN – Rigontec GmbH, a spinout from the University of Bonn in Germany, took in €9.45 million (US$12 million) in a first closing of a series A round to take forward an RNA-based approach to immunotherapy, based on activating retinoic acid inducible protein I (RIG-I), a pathogen-associated molecular pattern that recognizes certain forms of viral RNA. Read More
LONDON – The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is promising to simplify the regulatory morass around regenerative medicines and cell therapies in the UK, with the setting up of a single point of access to advice for companies in the field. Read More
With $20 million in new series B cash, Dnatrix Inc. is using one of the mildest, albeit annoying, diseases – the common cold – to fight one of the more virulent and deadly illnesses – recurrent glioblastoma – by way of an oncolytic viral approach that just might succeed where a handful of others could not. Read More
Clinical data show long-term safety, and hints of efficacy, of embryonic stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells in patients with Stargardt's macular degeneration (SMD) and dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Read More
Another Atlas Venture-seeded biotech is out the door, $24 million series A in hand. Raze Therapeutics has mapped out the bold mission of pioneering a class of cancer therapeutics designed to halt tumor growth and survival by targeting mitochondrial one-carbon (1C) metabolism. Read More
DUBLIN – Nextech Invest Ltd. raised $40 million in a first closing of a new oncology fund that has a final target of $100 million. The Zurich-based venture capital firm aims to raise the remainder in the next 12 months. Read More
Ireland's Finance Minister Michael Noonan put the world on notice Tuesday that the small country will no longer be the tax haven of choice for multinational companies. In comments to parliament reported by Reuters, Noonan said he was abolishing the ability of corporations to use the so-called "double-Irish" tax practice that has abetted what he called "aggressive tax planning" by multinational firms. Read More
