Japan's Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co. Ltd. plans to pay $3 billion to acquire Roivant Sciences Ltd.'s ownership interests in five biopharma companies, plus options to acquire up to six more from the prolific company-builder. The deal, slated to close in October, would give Sumitomo Dainippon controlling interests in Myovant Sciences Inc., Urovant Sciences Inc., Enzyvant Therapeutics Inc. and Altavant Sciences Inc., as well as an equity stake of more than 10% in Roivant itself. Read More
LONDON – 4BIO Capital announced the first close of its second fund at $50 million, to be exclusively invested in advanced therapies, including cell and gene therapies, RNA drugs that silence or activate genes, oncolytic vaccines and the microbiome. Read More
Findings disclosed from Synlogic Inc.'s phase Ib/IIa trial with SYNB-1020 in hyperammonemia surprised the company and Wall Street, dealing a blow to the compound but leaving in place the Synthetic Biotic platform, which genetically engineers probiotic microbes. Read More
Although investor sentiment continues to remain low and unlikely to change for the remainder of the year, it seems that fact has fallen on deaf ears of those companies looking to graduate to the public ranks. Already in the first few days of September, five biopharma companies have added themselves to the IPO runway, bringing the number of pending U.S. offerings to 12, according to BioWorld. Read More
Telomerase's reputation is that it has an important role in maintaining the ability of stem cells to divide through maintaining telomeres, the structures at the tips of chromosomes that shorten with each replication cycle. Read More
PERTH, Australia – Stem cell therapy has failed to deliver on its promises, according to Exopharm Ltd. founder and CEO Ian Dixon, who said he believes that exosomes, or the extracellular vesicles released by stem cells, could be a disrupter in the regenerative medicine space. Read More
Nabriva Therapeutics Inc., of Dublin, said it earned a $5 million milestone payment under its agreement with Sinovant Sciences Ltd., of Shanghai, related to the U.S. regulatory approval of Xenleta (lefamulin). Sinovant, which has an exclusive license to develop and commercialize lefamulin in the greater China region, is set to start a clinical trial in China in the fourth quarter. Read More
Algernon Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Vancouver, British Columbia, said it priced its marketed public offering of a minimum of about 22.7 million units and a maximum of 45.5 million units priced at 11 cents per unit for gross proceeds of $2.5 million to $5 million. Read More
Researchers at the University of California at San Diego have used a strategy of "rock-paper-scissors" to engineer more durable synthetic circuits into bacteria. Read More
