ORLANDO, Fla. – At the 61st ASH annual meeting late-breaking abstracts session, researchers from Boston Children’s Hospital reported that three adult patients who had received an autologous transplant of gene-edited hematopoietic stem cells lacking BCL11A produced high levels of functional hemoglobin and had reduced disease symptoms for at least eight months after transplantation. Read More
ORLANDO, Fla. – New research on sutimlimab, an investigational complement pathway inhibitor under development by Sanofi SA's Bioverativ unit, showed substantial benefits for people with the rare autoimmune disorder cold agglutinin disease (CAD). Read More
ORLANDO, Fla. – Two preclinical presentations at the 61st American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting could pave the way for using hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT) in patients who are currently too sick to tolerate the procedure, as well as in indications where its toxicities preclude its use. Read More
ORLANDO, Fla. – As the enormous American Society of Hematology annual meeting wound down, the Janssen Pharmaceutical Cos. of Johnson & Johnson released phase III data showing that adding Darzalex to carfilzomib and dexamethasone, compared to carfilzomib and dexamethasone alone, significantly improved progression-free survival in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. Read More
After dropping to its lowest valuation at the end of September, the BioWorld Neurological Diseases index, a price-weighted index of public biopharmaceutical companies that are focused on developing therapies to treat neurological diseases, got on a roll and climbed 22% during the next two months. However, a surprising trial failure reported by Sage Therapeutics Inc. last week served to eat into those index gains. Read More
LONDON – Biotech billionaire Bob Duggan is taking a majority stake in Summit Therapeutics plc, as part of a proposed subscription and placing to raise $50 million. The scheme has to be voted through by shareholders, but assuming it is approved, Duggan will control approximately 73% of Summit’s enlarged share capital. Duggan previously invested $25 million in the company at the start of 2019, and already holds 49% of the stock. Read More
Shares of Equillium Inc. (NASDAQ:EQ) closed at $4.75, up 69 cents, or 17%, after trading as high as $5.25 as Wall Street hailed the FDA’s granting of fast track status to itolizumab – the first clinical-stage anti-CD6 therapy – for the treatment of lupus nephritis (LN). Read More
PERTH, Australia – Despite a Senate inquiry recommendation to hold off on introducing cuts to Australia’s Research and Development Tax Incentive (RDTI), a bill that recommends cuts was introduced in Parliament, sending shudders through the biotech industry. Read More
DUBLIN – Immunos Therapeutics AG raised CHF15 million (US$15.2 million) in a series A round to move a novel immuno-oncology platform designed to turn cold tumors hot into early clinical development. Read More
Researchers are hopeful that within three to five years the first once-a-month oral contraceptive could reach human testing. They achieved an early step on that path with the publication of research testing the long-lasting drug delivery device from Watertown, Mass.-based startup Lyndra Therapeutics Inc. in the Dec. 4, 2019, issue of Science Translational Medicine. Read More
New and updated preclinical and clinical data presented by biopharma firms at the 61st American Society of Hematology annual meeting in Orlando, Fla. Read More
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations. Read More
