SEATTLE – Tracing the family tree of COVID-19 through its evolving DNA sequence makes it possible to disprove many false claims circulating on social media about the novel coronavirus, and, in particular, that it was generated in a covert biological weapons program. “From everything I’ve looked at, there is zero evidence for genetic engineering; it looks like normal evolution,” said Trevor Bedford, a computational biologist at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, who has been using genomes sequences taken from patient samples to track the spread of the virus since Jan. 11. Read More
Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc.’s top-line win in January with DTX-301 gene therapy in ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency seemed to presage even better things to come later this year, and analysts more recently hailed fourth-quarter earnings that showed satisfying progress with Crysvita (burosumab). Read More
HONG KONG – South Korea’s venture capital investment in the biopharma and medical sector set a new record in 2019. According to Korea Venture Capital Association (KVCA), local VC firms invested ₩1.1 trillion (US$930 million) over a total of 299 bio and medical ventures last year, representing 25.8% of the total VC investment executed in 2019. Read More
Eisai Co. Ltd. is removing Belviq (lorcaserin) from the U.S. market due to the FDA’s concerns about an increased occurrence of cancer in a long-term trial evaluating the cardiovascular effects associated with the weight-loss drug. Read More
Privately held Zhittya Genesis Medicine Inc. received approval from Mexico’s Comisión Federal para la Protección contra Riesgos Sanitarios (Cofepris) to begin a phase I trial at the Zambrano Hospital in Monterrey for patients with Parkinson’s disease. Read More
BioWorld looks at translational medicine, including: Ebola survivor's antibodies reveal therapeutic targets; JAK inhibitors build bone, no inflammation necessary; Origin story helps ovarian cancer prognosis; Celiac model captures gluten, genetics and gut reactions; New search method, new antibiotic MOA; Nanogold improves MS symptoms; Autophagy helps repair lung injury; How hook(worm)s grapple with nets; Thanks for the memories, myelin; Heat-shock proteins’ subtler cousin. Read More
Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Atreca, Celltrion, Cytodyn, Genetx, Janssen, Noxopharm, Regulus, Sol-Gel, Takeda, Verona. Read More
Biopharma happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Assertio, Canagen, Collegium, Exicure, Genix, Melinta, Morphic, Recce, Vaxil. Read More
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Epizyme, Merck, Sellas. Read More
