A list of biopharma companies and nonprofit entities, including academia, working feverishly to find a vaccine or antiviral treatment to address the rapidly spreading coronavirus, now known as COVID-19, has more than doubled, increasing from about 30 a few weeks ago to 71 as of March 6. Read More

In a setback for Astrazeneca plc's plans to tackle previously untreated cases of advanced bladder cancer, neither its immune checkpoint inhibitor, Imfinzi (durvalumab), nor a pairing of it with the investigational drug tremelimumab beat standard-of-care (SOC) chemotherapy in improving overall survival (OS) during a phase III trial evaluating the treatments as first-line (1L) care for patients with advanced disease. Read More

In the Marvel Comic Universe, Venom is a superhero who started life as a supervillain and Spiderman foe. In the biopharma universe, scorpion venom is undergoing the same fate transformation, as separate papers this week reported new ways to use scorpion venom in two major therapeutic targeting challenges. Read More

During its Feb. 27, 2020, conference call on the previous year’s fourth-quarter results – though not in a related press release – Nektar Therapeutics Inc. let news drop that the prospective breast cancer (BC) therapy Onzeald (etirinotecan pegol) for patients with brain metastases had failed in top-line phase III outcomes. Read More

Palvella Therapeutics Inc. has completed enrollment of its phase II/III trial for treating adults with pachyonychia congenita, a rare disease that eventually leads patients to a life of chronic pain and severe problems with walking. Read More

BioWorld looks at translational medicine, including: Serine improves memory in Alzheimer’s mouse model; From junk to noncoding to coding; Keeping stem cells quiescent enables greater ultimate potency; Female, male fat tissue flight inflammation differently; BioPROTACs cut out middleman, and small molecule; ‘Gut bug’ has intratumoral effects; Decoy exosomes fight bacterial toxin; Unexpected mechanism, combination possibilities for CDK 4/6 inhibitors; In SIV infection, gut integrity is retained, not repaired. Read More

New hires and promotions in the biopharma industry, including: Arcutis, Axsome, Biotheryx, Cerecor, Elevatebio, Orion, Passage, Satsuma, Shenzhen Hepalink. Read More

Biopharmas raising money in public or private financings, including: Brainstorm, Bridgebio, Hemostemix, Spero, Zosano. Read More

Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Astrazeneca, Biocryst, Grindeks, Hansa, Idera, Kancera, Matinas, Palvella. Read More

Biopharma happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Advanz, AJ, Algernon, Algernon, Amicus, Biocartis, BMS, Coherus, Demelle, Hansa, Harbour Biomed, Heat, Hikma, Iliad Innovation, Jaguar, Komipharm, Neuren, Psilocin, Revive, Royalty, Scynexis, Spherix, Takeda, Tetra Therapeutics, UCB. Read More

Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Abbvie, Nicox. Read More

Year-to-date money raised in public, private and other financings of biopharma companies. Read More

Total raised in public, private and other financings of biopharma companies, comparing 2020 vs. 2019. Read More

The top 10 biopharma stock gainers and losers for the week. Read More

Completed and pending initial public offerings by biopharma companies, including: 4D Molecular, Akeso, Beam, Bio-Thera, Continent, Frontier, Hutchison China Meditech, Imara, Immunotech, Innocare, NLS, Oric, Passage Bio, Revolution Medicines, Scilex, Shanghai Shenlian, Tasly. Read More

Follow-ons completed by biopharma companies, including: Adma, Adverum, Agile, Appili, Applied Genetic Technologies, Atyr, Avrobio, Axovant Gene, Bioxcel, Briacell, Can-Fite, Catalyst, Collegium, Deciphera, Diamedica, Eyepoint, Fortress, Intec, Kezar Life Sciences, Miragen, Moderna, Novan, Oramed, PDS, Phio, Polarityte, Rapt, Rockwell Medical, Salarius, Seelos, Theravance, Tonix, Xeris, Ziopharm, Zosano. Read More

Private placements and other private financings of public biopharma companies, including: Acerus, Adamis, Aeterna Zentaris, Agile, Algernon, Alimera, Aptorum, Arch, Armata, Avadel, Biomerica, Cidara, Cocrystal, Collegium, Collplant, Cortexyme, CTI, Curis, Daré, Enlivex, E-therapeutics, Genmab, Genprex, Hemostemix, Kali-Extracts, Lidds, Lipocine, Mereo, Moleculin, Navidea, Novacyt, Orphazyme, Outlook, Phio, Promis, Redhill, Redx, Revance, Revive, Spero, Syndax, Syros, Valneva, Vaxil, Xortx, Zelira. Read More

Venture capital and other private financings of private biopharma companies, including: Aivita, Alladapt, Alx Oncology, Aurora Science, Azafaros, Canbridge, Ikarovec, Inotrem, Kahr Medical, Kaipharm, Maat Pharma, Neotx, Novelty Nobility, Omass, Oncodna, Pentixapharm, Pinpoint, Sonoma, Spruce Biosciences, Valo, Volastra. Read More

Triggered milestone payments disclosed by biopharma companies, including:Aduro, Alvogen Korea, Arecor, Basilea, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Cytomx, Eurofarma Laboratórios, Merck & Co., Molecular Templates, Oncodesign, Pfizer, Servier, Summit, Takeda, Vivus. Read More