The urgent need to have at least a few proven COVID-19 therapies approved in the U.S. before the pandemic’s expected resurgence in the fall has become biopharma’s Manhattan Project – a coming together of industry, researchers and government agencies to take on a single global enemy. Read More
LONDON – The search for modulators of the immune cascade that is the cause of the most severe respiratory symptoms of COVID-19 is intensifying, with Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Pharming Group NV adding their drugs to the list of repurposing projects. Read More
Although the product pipeline for vaccines and therapeutics targeting COVID-19 is top of mind right now, investors are also keeping a close eye on companies involved in the development of medicines targeting cancer and the central nervous system. According to financings tracked by BioWorld and deals and grants logged in Cortellis, the therapeutic areas of cancer, neurology and psychiatric attracted the highest amounts of investments last year with a collective $101.9 billion and $27.5 billion raised, respectively. Read More
Despite the higher placebo response than a previous, identically designed experiment turned up, Cara Therapeutics Inc.’s Kalm-2 phase III study Korsuva (CR-845/difelikefalin) for injection handily reached its primary endpoint in hemodialysis patients with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus (CKD-aP). Read More
DUBLIN – The Swiss biotech sector raised about CHF1.2 billion ($$1.2 billion) in equity investment in 2019, a significant downward dip on the last two years, but well ahead of its average annual raise of CHF800 million over the past decade, according to the newly published Swiss Biotech Report 2020. Read More
Privately held Memgen LLC and the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center agreed to technology licensing agreements covering intellectual property the two jointly developed. The deal includes MEM-288, Memgen’s lead candidate, which the company said exhibits significantly enhanced selectivity and activity against a range of tumor types. Read More
New pivotal data on Scynexis Inc.'s lead candidate, an antifungal for vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), have cleared the path to an NDA filing in the indication later this year and a potential approval in mid-2021. Read More
PERTH, Australia – The Australian Government is providing AU$13 million (US$8 million) to fast-track research into treatments for COVID-19, and a number of promising candidates are about to enter the clinic. Read More
Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Applied Therapeutics, Arcutis, Atyr, Cara, Catalyst, CSL Behring, Erytech, Hookipa, Idera, Novartis, Oncoimmune, Synexis. Read More
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Alk-Abello, Bayer, Beigene, Boehringer Ingelheim, Hope, Myovant, Passage. Read More
