Merck & Co. Inc. is paying $1.85 billion, or $60 per share, to acquire Pandion Therapeutics Inc. on the back of early stage data in human volunteers for its lead program, PT-101, an engineered interleukin-2 mutein fused to an Fc backbone, which is designed to stimulate targeted expansion of regulatory T cells for use in autoimmune disease indications. Read More
Eight months after Beijing-based Yisheng Biopharma Co. Ltd. unveiled its recombinant protein vaccine candidate for COVID-19, YS-SC2-010, the company raised $130 million in a series B round to pave way for the vaccine to enter clinical trials in the second quarter of this year, the company’s CEO David Shao told BioWorld. Read More
Jaguar Gene Therapy LLC, a startup reuniting former Avexis Inc. executives to develop a portfolio of potential treatments for severe genetic diseases, announced its public debut Feb. 25 with more than $40 million in series A financing from co-creator Deerfield Management. Read More
Cancer immunotherapy developer Xilio Therapeutics Inc. has raised $95 million in series C financing to support its efforts to move a duo of tumor-selective candidates into the clinic. IND applications for both its interleukin-2 agonist, XTX-202, and anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 antibody, XTX-101, are planned for this year. Read More
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit grappled with whether so-called patent thickets and certain global patent settlements constitute antitrust behavior as it heard arguments Feb. 25 in UFCW Local 1500 Welfare Fund v. Abbvie Inc. Read More
As expected, the FDA granted an approval for Amondys 45 (casimersen), a new Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) therapy developed by Sarepta Therapeutics Inc. Read More
Scientists, despite their best efforts, have not been able to identify a way to inhibit the oncoprotein Myc. Uropathogenic Escherichia coli, though, has apparently figured it out.
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HONG KONG – Daejeon, South Korea-based Curocell Inc. has received the first IND approval for a CAR T therapy in South Korea from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS). Read More
The EMA issued a guidance Feb. 25 outlining the requirements for manufacturers planning to modify COVID-19 vaccines to address emerging variants of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Read More
BioWorld looks at translational medicine, including: Movement strengthens bones, and immunity; Atherosclerosis precedes clonal hematopoiesis. Read More
Biopharmas raising money in public or private financings, including: 180 Life Sciences, Adamas, Antibe, Aslan, Avita, Cellarity, Cullgen, Halozyme, Inflarx, Predictive Oncology, Vividion. Read More
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Abbvie, Aquestive, Bluebird, Cansino, Exelixis, Gannex, J&J, Retrotope, RDIF, Sinopharm, Viiv. Read More
