Bridgene Biosciences Inc., a company using an in-house chemoproteomic platform to find and develop small molecules for hard-to-drug targets, has signed its first major pharma partnership with Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. for an undisclosed up-front payment. Read More
Pyxis Oncology Inc., a company building a portfolio of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and immunotherapies for cancer, has closed a $152 million series B financing co-led by Arix Bioscience and RTW Investments LP. The fresh funds will help the company advance multiple ADC candidates in-licensed from Pfizer Inc. and Legochem Biosciences Inc. as well as its discovery-stage pipeline, CEO Lara Sullivan told BioWorld. The ADCs are expected to move to the clinic in 2022. Read More
Charlene Liao, Immune-Onc Therapeutics Inc.’s CEO told BioWorld she has a solid plan for using the company’s new $73 million series B1 and B2 financing. “It is time to go beyond T cells and to consider myeloid checkpoints as the next wave of cancer immunotherapies,” she said. Immune-Onc will use the funding to target myeloid checkpoints, especially leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor subfamily B, as it continues to develop its blood cancer and solid tumor therapies. Read More
Qihan Biotechology Co. Ltd., a company known for its multiplexable genome editing technology, has yet again extended its series A financing, this time with a $67 million round that will support advancement of its allogeneic cell therapy candidates to IND in China. To date the company has raised more than $100 million. Read More
The latest salvo in the debate over patents protecting COVID-19-related drugs, devices and vaccines came this week from U.S. industry organizations, including Advamed, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. Read More
Sage Therapeutics Inc. on March 17 disclosed another batch of positive phase III data with zuranolone, its oral, once-daily, two-week therapy for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) and postpartum depression. News regarding the GABAA receptor-positive allosteric modulator came the same day that Praxis Precision Medicines Inc. reported fourth-quarter and full-year financial results, updating investors on PRAX-114, its drug in the same class for MDD. Read More
HONG KONG – Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has obtained Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) approval for a combination regimen containing antimicrotubule binding anti-CD79b monoclonal antibody Polivy (polatuzumab vedotin), bendamustine and Mabthera (rituximab) to treat relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (r/r DLBCL). Read More
The latest global regulatory news, changes and updates affecting biopharma, including: MRNA vaccine efficacy holds in real world; TGA addressing drug shortages; STIs on the rise in U.S.; CDER firm on Makena withdrawal. Read More
New hires and promotions in the biopharma industry, including: Aavantibio, Adverum, Aicuris, Beigene, Bone, Cardiol, Exo, Frontier, Janux, Pan Cancer T. Read More
Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Amryt, Arch, Astellas, Averitas, Bionic Sight, Cytodyn, D&D, Dermata, Exelixis, Forma, Gemvax, Grünenthal, Krystal, Milestone, Neoimmunetech, Rafael, Tiziana, Wave. Read More
