Biopharma startups seeking a mix of financial, strategic and operational support gained a new option May 12 with the announcement of Perceptive Xontogeny Venture Fund II from Perceptive Advisors LLC. The fund, expected to lead series A financings in the range of $20 million to $40 million closed with $515 million in capital commitments. It's led by portfolio manager and CEO Chris Garabedian, who also serves as chairman and CEO of Xontogeny LLC, a Boston-based accelerator. Read More
Bolstered by new and positive open-label extension data, Minerva Neurosciences Inc. won’t let a failed phase III of roluperidone in treating schizophrenia get in the way of considering an NDA filing. Read More
Business development among biopharmaceutical companies working on therapeutics for cancer indications has been brisk this year, with 32% of the 654 deals recorded to date by BioWorld involving cancer indications. However public companies in the area haven’t gained much investor enthusiasm, with the BioWorld Cancer index dropping over 18% year-to-date, with 6% of the loss in valuation taking place this month. Read More
Multinational players are changing the way they look at China as a source for innovation as it accelerates efforts in areas such as digital health in pursuit of desire to make a global impact. At the Chinabio Partnering Forum, panelists representing Pfizer Inc., Merck & Co. Inc., Sanofi SA and Johnson & Johnson all shared what they have witnessed there and how they’re already tapping China-sourced innovations. Read More
LONDON – Initial results from the U.K. randomized trial assessing mixed COVID-19 vaccine schedules show there is a significant increase in systemic side effects with one dose of Astrazeneca plc’s and one of Pfizer Inc./Biontech SE’s vaccines (in either order), compared to receiving two doses of the same vaccine. Read More
It came as no surprise May 12 that the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted 14-0, with one recusal, to recommend the use of Pfizer Inc.-Biontech SE’s COVID-19 vaccine, Comirnaty (tozinameran), in 12- to 15-year-olds following the FDA’s decision earlier this week to expand the vaccine’s emergency use authorization (EUA) to that age group. Read More
PERTH, Australia – Australia’s budget theme for the 2021 to 2022 fiscal year is rebuilding the economy following COVID-19, and med-tech and biotech leaders were praising some of the new measures. Read More
Parasitic worms, or helminths, are a major global health issue. At the same time, "parasites have been a prolific area of biomedical research to emerge," De'Broski Herbert told his audience at the 2021 annual meeting of the American Association of Immunologists. Read More
While acknowledging the net health benefit over standard of care in heavily pretreated multiple myeloma patients, CAR T-cell therapies Abecma (idecabtagene vicleucel) and ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel) represent low long-term value at their current pricing levels, according to the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) in a final evidence report released May 11. Read More
An international task force launched in March to identify new approaches for analyzing and addressing competitive concerns arising from biopharma M&As is now seeking public comment to inform their review. Read More
New hires and promotions in the biopharma industry, including: Acepodia, Bioniz, Canbridge, Capsida, Enveric, Matica, Medicenna, Neubase, Pharvaris, Promis, Puretech, Verge Genomics. Read More
New and updated preclinical and clinical data presented by biopharma firms at the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy annual meeting, including: Antion, Biomarin, Enochian. Read More
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Alume, Biocryst, Cstone, Endogena, Evofem, Fulcrum, Northwest, Wake Network. Read More
