DUBLIN – Sofinnova Partners closed out its flagship Capital X fund at €472 million (US$550 million), providing further evidence that private equity investing in European biotechnology and medical technology remains in rude health. It represents, managing partner Graziano Seghezzi told BioWorld, one of the most successful fundraising campaigns in its 30-year history. “We went out and raised this fund in six months.” Read More
Phase II results from Atea Pharmaceuticals Inc. with AT-527 in COVID-19 treatment had pundits scrambling to stack the odds of success for the direct-acting oral antiviral against those of Merck & Co. Inc.’s molnupiravir, though cross-trial comparisons are beset by the usual hurdles, with two especially dramatic ones. Read More
Top-line results of a phase III trial testing sulbactam-durlobactam, a combination beta-lactam antibiotic and beta-lactamase inhibitor, in patients with carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infections, found the novel combo to be statistically noninferior to colistin in 28-day all-cause mortality, the study's primary endpoint. Read More
D&D Pharmatech Inc., a Korean-American firm commercializing innovation from Johns Hopkins University raised $51 million in a pre-IPO series C round, which sets the stage for an IPO in Seoul early next year. Read More
Based on positive phase IIb data from 2020 for avasopasem manganese (GC-4419) in treating severe oral mucositis (SOM) in patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer, Galera Therapeutics Inc. had been confident about phase III data for the selective small-molecule dismutase. However, the phase III Roman trial failed to hit its primary endpoint of reduction in the incidence of SOM. Mel Sorensen, Galera’s CEO, expressed his surprise at the results and said the company is evaluating the next steps for the program. Read More
Baidu Inc.’s preclinical studies showed the mRNA vaccine sequences for COVID-19 designed using its Lineardesign algorithm outperformed the benchmark sequences designed by traditional algorithms in terms of stability, protein expression and immunogenicity. The firm teamed up with Stemirna Therapeutics Co. Ltd., which specializes in the R&D of mRNA vaccines and drugs, to test seven mRNA COVID-19 vaccine sequences designed using Lineardesign. Read More
New hires and promotions in the biopharma industry, including: Abcuro, Artizan, Candel, Cincor, Gain, Iaso, Interna, Libra, Nextcure, Pharnext, Urovant, Versantis, X4. Read More
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Adamis, Avadel, Avidity, Boehringer, Enochian, Gilead, I-Mab, Leo, Omeros, Oyster Point, Regeneron, Revance, Roche, Saniona, Sanofi, Som, United, UCB, Xilio. Read More
