Financings in the first two months of 2022 amount to only a third of the money raised during the same timeframe of 2021, and the number of transactions is down by 56%.
Alopexx Inc. filed for an IPO that would bank as much as $17 million to continue the firm’s investigations of bacterial, fungal and parasitic infections that express the antigenic target poly N-acetyl glucosamine (PNAG).
A patient’s death has caused the FDA to place a partial clinical hold on Alpine Immune Sciences Inc.’s phase I study NEON-2 in adults with advanced malignancies.
The world’s largest genomics study in patients with life-threatening COVID-19 infections has uncovered 16 new genetic variants associated with severe disease and drawn up a roadmap for research into new therapies and diagnostics. The research involved comparing the complete genome sequences of 7,491 patients admitted to 224 intensive care units in the U.K. against those of 48,400 participants in Genomics England’s 100,000 Genomes project, and of a further 1,630 people who had mild COVID-19. While some of the gene variants found in the Genomicc study affect the function of a protein, others influence the amount of the protein that is expressed. An example is mucin-1, where overexpression led to worse outcomes. Read More
As Neubase Therapeutics Inc. gears up to unveil preclinical data from its myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) effort during the MDA Clinical & Scientific Conference later this month, investors are watching other programs moving through pipelines – but none of the research, except for that underway by Avidity Biosciences Inc., has entered the clinic.
Microbiotica Ltd. of Cambridge, U.K., has raised £50 million ($67 million) in series B funding as the company aims to test its microbiome-based technology in early cancer and ulcerative colitis trials. The funding was co-led by new investors Tencent and Flerie Invest, with British Patient Capital on board along with existing investors Cambridge Innovation Capital, IP Group and Seventure. With response rates to checkpoint inhibitors still very low, Microbiotica’s scientists think that the way to improve the immune system’s response to these drugs is by modifying the bacteria present in the gut.
New legislation providing a tax incentive for Australian medical innovations was introduced in Australia’s House of Representatives, and industry stakeholders are lauding the move. The measure, providing a special tax regime on income derived from patents, a “patent box,” will apply for income years beginning on or after July 1. Read More
Hutchmed Ltd. has received a $15 million milestone payment from Astrazeneca plc for initiating a phase III trial testing the Hutchmed c-Met inhibitor Orpathys (savolitinib) in combination with Astrazeneca’s Tagrisso (osimertinib) in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) for patients with mesenchymal epithelial transition receptor (MET) driven tumors.
The indirect impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the life sciences sector continues to grow, as the West responds with more and more sanctions against Russia. In one of the latest moves, the European Commission announced March 4 that it is suspending cooperation with Russian entities in research, science and innovation. Read More
Even though Congress isn’t likely to approve BsUFA III for several months, the FDA is getting a jump on one of the BsUFA commitments it negotiated with industry to pilot a regulatory science program to facilitate the development of biosimilars and interchangeables.
Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: American Cryostem, Aravive, Atreca, Coherus, Eli Lilly, Equillium, Evofem, Incyte, Mink, Recursion.
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Amgen, Aravax, Bharat Biotech, Biogen, Eisai, Merck, Nymox, Ocugen. Read More
