Sorrento Therapeutics Inc.’s majority-owned subsidiary, Scilex Holding Co., and antibody drug developer Apexigen Inc. both announced plans late this week to go public via mergers with special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), suggesting that, despite current market conditions, SPACs are still considered a viable option for firms seeking cash and access to public markets. Read More
As biopharma deal values climb, industry M&As are at a five-year low, not yet showing the pickup in 2022 that some analysts expected. BioWorld has recorded 330 deals, including licensings, joint ventures and collaborations, valued at $44.4 billion so far in 2022. That is a 41% increase in volume and a 31% increase in value over the same time frame last year. Read More
The recent start of Neurogene Inc.’s first-in-human trial testing NG-101 in ceroid lipofuscinosis type 5 (CLN5) Batten disease (BD) drew investor attention to the space, where a handful of developers vie for new therapies against the challenging indication. Read More
Researchers at Stanford University have developed a method to efficiently replace microglia, which are brain-specific immune cells, via a modified bone marrow transplant. Read More
Former JHL Biotech Inc. CEO Racho Jordanov and former Chief Operating Officer Rose Lin were sentenced for their respective roles in conspiring to commit trade secret theft and wire fraud exceeding $101 million. Read More
Marinus Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s GABAA receptor agonist Ztalmy (ganaxolone), has won U.S. FDA approval for treating seizures associated with cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5) deficiency disorder. Read More
Edigene Inc. has obtained nonexclusive, global rights to technology from Boston Children’s Hospital for technology related to increasing fetal hemoglobin levels by disrupting B-cell lymphoma/leukemia 11A (BCL11A) expression at the genomic level to treat hemoglobinopathies. Read More
Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Alladapt Immunotherapeutics, Astrazeneca, Biomarin, Clover, Codagenix, Dr. Reddy's, Eiger, Ionis, Journey Medical, Merck, Ose Immunotherapeutics, Promore, Resverlogix, Silence. Read More
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Abbvie, Amolyt, Aquestive, Bioheng, Heron, Inflarx, Moderna, TC, Tetra. Read More
