A year after the World Health Organization's (WHO) Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response called for reforms to make COVID-19 the last pandemic, the panel remains solidly frustrated in its lack of progress. Read More
A paper published May 3 in Nature Communications about a patient infected with Mycobacterium chelonae who was cured by way of bacteriophage treatment sparked more intrigue around how to attack the nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) group of bugs that cause lung infections. Read More
Swanbio Therapeutics Inc. closed a $56 million series B round to take its lead gene therapy program, SBT-101, into clinical development later this year. The candidate, comprised of an adeno-associated virus type 9 vector encoding the ABCD1 peroxisomal ATP-binding cassette transporter, is in development for adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN), an inherited disease that affects the central nervous system. Read More
A U.S. district court slapped down a controversial Department of Health and Human Services rule that threatened the future of biopharma companies’ patient assistance programs, which are intended to help patients cover their out-of-pocket costs for pricy drugs. Read More
Turning Point Therapeutics Inc. has picked up near-global rights to develop and commercialize an antibody drug conjugate (ADC) targeting Claudin18.2 from Lanova Medicines Ltd. for $25 million up front. The deal excludes greater China and South Korea. Read More
Keros Therapeutics Inc. announced preliminary results from a phase I trial of its engineered ligand trap KER-012 that gave its team confidence to proceed with larger studies in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and potentially some bone diseases. But company shares (NASDAQ:KROS) fell 16.6% to $38.50 May 18, following the announcement, perhaps over concerns about trial subjects that emerged in a company-hosted investor call. Read More
China’s Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. is launching a new biotech company called Luzsana Biotechnology that will develop and commercialize Hengrui assets in the U.S., Europe and Japan. A wholly owned subsidiary of Hengrui, Luzsana, which means “healing light,” will develop innovative products from Hengrui’s pipeline. Read More
Biopharma happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Acuitas, Gilead, Homology, In8bio, Itolerance, Janssen, Kadimastem, Keros, Kyowa Kirin, Lassen, Luca, Metagenomi, Model, Neubase, Precision, Senti, Swanbio, Tonix, Vectory, Verastem. Read More
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Alzamend, Ananda, Biontech, Cytokinetics, Gilead, Huyabio, Incannex, Janssen, Nouscom, Pfizer, Sorrento, Teva. Read More
