It’s another setback for Jounce Therapeutics Inc. Top-line data from the phase II Select study of vopratelimab, the company’s lead candidate, combined with pimivalimab vs. pimivalimab alone in 69 patients missed its primary endpoint of mean tumor change when averaged over nine and 18 weeks. The clinical trial participants were immunotherapy naïve, immunotherapy TISvopra biomarker-selected, second-line non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Read More
In pursuit of "an opportunity to accelerate the establishment of clinical development and commercial capabilities in the U.K.," Neurocrine Biosciences Inc. said it will buy Diurnal Group plc for about £48.3 million (US$56.5 million). Cardiff, U.K.-based Diurnal is a specialty pharma developing hormone therapies for rare and chronic endocrine conditions. The all-cash transaction represented a 144% premium of the Aug. 26 closing price of Diurnal shares (LSE:DNL). Shares closed 134.7% higher Aug. 30 at £26.40. Read More
Astrivax BV has raised €30 million (US$30.1 million) in a seed round to take forward the development of a novel vaccine technology that combines a plasmid vector with a replication-competent virus. Read More
Australian radiopharmaceutical company Advancell Co. Ltd. closed an AU$18 million (US$12.4 million) series B round that will take its lead targeted alpha-emitting radiotherapy, ADVC-001, for metastatic prostate cancer to the clinic by the end of 2022. Read More
In the steadily heating-up psychedelics space, Wall Street is closely watching a number of players, among them Compass Pathways plc, which has slated an R&D update for Oct. 12. The check-in could provide guidance for investors on how the FDA regards COMP-360, the firm’s oral psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). It could also help observers guess about the fate of pipeline prospects in the hands of others, including GH Research plc, advancing a would-be TRD fix derived from dried venom secreted by the Bufo alvarius toad. Read More
For the first time since they’ve had access to U.S. capital, biopharma and med-tech companies based in China and Hong Kong are having to comply with the same accountability standards companies in the U.S. and other countries must follow as a condition of trading on U.S. markets. Read More
Brazilian regulatory agency Anvisa reported that it is participating in an investigation that launched Aug. 25 into alleged crimes of smuggling, misrepresenting, distributing and delivering proxalutamide related to a clinical trial in Brazil. Read More
While it will need a “reasonable period of time” to do so, Turkey said Aug. 29 that it intends to establish a level playing field for foreign and domestic drug producers in accordance with the recommendations and rulings of World Trade Organization dispute arbitrators. Read More
New and updated preclinical and clinical data presented by biopharma firms at the European Society of Cardiology, including: Amarin, Amgen, Astrazeneca, BMS, Daiichi, Tranquis. Read More
Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Aivita, Alnylam, Beyondspring, Fusion, Kinarus, Redcloud, Sirnaomics, Reneo, Valneva. Read More
Biopharma happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Acorda, Aeterna, Apie, Asieris, Cantargia, Chimerix, Galecto, GSK, Ideaya, Kangabio, Nordic Nanovetor, Novo Nordisk, Onk and Sanyou. Read More
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Bluebird, Innovent, Moderna, Pfizer, Pharmazz, Plus, Polpharma, Tracon. Read More
