Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapies and mRNA-based vaccines represent two of the most significant new modalities to gain regulatory approval in the past decade. Capstan Therapeutics Inc. has emerged from stealth with bold ambitions to combine these two approaches in mRNA-programmed cell therapies that will be generated in vivo from patients’ endogenous cells. It has so far secured $165 million in equity funding to pursue that vision. Read More
Ocular gene therapy firm Sparingvision SA raised €75 million (US$75 million) in a series B round to fund its transition to clinical development. The company is about to move its lead program, the mutation-agnostic gene therapy SPVN-06, into a phase I trial in retinitis pigmentosa (RP). “We are in the middle of the regulatory submission process,” CEO Stéphane Boissel told BioWorld. Read More
Neukio Biotherapeutics Co. Ltd. has raised $50 million to support preclinical validation and clinical development of new cell therapies for cancer. The series A-1 round was led by CD Capital, Beijing Alwin Asset Management Co. Ltd. and Surplus Capital, with contributions from previous investors Lilly Asia Ventures, Sherpa Healthcare Partners Co. Ltd., and IDG Capital. Read More
From the beginning of the monkeypox outbreak in the U.S. in May, the federal government has bungled the response, according to both Democratic and Republican members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. Read More
Voronoi Inc. out-licensed its pan-RAF inhibitor program in a deal worth up to $482.2 million with Metis Therapeutics, a company integrating drug discovery and delivery with artificial intelligence and machine learning. Read More
Over the past decade cancer immunotherapy has redefined standard care in many kinds of tumor, but low response rates remain a problem and there have been some shock trial failures where checkpoint inhibitors have failed to work as expected. To help, Neobe Therapeutics Ltd. is attempting to tackle an important constituent of the tumor microenvironment, the extracellular matrix. Read More
Top-line phase III results showing Hutchmed Ltd.’s targeted therapy fruquintinib reduced the risks of death and disease progression by 34% and 68%, respectively, for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer could “lay a solid foundation for Hutchmed to initiate discussions with regulatory authorities worldwide,” a spokesperson of Hutchmed, told BioWorld. Read More
New hires and promotions in the biopharma industry, including: Atomwise, Cambrian, Celcuity, Diamedica, Dunad, Hc, Nine Square, Pardes, Prolifagen, Sotio. Read More
New and updated preclinical and clinical data presented by biopharma firms at the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress 2022, including: Akeso, PDC*Line, Starpharma, Transcenta, Zymeworks. Read More
Biopharmas raising money in public or private financings, including: Akero, Benitec, Edgewise, Elicio, Inmed, Larimar, Novome, Point, Sarepta, Umecrine. Read More
Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Adamis, Akero, Amolyt, Bioatla, Eli Lilly, Lyra, Nanoscope, On Target, Oramed, Rayzebio, Recursion Selection Sonalasense, Vaxxinity. Read More
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Akouos, Atyr, Biontech, Clovis, Cstone, H. Lundbeck, Hansa, I-Mab, Innocare, Merck, Novavax, Otsuka, Pfizer, TC. Read More
