In its second big pharma deal to date, Shape Therapeutics Inc. drew Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. to the table in a potential $1.5 billion-plus collaboration initially aimed at developing gene therapies for ocular diseases. The multitarget agreement, which includes options for additional targets and tissue types, will combine Shape’s AI-driven adeno-associated virus (AAV) platform and Otsuka’s expertise in ophthalmology to develop intravitreally delivered AAV therapies. Read More
Verge Genomics Inc. has entered a second big AI deal with a large drug company. Privately held Verge will receive up to $42 million, including up-front, equity and near-term payments from Alexion, Astrazeneca Rare Disease, to identify multiple targets for rare neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases. The deal could top out at $840 million. There also is potential for downstream royalties. Read More
Positive phase III data from Cymabay Therapeutics Inc. with seladelpar, the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor for primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), could mean trouble for Intercept Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s second-line therapy, the farnesoid X receptor agonist Ocaliva (obeticholic acid), which Cymabay aims to replace with its compound as the preferred choice. Read More
In August 2023 biopharma companies raised a collective $4.02 billion through 86transactions, down from the previous seven months’ average of $5.53 billion. Read More
Brii Biosciences Ltd.’s therapeutic vaccine for hepatitis B (HBV), BRII-179 (VBI-2601), induced functional immune responses – inducing broad antibody and T-cell responses – in patients with chronic HBV in a phase II trial that evaluated the vaccine in combination with pegylated interferon-alfa, according to interim results. Read More
South Korean CAR T developer Curocell Inc. said on Sept. 8 that it passed a preliminary screening to list on Kosdaq – news that comes four months after its application was made to the Korea exchange on May 2, 2023, and a year after its first failed application in January 2022. Read More
Google’s Scott Penberthy joins the podcast for a visionary discussion that scans the horizon for startling changes artificial intelligence will bring to drug development in the relatively near future. Read More
Biopharma happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Adamis, Coherus, DMK, Lynch Regenerative, Surface Oncology. Read More
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Actimed, Amneal, Artelo, Carrick, Corvus, Eloxx, Harmony, Inovio, Intensity, Maat, Merck, Pepgen. Read More
