Allovir Inc., which has struggled since late last December, will merge with privately held Kalaris Therapeutics Inc. to develop therapies for treating neovascular and exudative retinal diseases. Kalaris already has an anti-VEGF treatment in a phase I study with a data readout set for the third quarter of 2025. Once the deal closes, the combined company name will be Kalaris Therapeutics Inc. and shares will trade on Nasdaq as KLRS. The new company said it plans to drive development of TH-103 for treating neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), diabetic macular edema and retinal vein occlusion. The phase I study is for treatment of nAMD. Read More
As an array of developers push their Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) drugs along, PTC Therapeutics Inc.’s recent update on its program piqued thirst for the 15-lipoxygenase inhibitor vatiquinone. Warren, N.J.-based PTC said the prespecified endpoint for two different FA long-term extension studies was met, with highly statistically significant evidence of durable treatment benefit on disease progression. Read More
University of Auckland senior research fellow Jeff Smaill first visited China in 2012 as part of a team of 15 scientists from the Maurice Wilkins Center, one of New Zealand’s centers of excellence, to meet with scientists at the Guangzhou Institute of Medicine and Health to find partners to collaborate on drug development projects. The scientists started collaborating that year, and the first project is already in phase I trials in China. It was a joint discovery and development partnership from the beginning, he said. Read More
Biopharma financing continued to excel through the first 10 months of 2024, reaching $93.64 billion, a 53% increase from $61.04 billion during the same period in 2023. Read More
Reducing microglial activity in the presence of apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) has uncovered a mechanism associated with the deposition of misfolded amyloid and tau in a novel mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. By transplanting human neurons into the mouse brain and eliminating the mouse microglia, scientists at the Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco observed that amyloid and tau deposition was reduced. These results support therapeutic strategies that target APOE4 and microglia. Read More
Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Ascelia, Ascletis, Impact, Neurocrine, Springworks, Werewolf, Xilio. Read More
Biopharma happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: ADC Therapeutics, Aditum, Arctic Vision, Emergent, Leads, Clearside, Santen, Sarepta, Viracta. Read More
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Altimmune, Arthex, Cumberland, Lakeshore, Mustang, Rapport. Read More
