Sotyktu (deucravacitinib), the tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) inhibitor for psoriasis from Bristol Myers Squibb Co., is “a good first-in-class” drug, said Nimbus Therapeutics LLC CEO Jeb Keiper, but his firm may have the best in class, ready for phase III trials. Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. apparently believes so. The company has agreed to pay $4 billion up front and pledge as much as $2 billion more in potential milestone payments to acquire Nimbus’s wholly owned subsidiary, Nimbus Lakshmi Inc., thereby bringing aboard the TYK2 prospect called NDI-034858. Read More
Shionogi & Co. Ltd.’s orally administered COVID-19 antiviral, 3CL protease inhibitor Xocova (ensitrelvir/S-217622), scored emergency regulatory approval from Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare for SARS-CoV-2 infection, and the Japanese government has agreed to purchase 1 million courses of Xocova for domestic supply of the antiviral. Read More
Vaxxas Pty. Ltd. raised AU$34 million (US$23 million) to advance its needle-free COVID-19 vaccine program, which began in early November, and readouts from the study are expected in late February or early March, Vaxxas CEO David Hoey told BioWorld. The COVID-19 vaccine patch is based on the company’s high-density microarray patch technology that delivers Hexapro, a second-generation version of the spike protein used in all major U.S.-approved COVID-19 vaccines. Read More
China recently approved four COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use in a span of two days. The nods were granted to Clover Biopharmaceuticals Ltd., Sinocelltech Group Ltd., Beijing Wantai Biological Pharmacy Enterprise Co. Ltd. and Westvac Biopharma Co. Ltd. There is still no mRNA vaccine approved in the country. Read More
At the ESMO Immuno-Oncology Congress 2022, Compugen Inc. shared phase I data for COM-701 in dual and triple combination with Bristol Meyers Squibb Co.’s Opdivo (nivolumab) and with or without BMS-986207. Read More
After gaining U.S. FDA priority approval for the first gene therapy to treat hemophilia B, CSL Ltd. reported long-term data from the pivotal HOPE-B trial that showed a single infusion of Hemgenix (etranacogene dezaparvovec-drlb) generated elevated and sustained mean factor IX levels and reduced the rate of annual bleeding. Read More
The positively charged nanoparticle polyamidoamine generation 3 (P-G3) can be specifically targeted to either visceral or subcutaneous fat, and affects both types of fat in different ways, researchers from Columbia University reported in two papers recently published. Read More
Clinical updates from Asia, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Aim Immunotech, Createrna Science and Technology, Daiichi Sankyo, Immuneoncia, Innovent Biologics, Kinarus, Lynk, Qilu, Union. Read More
Biopharma happenings in Asia-Pacific, such as deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Beigene, Clear Creek, Daiichi Sankyo, Equillium, Gilead Sciences, Hitgen, Kite, Kyowa Kirin, MEI, Merck, Nitrase, Ono, Pfizer, Phanes, Pharmabcine, Sosei, Spikimm, Tevogen. Read More
Regulatory snapshots, including drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations in Asia-Pacific: Antengene, Ascletis, Biontech, Bioxytran, Brim, Cerecin, Curadev, Delta-Fly, Hexaell, Liscure, Moderna, Novavax, Pfizer, Recce, Takeda. Read More
