News and Trends 2 Apr 2020 iTeos Therapeutics’ Cancer Immunotherapy Boosted with €114M Funding An oversubscribed Series B2 round has seen the biopharmaceutical company iTeos Therapeutics raise €114M, which will be used to advance the clinical development of its two lead cancer immunotherapies. The funds follow on from €65M raised by iTeos in Series B financing in 2018. Since then, the Belgian company has completed a phase I trial […] April 2, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Laura Cowen Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 2 Apr 2020 Update: FDA Imposes No Penalties for Novartis Data Manipulation Scandal Update (02/04/2020): The FDA has concluded an investigation into a data manipulation scandal surrounding the approval of Novartis’ gene therapy Zolgensma, and has decided against sanctions. The FDA launched an investigation into the manipulated data surrounding the gene therapy application last year, and recently reported that the investigated data violations didn’t meet the threshold for […] April 2, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 2 Apr 2020 Swiss and German Team to Develop Inhaled mRNA Coronavirus Treatment The Swiss antibody specialist Neurimmune and the German RNA biotech Ethris are collaborating to develop inhaled messenger RNA (mRNA) antibodies that can treat the catastrophic respiratory effects of coronavirus disease, also known as Covid-19. The therapeutic mRNA would be delivered directly into the lungs of symptomatic patients via nebulizers with nanoparticle aerosols. The mRNA could […] April 2, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Anita Chakraverty Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 31 Mar 2020 Ipsen Resumes Phase III Testing for Rare Disease Drug and Abandons Pediatric Trial The French pharmaceutical company Ipsen has restarted the dosing of its treatment for a rare bone disease in a phase III trial after obtaining questionable interim results. At the same time, the company has terminated a phase II trial of the same drug in pediatric patients with a different bone disorder following a partial clinical […] March 31, 2020 - 4 minutesmins - By Karen O’Hanlon Cohrt Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 31 Mar 2020 Swiss Biopharma Launches Second Cancer Antibody Deal with Japanese Pharma Giant The Japanese heavyweight Ono Pharmaceutical has recruited Numab Therapeutics for a second time to co-develop a multi-specific antibody cancer treatment in a deal worth up to €246M (CHF 260M). The announcement follows a two-year collaboration between Ono and Numab announced in March 2017. Under the new agreement, which includes upfront and milestone payments, Ono has […] March 31, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By David Kirk Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 31 Mar 2020 Update: AM-Pharma Increases Acute Kidney Injury Phase III Funds to €163M Update (31/03/2020): AM-Pharma has raised an extra €47M on top of an existing €116M equity round to fund an upcoming phase III trial of a treatment for acute kidney injury. The money will help the Dutch biotech to prepare for its upcoming phase III trial of a protein drug for acute kidney injury, which is […] March 31, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 30 Mar 2020 Could mRNA Vaccines Fulfill Their Potential Against Coronavirus? The first vaccine against coronavirus disease could one day be made of mRNA. How is mRNA showing promise against the pandemic, and what could it signify for the mRNA field? The global number of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases has passed 600,000 and is threatening to bring healthcare systems worldwide to their knees. To control the […] March 30, 2020 - 7 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Best in Biotech 30 Mar 2020 10 Unusual Applications of CRISPR Gene Editing CRISPR has been all over the news in the past couple of years, and with reason. This gene editing tool is making gene editing easier and faster than ever, and the possibilities it has opened up go well beyond human health. You might have heard of the tremendous potential CRISPR could have in treating disease. […] March 30, 2020 - 8 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 27 Mar 2020 Evox Therapeutics Receives up to €800M from Takeda To Tackle Rare Diseases The Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda has struck a deal worth up to €803M with UK biotech Evox Therapeutics to develop rare disease treatments delivered to cells via nanocapsules called exosomes. As part of the deal, Evox will use its proprietary technology platform to modify and load RNA and protein drugs into exosomes and target the […] March 27, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Laura Cowen Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Startup Scout 27 Mar 2020 This Startup is Making a Cancer Vaccine out of Viruses Valo Therapeutics is operating both in the UK and Finland to develop a cancer vaccine based on a virus designed to kill tumors. Mission: To combine two different immunotherapy techniques — oncolytic viruses and cancer vaccines — into one treatment for solid tumors. Immunotherapy has transformed the cancer treatment landscape, offering therapies such as checkpoint […] March 27, 2020 - 4 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 26 Mar 2020 Silence Therapeutics to Work with AstraZeneca in RNAi Deal Worth up to €3.6B AstraZeneca is recruiting RNAi specialist Silence Therapeutics to develop treatments for cardiovascular, renal, metabolic, and respiratory diseases. RNA interference, or RNAi, is a relatively new field of medicine in which therapeutic small interfering (si)RNA molecules — known as siRNA molecules — can selectively block genes and thus inhibit the production of disease-causing proteins. John Strafford, […] March 26, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Laura Cowen Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 26 Mar 2020 Novacyt Launches Two-Hour Coronavirus Test After FDA Approval The French clinical diagnostics specialist Novacyt has announced FDA authorization for its fast and easily transportable test for the coronavirus disease COVID-19. The company is also rolling out the kit this week via manufacturing and distribution partnerships across Europe. The test received an Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA, which means it can only be […] March 26, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By External Contributor Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email