News and Trends 30 Jun 2021 GSK Raises Eyebrows in Checkpoint Inhibitor Megadeal with iTeos Analysts are abuzz over GSK’s co-development deal with immuno-oncology specialist iTeos Therapeutics earlier this month, wondering if it overpaid for the Belgian company’s next-generation checkpoint inhibitor. GSK’s oncology deal with iTeos earlier this month centered on an antibody drug that blocks an immune checkpoint called TIGIT. The candidate is currently in phase I testing for […] June 30, 2021 - 5 minutesmins - By Victor Kotsev Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 10 Jun 2021 The Top European Biotech Investment Rounds in May Last month saw huge biotech investment rounds dedicated to Covid-19 vaccines in Europe, including IPOs by Valneva and Vaccitech. However, a €227M (£195M) private round by the DNA sequencing giant Oxford Nanopore Technologies made the biggest splash. Last month was a difficult one for a number of public biotech companies. Biotech stock indices proved volatile […] June 10, 2021 - 4 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Interview 26 May 2021 Immuno-Oncology: From Science Fiction to the Mainstream In just a couple of decades, immuno-oncology has taken center stage in the biotechnology industry. We discuss the evolution of the field with experts who have been in it from the very beginning. While immuno-oncology is one of the hottest areas of medicine at the moment, that wasn’t the case 20 years ago. The idea […] May 26, 2021 - 7 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 29 Apr 2021 BMS’s Cancer Trial Showcases Potential for Checkpoint Inhibitors Bristol Myers Squibb’s recent phase III success provided the first late-stage confirmation for a novel immune checkpoint target in nearly a decade. This could herald the next generation of checkpoint inhibitors against cancer. Last month, the antibody drug relatlimab, developed by Bristol Myers Squibb, increased the progression-free survival of melanoma patients in phase III. These […] April 29, 2021 - 5 minutesmins - By Mark Zipkin Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 15 Apr 2021 Achilles Therapeutics’ IPO Caps Investment Wave for Neoantigens The close of the UK firm Achilles Therapeutics’ €146.9M ($175.5M) initial public offering last month may have been a long-delayed starter pistol for investments into neoantigen-based therapies, a family of personalized cancer immunotherapies that target proteins unique to an individual’s tumor. Neoantigen-focused companies have closed smaller initial public offerings (IPOs) in the past. Two major […] April 15, 2021 - 5 minutesmins - By Mark Zipkin Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 31 Mar 2021 Lava Therapeutics’ IPO Shakes Cancer Niche of Gamma Delta T Cells The Dutch biotech startup Lava Therapeutics launched onto the Nasdaq stock market last week with an €85.6M ($100.5M) IPO. This is a sign of mounting investor interest in cancer treatments based on immune cells known as gamma delta T cells. The proceeds of the IPO will be used to drive the development of the company’s […] March 31, 2021 - 5 minutesmins - By Anita Chakraverty Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 25 Mar 2021 Covid-19 Vaccine Approvals Bring Hope and Challenges for Adenoviral Technology The rise of adenoviral Covid-19 vaccines highlights the potential of companies using similar technology in other fields like cancer or gene therapy. However, complex challenges remain, such as circumventing immunity to adenoviral treatments. Earlier this month, Johnson & Johnson’s candidate became the first single-shot Covid-19 vaccine to get the EMA green light. The vaccine is […] March 25, 2021 - 6 minutesmins - By Victor Kotsev Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 22 Mar 2021 Can Immunotherapy Offer Hope for Parkinson’s Sufferers? Despite decades of research, effective treatments for Parkinson’s disease are proving elusive. Could immunotherapy finally provide a solution? More than seven million people worldwide are currently living with Parkinson’s disease, an incurable neurodegenerative disorder. Current treatment options are limited as they only attempt to mask the symptoms rather than address the cause. But there is […] March 22, 2021 - 5 minutesmins - By David Cox Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 26 Jan 2021 Oxford’s Covid-19 Vaccine Blazes Trail for Oncolytic Virus Firms Since the debut of Imlygic in 2015, no other oncolytic virus cancer therapies have been approved by the FDA and EMA. However, we’re seeing the first signs that the Covid-19 pandemic may help the field get out of the rut. Earlier this month, the Oxford-based firm Theolytics raised €5.6M in a Series A round. This […] January 26, 2021 - 7 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 21 Dec 2020 Enemy or Valuable Ally? How Biotech Uses Viruses for Good Taking advantage of the ability of viruses to manipulate life is opening new doors for the biotech industry. Once only seen as our enemies, viruses are fast becoming some of our most valuable allies. Viruses may not have the best public image, but to biotechnologists, there’s a lot to admire about them. These tiny molecular […] December 21, 2020 - 7 minutesmins - By Farhan Mitha Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 16 Nov 2020 Innate Immunity in Cancer Gains Recognition with Affimed’s €1.8B Deal Last week’s €1.75B deal between the German biotech Affimed and Swiss giant Roivant backs up an emerging trend of harnessing our innate immune system to treat cancer. According to the deal’s terms, Affimed will receive €51M upfront to license to Roivant a preclinical-stage antibody drug for several undisclosed types of cancer. Roivant will handle the […] November 16, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 6 Jul 2020 How Immuno-Oncology Contributes to the Fight Against Covid-19 As the Covid-19 pandemic sweeps the world, cancer research is proving a valuable resource for developing new treatments for infectious diseases by harnessing the power of the immune system. Despite the growing number of viral outbreaks of different sizes and severity we have observed in the past years, the infectious disease market is far behind […] July 6, 2020 - 7 minutesmins - By Maya Chergova Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email