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Grail's Galleri multi-cancer test misses primary endpoint in NHS study, fueling skepticism
8 days ago•Source: statnews.com
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2.22 min•9 days ago
Compass’s psilocybin therapy advances toward FDA nod in severe depression
Compass Pathways reports positive Phase 3 results for its psilocybin-based treatment COMP360 in two trials for severe depression, suggesting potential FDA approval, though full data are needed to confirm the magnitude of benefit; if approved, it could become the first psilocybin product on the market, following Spravato (ketamine derivative).
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Lilly bets on in vivo CAR-T with $2.4B Orna Therapeutics deal
Fierce Biotech•18 days ago
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Capricor Advances Deramiocel BLA: FDA Seeks Full HOPE-3 CSR
Capricor Therapeutics, Inc. (CAPR)•1 month ago
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Corvus' eczema pill shows early promise with strong skin-improvement signals
Corvus Pharmaceuticals reports encouraging early-stage results for its oral eczema treatment soquelitinib: after eight weeks, 75% of treated patients reached EASI-75 and 33% achieved clear or almost clear skin versus 20% and none on placebo, suggesting potential superiority to Dupixent, though data are preliminary and from a small trial.
Metsera's Monthly Weight Loss Drug Shows Promising Early Results
Metsera's experimental drug targeting the amylin hormone showed promising results in early clinical trials, indicating potential for longer-lasting weight loss effects compared to existing weekly injections, highlighting a significant development in obesity treatment.
"Insitro's AI Biotech Breakthroughs at JPM 2024"
Insitro, a well-funded AI biotech company founded by Daphne Koller, has unveiled its efforts in ALS, liver disease, and cancer at JPM. The South San Francisco firm, which has raised over $643 million in venture capital, is making strides in the biotech industry with its AI technologies and has more than 260 employees working on its projects.
Vertex CSO David Altshuler discusses non-opioid pain pills, AI, and the potential for a groundbreaking drug
David Altshuler, Chief Scientific Officer of Vertex Pharmaceuticals, implemented a unique R&D strategy that focused on targeting specific diseases such as sickle cell and type 1 diabetes and utilizing various tools and platforms, including CRISPR-Cas9 and cell therapy, to develop treatments. The company's CRISPR therapy for sickle cell is awaiting approval and could potentially be the first of its kind on the market.
Nimbus Therapeutics Secures $210M in Funding for Tech-Enabled Medicines
Biotech company Nimbus Therapeutics has raised $210 million in private financing, including investments from GV (formerly Google Ventures) and returning investors such as SR One, Atlas Venture, and Gates Frontier. This comes after the company sold an experimental pill to Takeda Pharmaceutical earlier this year in a deal that could be worth up to $6 billion. Nimbus has not yet opened a lab, commercialized a drug, or gone public with an IPO.
Alaunos' Runway Cut Short as TCR Biotech Seeks Sale and Shrinks Staff
TCR-T biotech Alaunos Therapeutics, formerly known as Ziopharm Oncology, will close its lead program, lay off 60% of its staff, and seek a sale or other transaction as its cash runway dwindles to just a few months. With $18.3 million in cash at the end of June, the Houston-based drugmaker expects to have enough funds to last until the fourth quarter of this year.
Santhera sells US rights to Duchenne drug for $231M
Santhera has handed over commercialization rights of its steroid vamorolone for Duchenne muscular dystrophy to Catalyst Pharmaceuticals in the US, receiving an upfront payment of $90m, including $75m in cash and $15m in equity. Catalyst will also buy 14.1 million shares at just under 95 Swiss franc cents each, which will finance Phase IV studies for vamorolone in Duchenne muscular dystrophy and work on additional indications for the still investigational drug.
Xalud Therapeutics shifts focus to gene therapies for ALS treatment.
Xalud Therapeutics has shifted its focus to gene therapy, elevating a preclinical ALS program and putting its lead non-viral gene therapy on the partnering path, while letting go of employees, according to a former employee.
Navigating the Frontiers of Regenerative Medicine.
Regenerative medicine company Celularity, which uses cells derived from the human placenta, is weathering the biotech investment downturn by supporting its therapeutics business with income from its range of biomaterials products. The company recently announced that it was expecting purchase orders for its regenerative biomaterials in the order of up to $80m in 2023 from the Middle East alone. Celularity's focus on generating revenue does not mean the company has put its therapeutic work on the back burner, with longevity a key area of its focus, with programs in autoimmune and degenerative diseases.
Amit Munshi's Next-Gen RNA Therapeutics Startup: Thinking Big with $300M+
Amit Munshi, former CEO of Arena Pharmaceuticals, is now leading ReNAgade Therapeutics, a startup focused on next-gen RNA therapeutics. Meanwhile, Indivior has acquired a new nasal spray for opioid overdose, Icosavax is pushing forward with a bivalent RSV-hMPV vaccine, and Ironwood Pharmaceuticals is set to acquire VectivBio in a $1 billion all-cash deal. Quanta Therapeutics has also raised $50.7 million to develop KRAS inhibitors for clinical trials in 2024.