South San Francisco
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Artificial Intelligence, BioPharma
Recursion Vets Unveil Startup Noetik, Using AI to Unlock Tumor Biology
By revealing how tumors interact with immune cells, Noetik aims to identify new targets for new cancer drugs. The startup and its artificial intelligence-driven platform are supported by $14 million in seed financing.
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Star Therapeutics Lands $90M to Expand Its Drug Discovery Universe
Startup Star Therapeutics will use the Series B funding to support clinical development of a drug candidate for von Willebrand disease, a bleeding disorder. The capital will also support the formation of new biotech subsidiaries developing antibodies with therapeutic applications in hematology and immunology.
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Payer’s Place: Dawn Maroney
Dawn Maroney, President, Markets of Alignment Health and CEO of Alignment Health Plan, to discuss how they are using technology to provide better service and care to consumers.
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Novel Social Anxiety Disorder Drug’s Data Relieve Stress on a Beleaguered Biotech
Vistagen Therapeutics’ fast-acting nasal spray drug, fasedienol, hit primary and secondary goals of an abbreviated late-stage study in social anxiety disorder. Vistagen’s stock price rocketed skyward on the results, which support progression to another Phase 3 study.
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Eli Lilly Bets $2.4B on Dice Therapeutics’ Oral Drugs for Psoriasis and More
Eli Lilly’s acquisition of Dice Therapeutics comes eight months after the biotech reported positive data from a Phase 1 study in psoriasis. Dice develops oral small molecule drugs intended to offer alternatives to biologic drugs that are injected or infused.
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Sanofi Finds Way to Maze Therapeutics to Get Its Next Pompe Disease Drug
Sanofi is acquiring rights to a Maze Therapeutics drug candidate for Pompe disease that could give the pharmaceutical giant another option to offer patients who have the rare metabolic disorder. In February, the drug posted positive data from a Phase 1 study.
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Startup Therini Bio Lands $36M to Take Blood Protein R&D to Alzheimer’s & More
Merck, Sanofi, and Eli Lilly joined the Series A financing of Therini Bio, a startup developing a drug that selectively targets fibrin as a way of reducing disease-driving inflammation in neurodegeneration and eye disorders such as diabetic macular edema. Therini is preparing to advance its lead program to clinical testing.
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Cytokinetics Stops ALS Program After Analysis Finds No Evidence of Effect
Cytokinetics drug reldesemtiv has failed a pivotal clinical trial in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The small molecule had previously failed in Phase 2, but the biotech believed adjustments could lead to better results in Phase 3.
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Regeneron Jumps Into Cell Therapy via Alliance With Treg Startup Sonoma Bio
Regeneron is paying Sonoma Biotherapeutics $75 million to begin a partnership focused on developing cell therapies based on regulatory T cells, or Tregs. Each company brings technological capabilities to the alliance, which is initially focused on ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
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Pill Vaccine Biotech Vaxart Suspends Covid-19 Trial, Keeps Norovirus Focus
Vaxart says its pill vaccines for Covid-19 still have advantages over injectable ones, but norovirus offers a faster path to validating its technology. The company is shelving its Covid-19 clinical trial in a corporate restructuring that will shave headcount by 27%.
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Applying Remote Patient Monitoring to Surgery Prep and Recovery, Oncology and Women’s Health
Join us to learn about the latest trends in remote monitoring and how to extend its benefits beyond chronic conditions to more patients – all while using fewer staff resources.
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Aligos Trims Staff to Hone Focus on Early Clinical Programs in NASH, Covid-19
The Aligos Therapeutics pipeline reprioritization comes after clinical trial setbacks to two hepatitis B drug candidates led the biotech to end both programs. Still intact is a Merck research collaboration focused on developing NASH therapies.
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Structure Therapeutics’ IPO Raises $161M for Pills to Rival Blockbuster Biologics
Despite challenging financial market conditions, clinical-stage Structure Therapeutics was able to upsize its IPO. Much of the new cash will support its lead program, an oral small molecule that could weigh in on the diabetes and obesity indications currently dominated by blockbuster injectable medicines.
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Serious Side Effect Sidelines Gene-Edited Sickle Cell Therapy from Graphite Bio
Graphite Bio voluntarily paused a Phase 1/2 test of its gene-edited therapy for sickle cell disease after the first patient in the study developed a serious blood complication. The setback will also delay plans to reach the clinic with another genetic medicine in its pipeline.
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Vera’s Drug for Rare Kidney Disease Hits Trial Goals. Can It Stand Out in the Field?
Atacicept, a Vera Therapeutics drug in development for the rare kidney disease immunoglobulin A nephropathy, is on its way to a pivotal test after achieving the main goal of a mid-stage clinical trial. But the results still fall short of data recently reported by a competitor that is addressing the same disease target.
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Merck Sees No Future for NGM Bio’s Eye Drugs and Declines Licensing Options
Geographic atrophy has no FDA-approved treatments, and Merck is walking away from its contender in the chase for one. The pharmaceutical giant declined to exercise its option on several NGM Biopharmaceuticals eye programs, a decision that follows a Phase 2 clinical trial failure.
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Merck’s $1.3B Imago Buyout Brings Blood Cancer Drug to Rival BMS, Incyte & GSK
Merck is acquiring Imago BioSciences, a clinical-stage biotech whose lead drug is in development for myelofibrosis and other blood cancers. The deal gives the pharmaceutical giant a small molecule that could provide an alternative to a class of drugs that introduce dangerous side effects.
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Payer’s Place: Dr. Anil Singh
Dr. Anil Singh shares his insights into the strategies employed by the organization to identify the most effective digital solutions for their members.
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Discover the Next-Gen Platform for Integrated Collaborative Care
Beyond EHRs and digital front doors, reducing the gaps in patient care journeys.
