Syntax Bio’s technology platform uses CRISPR to direct stem cells to become a desired cell type in a process that’s more scalable and less expensive than current methods. The startup is raising a Series A round of financing to further demonstrate the potential of its technology.

Chicago-based Rush University System for Health recently struck a partnership with Cadence — the health system is beginning an RPM pilot using the startup’s technology platform and clinicians. Rush will enroll Medicare and Medicaid patients who have one or more of the following chronic conditions: hypertension, congestive heart failure and type 2 diabetes.

CellTrans’s Lantidra is now the first FDA-approved cell therapy for type 1 diabetes. The therapy is made from islet cells sourced from deceased donors.

During the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, a cell therapy posted clinical data that could broaden its use in multiple myeloma. In other developments, the class of drugs called ADCs continue to make progress and a novel brain cancer drug has Phase 3 data that support its use as a new treatment option.

The HER2 protein targeted by the approved cancer drug Enhertu is found on a wide range of tumors. Interim Phase 2 data reported at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology suggest the AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo drug has potential to treat many of these cancers.

In a confirmatory Phase 3 test of ImmunoGen’s Elahere, the ovarian cancer drug handily beat chemotherapy with results that clinicians say could make the treatment the new standard of care for certain patients. The data were presented during the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

A Servier drug candidate acquired as part of a $1.8 billion deal kept a particular type of brain cancer from progressing in a Phase 3 clinical trial. The study results were presented during the 2023 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

BioNTech and OncoC4 reported Phase 1/2 data in non-small cell lung cancer for an immunotherapy called gotistobart. Earlier this year, the German company inked a deal to share in the development of the drug in various types of solid tumors.

Hospitals are places of healing, but they have also become sites of gun violence. A panel at the MedCity News INVEST conference discussed the ways hospitals can reduce threats and de-escalate situations before they become violent.

Multiple efforts are underway to improve cell therapies for cancer. During the MedCity News INVEST conference in Chicago, a panel discussed the future of cell therapies and what the industry doing to manage the financial risks of these new treatments.

A panel during the MedCity News INVEST conference discussed what digital health technologies need to do to demonstrate return on investment for payers, providers, and other stakeholders.

Healthcare startups focused on solutions for payers and hospitals as well as consumers and employers will compete in the Pitch Perfect contest at MedCity INVEST May 22-24 in Chicago. Register today!

Five companies will take part in the showcase with technologies addressing mental health, care coordination, aging in place, physical therapy and more. Register for INVEST, scheduled for May 22-24, at the Ritz Carlton in Chicago!

Emalex Biosciences will use the cash from its Series D financing to conduct a Phase 3 clinical trial for ecopipam, an experimental treatment for Tourette syndrome. Though there drugs are already available for Tourette, Emalex’s drug addresses a different central nervous system target that the biotech believes could offer an edge.

A small Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center study found that all rectal cancer patients treated with GSK drug Jemperli showed a complete response at six months—there were no detectable signs of the cancer. These early data presented at ASCO suggest that rectal cancer with a particular genetic signature might be treatable with this immunotherapy in lieu of the standard regimen of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery.

Breast cancer drugs and cell therapies were prominent in this year’s annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Here’s a recap of some of the news highlights from the biggest cancer conference of the year.

PMV Pharmaceuticals has its first clinical data showing that its lead therapeutic candidate can hit p53, a tumor-suppressing protein long thought to be undruggable. After reporting the preliminary data during ASCO, PMV said it plans to continue the Phase 1 study with the goal of advancing to Phase 2 early next year.

During the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo reported pivotal clinical trial data showing that their partnered cancer drug Enhertu can treat a group of patients previously thought to be out of reach for a targeted therapy. The results suggest use of this FDA-approved drug could significantly expand to more breast cancer patients.

Gilead Sciences has more detail about breast cancer drug Trodelvy, a blockbuster hopeful it acquired two years ago. Additional data from a pivotal study were presented during the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and they still leave many questions unanswered.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting begins this week, including the presentation of more than 2,800 abstracts. Amgen, Roche, and Sierra Oncology are among the companies with key presentations at this year’s gathering.

Evozyne uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to design novel proteins that can be used in gene therapies. The new agreement with Takeda Pharmaceutical covers the development of proteins that can be used in gene therapies for rare diseases.

The need for mental health services continues to strain the ability of the healthcare system to respond. New technologies are helping to improve patient access to care, and a panel at the MedCity INVEST conference in Chicago discussed the challenges and opportunities for these services.

Venture capital investment in healthcare startups is continuing at a steady pace. Is it too much? Is a correction coming? Three investors offered their perspectives during a panel discussion at MedCity News’s INVEST conference in Chicago.

Value-based healthcare puts the focus on patient outcomes, but payers have a part to play as well. A panel at MedCity News’ INVEST conference discussed how reimbursement strategies can improve patient care and reduce costs.

Join active investors and healthcare’s most promising entrepreneurs who are focused on solving some of the greatest challenges across the health ecosystem.

The point of care diagnostics and testing market has climbed dramatically with the rise of the Covid-19 public health crisis. We’re seeking applications for diagnostics startups who would like to take part in INVEST Pitch Perfect Diagnostics 2.0 track at the conference, scheduled to take place March 28-30 in Chicago.

The FDA rejected the new drug application for a Levo Therapeutics treatment for the rare metabolic disorder Prader-Willi syndrome. According to Levo, the agency said the data submitted were insufficient to support approval and the regulator wants the company to run another clinical trial.

Vanqua Bio aims to treat rare form of Parkinson’s disease by boosting activity of an enzyme that is deficient in patients who have a particular genetic mutation. With $85 million in Series B financing, the biotech startup, which is based on Northwestern University research, aims to reach human testing within two years.

The mHUB MedTech Accelerator is a six-month program, based in Chicago, run in partnership with Baxter and Edward-Elmhurst Health Venture Capital. The application deadline is Monday, August 23.

Ipsen is shoring up its neuroscience pipeline via a deal that gives it the option to license drugs that Exicure is developing for Huntington’s disease and Angelman syndrome. The programs are based on Exicure’s proprietary technology that produces nucleic acid therapies capable of delivery deep into the brain.