San Diego
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Penn spinout Capstan aims for next cell therapy frontier: in vivo cell engineering
Capstan Therapeutics, a University of Pennsylvania spinout, is now out of stealth with technology that could enable new medicines that work by engineering cells inside of a patient. Penn biotech pioneers Carl June and Drew Weissman are among the scientific co-founders of this startup, which aims to develop therapies for fibrosis, cancer, inflammation, and genetic diseases.
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Brain-focused Neurocrine buys a biotech to broaden its scope in hormone disorders
Neurocrine Biosciences is acquiring Diurnal Group, a U.K-based biotech that has commercialized two endocrine disorder drugs. Neurocrine’s top-selling product is a blockbuster drug for an involuntary muscle movement disorder.
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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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FDA turns down Acadia Pharma drug for Alzheimer’s psychosis; new trial needed
Acadia Pharmaceuticals drug Nuplazid failed to win FDA approval for the treatment of psychosis in Alzheimer’s disease patients. The regulator said that the data submitted were not from an adequate and well-controlled study and the company must run another clinical trial.
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Startup aiming to push boundaries of gene therapy nets $55M in seed cash
Private equity firm KKR teamed up with OMX Ventures to lead the seed investment in Replay, a company developing a suite of technologies that could overcome capacity limitations of adeno-associated viruses used for genetic medicines delivery. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is among the disease targets of the new startup.
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Vertex builds up pipeline of type 1 diabetes cell therapies with $320M buyout
Vertex Pharmaceuticals already has a cell therapy candidate for type 1 diabetes but the company says acquiring rival ViaCyte will provide it with complementary assets and technologies. The two companies already share a partner in common: both have therapeutic candidates that use the gene-editing capabilities of CRISPR Therapeutics.
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Devices & Diagnostics, Artificial Intelligence, BioPharma
Human Longevity strikes a SPAC deal to go public and fuel U.S., global expansion
Human Longevity, Inc., a startup founded by genomics pioneer J. Craig Venter, plans to join the public markets via a SPAC merger. If the business combination closes, HLI would receive about $345 million for continued commercialization of its platform that uses genomics, AI, and other technologies for early disease detection and other strategies intended to help people live longer.
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November will bring political change. Will it also change drug prices and PDUFA?
Drug prices are on the minds of patients and politicians. The November election is expected to tip the balance of power in Congress and a panel held during the Biotechnology Innovation Organization’s annual meeting discussed what that change could mean for drug price legislation.
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BIO panel: How Covid-19 is preparing us to better respond to the next pandemic
Biopharmaceutical companies and public health officials have learned a great deal about pandemic response in the last two years. A panel discussion during the annual meeting of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization explored some of the lessons from Covid-19 and how they can prepare us for the next pandemic.
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BMS bets $4.1B on lung cancer drug that could best products from Pfizer, Roche
Bristol Myers Squibb is splashing out $4.1 billion to acquire Turning Point Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotech whose lead drug is currently in pivotal testing as a treatment for certain lung cancers. Recently reported preliminary data suggest the small molecule could have advantages over currently available drugs in the same class from rivals Pfizer and Roche.
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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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Aiming to treat Parkinson’s by replacing neurons, Aspen Neuroscience nabs $147M
Aspen Neurosciences is developing a cell therapy that uses a patient’s own stem cells to develop a personalized treatment for Parkinson’s disease. The approach is slightly different than that of Bayer, whose experimental Parkinson’s cell therapy is made from stem cells sourced from healthy donors.
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Biotech startup Eclipsebio emerges to shed light on RNA drug research
Scientists developing new RNA drugs need to understand how proteins bind to these molecules. Eclipsebio’s technology provides that analysis and the biotech startup now has a Series A round of funding to scale up its business.
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Artificial Intelligence, BioPharma
Creyon Bio gets some green for a new take on AI and genetic meds R&D
Creyon Bio is the latest company to launch with artificial intelligence technology for drug R&D. The startup claims its technology can provide sufficient safety and toxicity data to enable a therapy to bypass the animal research currently needed before clinical trials.
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Endeavor Bio adds $101M to test ex-Eli Lilly, Roche drug in cancer & lung fibrosis
Endeavor BioMedicines aims to kill two birds with one stone—that stone being a small molecule drug. Taladegib targets a cell signaling pathway associated with both cancer and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and the biotech will apply its Series B round toward clinical tests of the molecule on both fronts.
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Kura Oncology leukemia clinical trial to resume after FDA lifts partial hold
The FDA placed the partial hold on the study last November following a patient death suspected to be linked to a known complication of leukemia therapies. Kura Oncology said it has reached agreement with the FDA on a mitigation strategy for that complication.
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Blueprint Medicines to buy cancer drug startup with potential edge over Takeda, J&J targeted therapies
Blueprint Medicines is paying $250 million up front to acquire Lengo Therapeutics, developer of targeted cancer therapies. The startup’s lead drug candidate is on track to begin human testing in non-small cell lung cancer, and Blueprint believes the small molecule has advantages over new targeted therapies from Johnson & Johnson and Takeda Pharmaceutical.
Promoted
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.
