Sanofi SA is to expand its portfolio with the in-licensing of a candidate vaccine targeting extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli, a gram negative bacterium that causes urinary tract infections and potentially sepsis. The vaccine was developed by Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc and is currently in Phase 3 development
Ono Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, one of Japan’s largest pharmaceutical companies, is to expand its oncology pipeline with the addition of more bispecific antibodies, a therapy type that is said to enable better precision medicine for treating cancer. Under a collaboration with Adimab LLC of the US, the Japanese company will have an option for exclusive rights to novel bispecific antibody candidates for the treatment of multiple cancers. The deal involves an undisclosed upfront payment, R&D funding, and success-based milestone payments.
A new company which is developing RNA editing therapeutics launched on 19 September with $30 million in initial funding led by ARCH Venture Partners, one of the biotech industry’s largest financiers. The company, AIRNA Corp Inc, plans to use the funds to advance a product candidate to treat the inherited genetic disease alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. This is a deficiency that raises a person’s risk of lung disease including the risk of contracting chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It will also investigate therapies for high unmet needs.
A fund created by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support private enterprise has awarded $5 million to Transimmune AG of Germany to enhance the potency of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines for the treatment of infectious diseases. Transimmune, which is a spin-out of Yale University in the US, will initially focus on a therapeutic vaccine for people living with HIV.
A new research collaboration potentially covering multiple therapy types for the treatment of cancer was unveiled by Moderna Inc and Immatics NV on 11 September. The partnership brings together Moderna’s messenger RNA (mRNA) technology with Immatics’ expertise in engineering T cell receptors (TCRs) and developing biologics. The goal is to develop bispecific therapies, vaccines and cell therapies for cancer.
Novo Nordisk A/S is to use artificial intelligence and real-world data to discover new drugs for cardiometabolic diseases under a collaboration with Valo Health Inc, a three-year old US company founded by venture capitalists.
Laboratoires Pierre Fabre SA has acquired a biotech company founded by Versant Ventures as part of a drive to expand its pipeline in oncology. The company, Vertical Bio AG, has a monoclonal antibody poised to enter clinical development for patients with non-small cell lung cancer – specifically those with mutations or amplification of the c-MET protein.
ROME Therapeutics Inc, a US company developing therapies based on the dark genome, has secured $72 million from a Series B round extension bringing the total amount raised up to $149 million. Strategic investors Johnson & Johnson Innovation-JJDC Inc and Bristol Myers Squibb Inc joined the funding syndicate alongside new and existing investors.
Forbion, the European life sciences venture fund, has announced the close of a Series B financing round for Mariana Oncology, a US radiopharmaceutical company with a lead drug candidate targeting small cell lung cancer. In conjunction with the funding, Geert-Jan Mulder, a managing partner of Forbion, will join the board of directors alongside Rebecca Luse from Deep Track Capital which co-led the funding round.
The French start-up company Corteria Pharmaceuticals has raised €65 million in an oversubscibed Series A financing to progress its candidate therapies for heart failure. Announced on 7 September, the financing was co-led by Jeito Capital and Orbimed with participation from the existing investors Kurma Partners, Fountain Healthcare Partners, V-Bio Ventures, Invivo Capital, and Omnes Capital.