Finance, Grants, Deals

A partnership between German and US companies aims to develop gene therapies for neurodegenerative diseases that would cross the blood-brain barrier and deliver therapeutic agents to the brain.

The collaboration is between Sirion Biotech GmbH, which specialises in viral vector technologies for gene and cell therapies, and Denali Therapeutics Inc, a developer of treatments for diseases of the central nervous system.

Neem Biotech Ltd, which is researching treatments for bacterial infections, has received £50,000 in public funding to advance its studies into treatments for bacterial infections in wounds. The company is investigating potential therapies targeting biofilms which are formed by bacteria as a protection against the human immune system and antibiotics.

The German biotech company Immunic AG is to execute a reverse merger with Vital Therapies Inc of the US in the first step towards an anticipated share listing on Nasdaq. The two companies have agreed to an all-share transaction that will create a new company, Immunic Inc, the majority of whose shares will be held by Immunic AG.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc and Sanofi SA have scaled back their collaboration in immuno-oncology to co-develop just two bispecific compounds, leaving other projects to be pursued independently by the two companies.

The restructuring affects a partnership dating from 2015 which has already yielded one approved product, Libtayo (cemiplimab), for the treatment of advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. Libtayo was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in September 2018.

AstraZeneca Plc has reached out to a UK biotech, Aptamer Group Ltd, to explore the use of aptamer technology in developing candidate drugs for kidney disease. Specifically, the two companies will explore the feasibility of developing aptamer drug conjugates to deliver therapeutic molecules to the kidney.

Hookipa Pharma Inc is to receive a milestone payment from Gilead Sciences Inc for successfully designing and delivering 14 research grade vectors for a potential treatment for infections from the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The size of the payment was not disclosed, but it comes just seven months after a licencing deal between the two companies took effect.

Eli Lilly and Company is to acquire Loxo Oncology Inc, a developer of cancer therapies targeting genetic abnormalites, for $8 billion. The transaction was announced only days after Bristol-Myers Squibb Co said it was taking over Celgene Corp for $74 billion, also an oncology-directed deal.

The agreed deal will take place via a tender offer by Lilly for all of the outstanding shares of Loxo for $235 per share in cash, representing a premium of approximately 68% over Loxo’s closing stock price on 4 January.

The UK artificial intelligence company Exscientia Ltd has raised $26 million in a Series B financing round while simultaneously securing a drug discovery partnership with Roche. It said the funds will enable it bring its first compounds into the clinic within the next 12 months.

The Switzerland-based company Oculis SA has raised a further CHF15.5 million from investors and in-licensed an ophthalmic product from Novartis as part of its drive to develop a portfolio of topical treatments for eye diseases. The fundraising and product acquisition were both announced on 4 January.

Exonate Ltd, a spin-out of the University of Nottingham, has raised further money from the venture capital community to support its candidate eye drop for treating retinal neovascular diseases. The latest round raised £1.5 million for a total to date of £9 million.

The UK company is supported by Uniseed of Australia, the University of Bristol Enterprise Fund, Angel CoFund and a number of other investors.