AstraZeneca Plc has partnered with the University of Oxford to develop, manufacture and distribute a candidate vaccine for COVID-19 that is based on technology originating from the university and its 2016 spin-out Vaccitech Ltd. The vaccine, ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, is in a Phase 1 clinical trial to test its safety and efficacy in healthy volunteers. Initial results from the study are expected to be reported in June.
Compass Pathways Ltd has raised $80 million in a Series B investment round to support its lead product for treatment-resistant depression – a psilocybin therapy that has received breakthrough therapy designation from the US Food and Drug Administration.
Immunic Inc is to test its lead anti-inflammatory product IMU-838 as a potential COVID-19 therapeutic after preclinical studies showed the small molecule drug was active against the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Separately, the company has announced the pricing of a new share issue which is expected to yield a net $14 million.
US-based SwanBio Therapeutics Inc has raised an additional $52 million in an expanded Series A financing to advance a candidate gene therapy for the inherited neurological disorder adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN). The new financing brings the total raised in the round to $77 million. It will enable to company to conduct studies leading up to a first clinical trial as well as build up its manufacturing capacity.
NOXXON Pharma NV has secured financing of up to €14.2 million in convertible bonds enabling it to continue the clinical development of its RNA oligonucleotide drugs for cancer. The convertible bond agreement is with Atlas Special Opportunities LLC. The full financing agreement, if drawn in total, will allow the Germany-based company to finance its activities to the beginning of 2022, including the completion of an ongoing trial in patients with newly diagnosed brain cancer.
Norway-based Targovax ASA is to work with Valo Therapeutics Oy to investigate a new vaccine platform that could target a range of difficult-to-treat cancers. Targovax has an oncolytic virus product, ONCOS-102, in early clinical development against a number of cancers including mesothelioma where it recently generated positive data. It also has recent experience with a cancer vaccine targeting tumours expressing mutated forms of RAS.
Sangamo Therapeutics Inc is to exclusively license cellular conversion technology from UK-based Mogrify Ltd in order to develop allogeneic cell therapies for the treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The two companies announced the agreement on 21 April, but did not disclose the size of the upfront and milestone payments.
The German biotech BioNTech SE has joined forces with Pfizer Inc to co-develop a candidate vaccine against infection from the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 which had affected 1.7 million people globally as of 12 April and resulted in 105,952 deaths.
Evotec SE has set up a gene therapy research and development site in Austria, broadening its drug discovery capabilities to include advanced therapies as well as small molecules and biologics. The company announced the new site on 6 April, while simultaneously disclosing a contract with Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd to generate gene therapies for the Japanese company’s four therapeutic areas: oncology, rare diseases, neuroscience and gastroenterology.
The Danish antibody pioneer Symphogen A/S is to be acquired by Laboratoires Servier, culminating more than two years of close partnership between the two companies focused on oncology. The value of the transaction was not disclosed however the sums already committed by Servier for access to Symphogen’s portfolio are considerable. Potential milestone payments under the companies’ existing partnership amount to DKK 9 billion (€1.2 billion).