News

MetrioPharm AG, a Swiss biotech company, has reported positive results from a trial of its small molecule immune modulator in patients hospitalised with Covid-19. The Phase 2a study showed that the drug, MP1032, was effective when administered with a standard of care and delivered lower mortality compared with patients receiving a placebo and standard of care. According to the company, the results showed that MP1032 is comparable to remdesivir (Veklury), an approved antiviral, with additional safety benefits.

BlueRock Therapeutics LP has exercised an option and gained exclusive rights to a cell therapy derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) for the treatment of primary photoreceptor diseases. The product, OpCT-001, was developed in collaboration with Fujifilm Cellular Dynamics Inc, a manufacturer of human iPSCs and iPSC-derived cells, and Opsis Therapeutics LLC.

Healthcare professionals are being advised to monitor patients and clinical trial participants who receive treatment for cancer with a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy for the risk of secondary malignancies. In a commentary in The New England Journal of Medicine on 25 January, Nicole Verdun and Peter Marks write that while secondary cancers from these medicines appear to be relatively rare, they need to be identified. Drs Verdun and Marks are both senior officials at the US Food and Drug Administration. 

Sanofi SA is to acquire an experimental biologic for the treatment of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD), a rare disease of the lungs and liver, in a deal valued at up to $2.2 billion. The asset is currently being developed by Inhibrx Inc, a Nasdaq-listed company in the US, which has a pipeline of four main assets. Sanofi will acquire INBRX-101, a recombinant fusion protein which is in a registrational trial for patients with AATD. The deal was announced on 23 January.

A group of European venture funds led by Forbion of the Netherlands has raised €75 million in Series A financing to support the launch of a new biotech company based in Oslo Norway. Calluna Pharma AS will develop antibody therapeutics for the treatment of inflammatory and fibrotic diseases. It has been created from a merger of Oxitope Pharma BV of the Netherlands and Arxx Therapeutics AS of Norway. Besides Forbion, the financing syndicate includes the Norwegian funds Sarsia Management, p53 Invest AS and Investinor AS. The venture finance was announced on 23 January.

A combination of Opdivo (nivolumab) and Yervoy (ipilimumab) has been effective in reducing the risk of disease progression in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer – the first dual immunotherapy regime to show significant benefits as a first-line treatment, according to Bristol Myers Squibb Co. BMS, which developed both drugs, announced the results of the Phase 3 CheckMate-8HW trial on 20 January.

Evotec SE has reaffirmed its financial guidance for 2023 and outlined its ethics policy in a conference call with analysts on 22 January. This follows the announcement on 3 January by Werner Lanthaler, the chief executive, that he would be stepping down from his position for personal reasons. Mario Polywka, a member of Evotec’s supervisory board, has agreed to serve as interim CEO until a new chief executive is appointed.

An experimental chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy intended for the treatment of multiple sclerosis received a fast track designation from the US Food and Drug Administration on 19 January, indicating its potential to address a major medical need. The therapy is being developed by Kyverna Therapeutics Inc, a biotech company incorporated in 2018 and located in Emeryville, California, US.

The UK government, through its Innovate UK agency, has increased its five-year funding commitment to the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, an incubator for researchers and small companies working on novel advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs). Announced on 8 January, the new financial award is £80 million which represents a 35% increase from the previous five year period. 

A new financing round for Revagenix Inc has drawn attention to the ongoing need of the healthcare community for novel antibiotics to overcome resistance to current therapies. On 5 January, Revagenix announced the completion of a Series B financing round along with the appointment of three new investment professionals to its board of directors. The size of the Series B round wasn’t disclosed. It will complement existing US government funding to support the company’s lead programme.