News

Citryll BV, a Dutch biotech, has raised €85 million in a Series B venture capital round to advance a monoclonal antibody drug for two inflammatory diseases by targeting a network of extracellular fibers derived from neutrophils. Neutrophils are the body’s first line of defence against infection. One of their methods of protection is to create neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), primarily composed of DNA from neutrophils, that can engulf and kill pathogens. But these NETs can also contribute to disease if produced in excess.

Novartis is to tap the engineering expertise of Vyriad Inc of the US in order to discover and develop in vivo chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies. Announced on 20 November, the agreement will take cell-based gene therapy technology to a new level by enabling the CAR recombinant protein to be delivered to T cells in their natural environment. This will be done by using a lentiviral delivery system to target and transduce resting T cells and reprogramme them while they are still inside the body. The reprogrammed cells would become potential treatment for patients.

The private equity group, EQT Life Sciences, is lead investor in a €6.5 million Series A financing round for an Irish medical device company that is seeking regulatory approval to market a new product for use in Caesarean-section (C-section) surgery. The company, Nua Surgical Ltd, has developed a self-retaining retractor for the delivery of a baby when a vaginal delivery can’t be done safely. According to EQT, the device enables clinicians to deliver the baby, repair tissue, and identify bleeds with a single-use sterile tool.

GSK Plc is to acquire a candidate immunotherapy from Chimagen Biosciences Ltd of Shanghai, China in order to strengthen its portfolio of candidate products for autoimmune diseases. Announced on 29 October, the agreement involves an upfront payment of $300 million by GSK for full global rights to the asset, CMG1A46, which is a clinical-stage dual CD19 and CD20-targeted T cell engager. In addition, Chimagen will be eligible for development and commercial milestone payments totalling $550 million.

Novartis is to spend up to $1.1 billion to acquire Kate Therapeutics Inc, a San Diego, US-based company which is developing adeno-associated virus gene therapies for neuromuscular diseases. The deal value includes an upfront payment and potential milestone payments. The company’s technology platforms integrate capsid and cargo technologies that are expected to deliver payloads to the appropriate tissues while potentially mitigating off-target effects to tissues such as the liver.

Sanofi SA has branched out into RNA therapeutics with an equity investment in Italy-based Resalis Therapeutics which has an antisense oligonucleotide drug in development as a potential treatment for obesity. Announced on 28 October, the size of the investment wasn’t disclosed. Resalis will use the funds to accelerate development of its product, RES-010, through a Phase 2 proof-of-concept trial. The drug targets miR-22, a non-coding RNA that is understood to play a pivotal role in the molecular pathways underlying obesity.

AC Immune SA of Switzerland has extended its cash runway into 2027 following receipt of a milestone payment from partner Janssen Pharmaceutical Inc and contract revenue from other collaborations for its portfolio of medicines and diagnostics for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Cash and cash equivalents on 30 September was CHF 157.9 million ($178.78), up from CHF 103.1 million on 31 December 2023. This was bumped up in October with a CHF 24.6 million payment from Janssen. 

Autolus Therapeutics Plc, a UK-based cell therapy company, reached its first regulatory milestone on 8 November when the US Food and Drug Administration approved its chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy for cancer. The therapy, Aucatzyl (obecabtagene autoleucel), targets the CD19 antigen on B cells. The approval is to treat B cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), an aggressive type of blood cancer. It was based on evidence from a single-arm trial in adults whose disease had relapsed after two or more prior lines of therapy.

A new treatment for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) received a positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency on 15 November paving the way for its use in patients with a coronavirus infection. The treatment, Gohibic (vilobelimab), is a monoclonal antibody directed against a component of the complement system which is part of the body’s immune system. By targeting the complement component C5a, the antibody is believed to block an inflammatory response induced by severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. The treatment has been developed by InflaRx NV of Germany. 

A new gene therapy has been given an accelerated approval in the US for an inherited disorder affecting the way neurons transmit information to other cells in the body. The therapy, Kebilidi (eladocagene exuparvovec), has been shown to be effective in treating aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency, a rare disease. It is caused by mutations in the DDC gene leading to shortages of the AADC enzyme which plays an important role in the nervous system.