The radiopharmaceutical sector has a new player. This is Eli Lilly and Co which is to pay $1.4 billion to acquire POINT Biopharma Global Inc of Indianapolis, US, a clinical stage company with candidate radioligand therapies for the treatment of cancer. The deal, valued at $12.50 per share in cash, has been approved by the boards of both companies and is expected to close by the end of the year.
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
A diagnostic test for cancer was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on 30 September which will help physicians detect hundreds of genetic variants associated with a person’s elevated risk of developing certain malignancies. Produced by Invitae Corp, the test also identifies potentially cancer-associated hereditary variants in individuals who have already been diagnosed with cancer.
France-based Nanobiotix SA is taking steps to conserve cash ahead of results from a Phase 3 trial of its lead radioenhancer NBTXR3 for the treatment of head and neck cancer. The data are expected to be reported in the second half of 2024 which, if positive, would lead to registration and unlock significant milestone payments from the company’s partner Janssen Pharmaceutica NV. Nanobiotix is developing radioenhancers for use with radiotherapy to treat patients with multiple, difficult cancers.
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.
AstraZeneca Plc has reported positive data from a Phase 3 trial of its antibody-drug conjugate datopotamab deruxtecan in patients with metastatic hormone receptor (HR) positive, HER2-low or negative breast cancer, the most common breast cancer subtype, accounting for more than 65% of cases diagnosed globally. The trial enrolled 700 patients across five continents.
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.