The cancer protein CD47 is a hot target for drug developers, but it’s not without issues. Antibody drugs that block this protein can also spark anemia. I-Mab designed its antibody to pose less of an anemia risk and AbbVie, seeing an opportunity to catch up to other CD47 contenders and potentially stand apart from them, … Continue reading “AbbVie Strikes Deal for I-Mab Drug With a Potential Edge in CD47 Chase”
Author: Frank Vinluan
Xconomy Editor Frank Vinluan is a business journalist with experience covering technology and life sciences. Based in Raleigh, he was a staff writer at the Triangle Business Journal covering technology, biotechnology and energy before joining MedCityNews.com as North Carolina bureau chief. Prior to moving to North Carolina’s Research Triangle in 2007 he held business reporting positions at The Des Moines Register and The Seattle Times.
Bio Roundup: Pharma M&A, AbbVie’s Cancer Bet, Biofourmis Bucks & More
Labor Day is just around the corner and many people are looking forward to a last chance to celebrate the waning days of summer. But ahead of the holiday weekend, biopharmaceutical companies were hard at work closing deals. Food conglomerate Nestlé is delving deeper into pharmaceuticals with its $2.6 billion deal to acquire Aimmune Therapeutics, … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Pharma M&A, AbbVie’s Cancer Bet, Biofourmis Bucks & More”
Biofourmis Hauls In $100M to Scale Digital Therapeutics Globally
Biofourmis, a digital therapeutics startup that employs wearable devices and data analytics to help treat patients, has raised $100 million to scale its offerings globally and develop new products that further blur the lines that once clearly separated drugs from medical devices. The new capital, a Series C round of funding, was led by SoftBank … Continue reading “Biofourmis Hauls In $100M to Scale Digital Therapeutics Globally”
Lumen Bioscience Lands $16M to Engineer “Edible” Antibody Drugs
If Lumen Bioscience achieves its goals, patients will be able to take its drugs the same way some people supplement breakfast: a spoonful heaped onto a bowl of cereal or mixed into juice. The startup harnesses spirulina, protein-rich cyanobacteria touted by many health enthusiasts as a “superfood.” Lumen CEO Brian Finrow (pictured above, right) acknowledges … Continue reading “Lumen Bioscience Lands $16M to Engineer “Edible” Antibody Drugs”
Reeling From FDA Rejection, Intercept Pharma Slashes Headcount by 25%
[Corrected, 9/2/2020. See below.] Intercept Pharmaceuticals is cutting one-fourth of its workforce, a decision that comes two months after the FDA rejected its drug candidate for the liver disease nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Up until the FDA’s rejection of the drug, obeticholic acid (Ocaliva), Intercept (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ICPT]]) had been preparing for a drug launch. In a … Continue reading “Reeling From FDA Rejection, Intercept Pharma Slashes Headcount by 25%”
Gilead Sciences Places $120M Bet on a Jounce Therapeutics Cancer Drug
Gilead Sciences is opening up its checkbook yet again to add another cancer therapy to its pipeline, this time committing $120 million to Jounce Therapeutics for rights to an antibody drug approaching clinical testing. The Jounce (NASDAQ: [[ticker:JNCE]]) drug, JTX-1811, is intended to selectively deplete regulatory T cells—the type of immune cells that suppress the … Continue reading “Gilead Sciences Places $120M Bet on a Jounce Therapeutics Cancer Drug”
Akcea Therapeutics Is Returning to Parent Ionis Pharma in $500M Buyout
[Updated 9/1/2020, 7:58 a.m. See below.] Akcea Therapeutics is returning to its parent company, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, in a $500 million deal that brings an end to a tumultuous three years as a standalone company. The definitive agreement announced Monday calls for Carlsbad, CA-based Ionis (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IONS]]) to pay $18.15 for each share of Akcea (NASDAQ: … Continue reading “Akcea Therapeutics Is Returning to Parent Ionis Pharma in $500M Buyout”
Nestlé to Swallow Up Peanut Allergy Drug Maker Aimmune in $2.6B Deal
Aimmune Therapeutics, which this year won the first FDA approval for a food allergy immunotherapy, is set to be acquired by a division of global food giant Nestlé in a deal that values the biopharmaceutical company at $2.6 billion. According to deal terms announced Monday, Nestlé will pay $34.50 for each Aimmune share that it … Continue reading “Nestlé to Swallow Up Peanut Allergy Drug Maker Aimmune in $2.6B Deal”
Biotech Roundup: FDA Culpa, Tricida Trips, Freenome’s Funding & More
Among the casualties of the COVID-19 pandemic: the credibility of government agencies entrusted with protecting public health. The FDA this week granted emergency use authorization for convalescent plasma as a treatment for infection by the novel coronavirus. FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn and Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alez Azar both misrepresented the magnitude … Continue reading “Biotech Roundup: FDA Culpa, Tricida Trips, Freenome’s Funding & More”
Athira Aims for the Nasdaq to Advance Alzheimer’s Drug to Phase 2 Tests
Many of the drugs tested in Alzheimer’s disease so far, and some still in development, aim to block or break up proteins associated with the progression of the memory-robbing disorder. Athira Pharma is taking a different approach—neuron regeneration. And it’s doing so by a tapping a protein first discovered in the liver. Seattle-based Athira has … Continue reading “Athira Aims for the Nasdaq to Advance Alzheimer’s Drug to Phase 2 Tests”
Dyne Eyes IPO for R&D of Genetic Medicines for Rare Muscle Diseases
Not long ago, having early data about how an experimental drug worked in humans was expected of biotechs considering IPOs. Dyne Therapeutics may not reach human testing until 2022, but, like many of its preclinical peers this year, the company is choosing to jump into public markets now while investor interest in the biotech sector … Continue reading “Dyne Eyes IPO for R&D of Genetic Medicines for Rare Muscle Diseases”
FDA Rejects Tricida Chronic Kidney Disease Drug, More Data Needed
Tricida’s bid for speedy approval of a drug for a condition caused by chronic kidney disease has been rejected by the FDA, which is asking for data that may require conducting another clinical trial. The South San Francisco-based biotech had tested its drug, veverimer, in a Phase 3 study and a follow-on extension study, both … Continue reading “FDA Rejects Tricida Chronic Kidney Disease Drug, More Data Needed”
Yumanity to Merge With Proteostasis to Advance Neuro Drug Pipeline
Yumanity is combining operations with Proteostasis Therapeutics, a deal that gives the biotech a public listing for its neurodegenerative disorder compounds including a Parkinson’s disease drug candidate in early-stage clinical development. According to terms of the merger agreement announced Monday, Proteostasis (NASDAQ: [[ticker:PTI]]) will acquire all outstanding shares of Yumanity in exchange for new shares … Continue reading “Yumanity to Merge With Proteostasis to Advance Neuro Drug Pipeline”
Astellas Reports Third Patient Death in Audentes Gene Therapy Study
A third patient who received an experimental Audentes gene therapy for a rare neuromuscular disorder has died, a disclosure that comes two months after the deaths of two patients led the FDA to place a clinical hold on the study. San Francisco-based Audentes, a subsidiary of Japanese pharmaceutical company Astellas Pharma, said Friday that early … Continue reading “Astellas Reports Third Patient Death in Audentes Gene Therapy Study”
Alzheon Lands $47M to Take Another Shot at a Pivotal Alzheimer’s Test
[Corrected 6:36 p.m. See below.] Alzheon, an Alzheimer’s disease drug developer that has twice filed and withdrawn its IPO plans, now has a $47 million commitment from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to fund a pivotal study testing an experimental treatment in patients with the memory-robbing disorder. The cash, a five-year grant from the … Continue reading “Alzheon Lands $47M to Take Another Shot at a Pivotal Alzheimer’s Test”
J&J Boosts Autoimmune Disease Drug Pipeline With $6.5B Momenta Buyout
[Updated, 7:40 p.m. See below.] Johnson & Johnson is acquiring Momenta Pharmaceuticals in a $6.5 billion deal that brings the pharma giant a slate of experimental autoimmune disease therapies, including a potential blockbuster antibody drug in late-stage development for a rare type of anemia. Momenta (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MNTA]]) develops treatments for diseases driven by autoantibodies—antibodies produced … Continue reading “J&J Boosts Autoimmune Disease Drug Pipeline With $6.5B Momenta Buyout”
Axovant’s Paul Korner Named Chief Medical Officer of Agile Therapeutics
Agile Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AGRX]]) has appointed Paul Korner to serve as its chief medical officer. He comes to the Princeton, NJ-based company from Axovant Gene Therapies, where he was senior vice president of clinical development & medical affairs. His experience also includes roles at Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Wyeth Research, Bayer, and Ferring Pharmaceuticals. Agile is preparing … Continue reading “Axovant’s Paul Korner Named Chief Medical Officer of Agile Therapeutics”
Unity Biotech Arthritis Drug Flunks Phase 2, Spelling Program’s End
Unity Biotechnology’s ambition to develop drugs that treat diseases of aging has failed its first test as its lead candidate, an osteoarthritis treatment, could not beat a placebo in a mid-stage clinical trial. South San Francisco-based Unity (NASDAQ: [[ticker:UBX]]) is developing drugs that remove senescent cells, which are cells that have stopped dividing but still … Continue reading “Unity Biotech Arthritis Drug Flunks Phase 2, Spelling Program’s End”
Sanofi Reaches $3.68B Deal to Buy Principia and Partnered MS Drug
[Updated, 4:36 p.m.] Sanofi, which has worked with Principia Biopharma for the past three years to develop a new multiple sclerosis treatment that penetrates into the brain, is set to buy its partner in a $3.68 billion deal to advance the development of that drug and other autoimmune compounds in the pipeline. Under financial terms … Continue reading “Sanofi Reaches $3.68B Deal to Buy Principia and Partnered MS Drug”
CureVac’s IPO Hauls In $213M as Key mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine Test Nears
CureVac is playing catch-up to its messenger RNA (mRNA) peers in the race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, but the company contends its technology could offer dosing advantages, and it now has $213 million in IPO cash to fund the human tests that could support that claim. On Friday, CureVac (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CVAC]]) sold more than … Continue reading “CureVac’s IPO Hauls In $213M as Key mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine Test Nears”
Bio Roundup: Seres Soars, MesoBlast Vote, Duchenne Decision & More
The road of drug development is rife with detours and disappointments but Seres Therapeutics showed this week that course corrections can work. Four years after its microbiome therapy failed in a mid-stage study, the company reported early positive data from a pivotal test of its treatment for a type of gut infection. The results are … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Seres Soars, MesoBlast Vote, Duchenne Decision & More”
With FDA Nod, NS Pharma Duchenne Drug Becomes Sarepta Competitor
[Updated 8/13/2020, 3:19 p.m.] Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients whose disease is characterized by a particular genetic mutation now have a new treatment option following the FDA’s Wednesday approval of a drug developed by NS Pharma. DMD is a genetic disorder that leaves patients unable to produce dystrophin, a protein key to muscle function. NS … Continue reading “With FDA Nod, NS Pharma Duchenne Drug Becomes Sarepta Competitor”
F2G Lands $60M for a New Tack on Taking Out Rare Fungal Infections
Fungal infections might not immediately come to mind as rare diseases, but growing resistance to older drugs means that patients who develop these infections have limited treatment options. Biotech company F2G aims to give these patients another choice. As the startup looks ahead to late-stage testing of its lead drug candidate, it has raised $60.8 … Continue reading “F2G Lands $60M for a New Tack on Taking Out Rare Fungal Infections”
Bayer Boosts Women’s Health Drug Pipeline, Paying $425M for KaNDy
Bayer has been building up its women’s health drug pipeline by striking deals and on Tuesday the pharmaceutical giant unveiled its latest one: $425 million up front for KaNDy Therapeutics, a biotech whose experimental menopause drug is projected as a blockbuster seller. KaNDy’s small molecule drug, NT-814, is in development as a treatment for common … Continue reading “Bayer Boosts Women’s Health Drug Pipeline, Paying $425M for KaNDy”
Seres Sets Sights on FDA After C. Diff Microbiome Therapy Scores in Phase 3
[Updated 12:37 p.m.] An experimental Seres Therapeutics capsule of live bacteria has met the goals of a pivotal study evaluating it as a treatment for a type of recurrent gut infection, preliminary results the company says put it on track for an FDA submission—potentially the first-ever application for a microbiome therapy. Seres (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MCRB]]) reported … Continue reading “Seres Sets Sights on FDA After C. Diff Microbiome Therapy Scores in Phase 3”
AbbVie Exits Editas Alliance, Pruning Another Genetic Medicines Pact
AbbVie has terminated a research partnership with Editas Medicines, returning to the biotech rights to an experimental gene-editing treatment. It’s the second genetic medicines alliance the pharmaceutical company exited this week. The Editas therapy, EDIT-101, is in Phase 1 testing as a treatment for a rare, inherited form of blindness called Leber congenital amaurosis type … Continue reading “AbbVie Exits Editas Alliance, Pruning Another Genetic Medicines Pact”
Biogen to Pay Denali $1B to Partner on Parkinson’s Drug & Other Neuro Meds
Denali Therapeutics has selected a brain-penetrating Parkinson’s disease drug candidate to advance to late-stage testing, and Biogen is paying $1 billion to kick off a partnership on that compound and potentially others. According to terms of the deal announced Thursday, the companies will co-develop the small molecule, dubbed DNL151. Biogen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) also gains options … Continue reading “Biogen to Pay Denali $1B to Partner on Parkinson’s Drug & Other Neuro Meds”
As Patients Pivot to Telehealth, Teladoc & Livongo Plan $18.5B Tie-Up
Telemedicine giant Teladoc Health is buying health technology company Livongo Health in an $18.5 billion cash and stock deal that comes as the COVID-19 pandemic drives patients to seek ways to manage their health from home. Teladoc (NYSE: [[ticker:TDOC]]) provides “virtual healthcare services” that give patients the ability to visit with a doctor remotely. Most … Continue reading “As Patients Pivot to Telehealth, Teladoc & Livongo Plan $18.5B Tie-Up”
GentiBio Joins Cell Therapy Chase With $20M and New Treg Technology
One of the challenges facing cell therapy developers is collecting enough cells to produce a viable treatment. It’s a particularly pronounced problem for therapies employing regulatory T cells (Tregs), a type of immune cell that’s relatively scarce in the blood, says GentiBio CEO Adel Nada. Some biotech companies are developing Treg cell therapies from a … Continue reading “GentiBio Joins Cell Therapy Chase With $20M and New Treg Technology”
AbbVie Walks From Voyager R&D Pact Spanning Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s
A partnership between Voyager Therapeutics and AbbVie developing gene therapies for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease has ended without a drug for either disease reaching human testing. Voyager (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VYGR]]) announced the termination of the research pact after market close Monday. The Cambridge, MA-based biotech is keeping full rights to its technology for using engineered viruses … Continue reading “AbbVie Walks From Voyager R&D Pact Spanning Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s”
Legend Biotech CEO Xu Resigns, GenScript’s Zhang Named Successor
Yuan Xu, the CEO of Legend Biotech (NASDAQ: [[ticker:LEGN]]) for the past two years, has resigned for “personal reasons,” the company announced Sunday. No other details were given. She has also stepped down from the Somerset, NJ, company’s board of directors. Frank Zhang, chairman of Legend’s board and CEO of GenScript, the biotech’s largest shareholder, … Continue reading “Legend Biotech CEO Xu Resigns, GenScript’s Zhang Named Successor”
Bluebird’s Susanna High Jumps to Dyne for Chief Operating Officer Role
Dyne Therapeutics has appointed Susanna High to serve as its chief operating officer, the same position she held most recently at Bluebird Bio (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BLUE]]). High’s experience also includes senior roles at Alynlam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALNY]]) and Millennium Pharmaceuticals. Last year, Cambridge, MA-based Dyne raised $50 million in Series A financing to support the development … Continue reading “Bluebird’s Susanna High Jumps to Dyne for Chief Operating Officer Role”
MorphoSys, Incyte Get Early FDA Nod for Antibody Alternative to CAR-T
A MorphoSys antibody drug developed for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has won FDA approval, providing an alternative to cumbersome and risky CAR-T therapies to treat the cancer. The late Friday approval for the drug, tafasitamab (Monjuvi), covers adults whose DLBCL has relapsed or has not responded to an earlier treatment. MorphoSys (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MOR]]), a … Continue reading “MorphoSys, Incyte Get Early FDA Nod for Antibody Alternative to CAR-T”
Kymera Therapeutics Unveils IPO Pitch for Protein Degradation
Kymera Therapeutics has a pipeline of preclinical drug candidates that use an experimental approach to get rid of disease-causing proteins and it’s now looking to tap the public markets to finance tests of the technology in humans. In paperwork submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday, Kymera set a $100 million goal for … Continue reading “Kymera Therapeutics Unveils IPO Pitch for Protein Degradation”
Bio Roundup: Cerevel’s Shell, Thrive’s Rise, Drug Price Drama & More
The biotech IPO market is buzzing but Cerevel Therapeutics is showing that there’s more than one path to the public markets. This week the neuroscience drug developer reached a deal to merge with publicly traded Arya Sciences Acquisition Corp II. If you’ve never heard of Arya (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ARYBU]]), it’s a shell company that Perceptive Advisors … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Cerevel’s Shell, Thrive’s Rise, Drug Price Drama & More”
AlloVir’s IPO Raises $276M to Test Cell Therapies in Transplant Patients
AlloVir is the latest biotech company to go public, raising about $276.3 million to pull its cell therapies off the shelf and run multiple clinical trials testing them in stem cell and organ transplant patients. On Thursday, Cambridge, MA-based AlloVir (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALVR]]) priced its offering of 16.25 million shares at $17 apiece, the midpoint of its … Continue reading “AlloVir’s IPO Raises $276M to Test Cell Therapies in Transplant Patients”
Roche Pays $120M for Rights to UCB’s Tau-Targeting Alzheimer’s Drug
As the Alzheimer’s disease world continues to closely follow the development of therapies that break up clumps of beta amyloid on patients’ brains, Roche is placing a bet on another approach via a deal that secures rights to a clinical-stage UCB compound that targets tau, another protein associated with the neurodegenerative disorder. According to terms … Continue reading “Roche Pays $120M for Rights to UCB’s Tau-Targeting Alzheimer’s Drug”
Omega Therapeutics Lands $85M to Tap Into “Control Room” of Biology
The promise of gene therapies and gene-editing drugs is a long-lasting treatment that’s potentially a cure. But making permanent genetic changes means any accompanying problems could be long-lasting as well, says Omega Therapeutics CEO Mahesh Karande. Omega is developing technology that takes a more nuanced approach to genomic medicine. Instead of fixing or replacing faulty … Continue reading “Omega Therapeutics Lands $85M to Tap Into “Control Room” of Biology”
Pfizer, BioNTech Choose Full Spike Protein for Pivotal Vaccine Test
Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine research started with multiple approaches—four shots on the messenger RNA goal. The partners have narrowed their choices to one for pivotal testing, and that candidate takes the same tack as other companies trying to address the novel coronavirus. BNT162b2, the vaccine candidate that Pfizer (NYSE: [[ticker:PFE]]) and BioNTech (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BNTX]]) … Continue reading “Pfizer, BioNTech Choose Full Spike Protein for Pivotal Vaccine Test”
AstraZeneca to Pay $1B to Team Up With Daiichi Sankyo Again in Cancer
AstraZeneca’s partnership with Daiichi Sankyo led to FDA approval of an antibody cancer drug late last year. Now the British pharmaceutical giant is paying $1 billion up front to join forces on another antibody drug addressing a different cancer target. The deal announced Monday calls for AstraZeneca (NYSE: [[ticker:AZN]]) to share in the development and, … Continue reading “AstraZeneca to Pay $1B to Team Up With Daiichi Sankyo Again in Cancer”
Gilead Gets Another CAR-T Approval, This Time for Mantle Cell Lymphoma
The FDA on Friday approved a Gilead Sciences drug developed for treating mantle cell lymphoma, paving the way for the company to commercialize its second cancer cell therapy. Approval for the drug, brexucabtagene autoleucel (Tecartus), covers patients whose cancer has relapsed or has not responded to earlier treatments. Gilead (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GILD]]) added the therapy to … Continue reading “Gilead Gets Another CAR-T Approval, This Time for Mantle Cell Lymphoma”
Scholar Rock’s Alan Buckler Joins Triplet as Chief Scientific Officer
Triplet Therapeutics has appointed Alan Buckler to serve as chief scientific officer, the same role he held most recently at Scholar Rock (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SRRK]]). Buckler’s experience also includes positions at Biogen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]), the Novartis Institutes of Biomedical Research, and Axys Pharmaceuticals. Cambridge, MA-based Triplet launched last year with $49 million in financing to support … Continue reading “Scholar Rock’s Alan Buckler Joins Triplet as Chief Scientific Officer”
FDA Lifts CymaBay Drug Hold, Tests to Resume in Rare Liver Disease PBC
The FDA has lifted a hold on clinical trials for an experimental CymaBay Therapeutics drug in three liver diseases, clearing the way for tests to resume in all of them. But the company won’t be pressing forward in the biggest one, NASH, at least for now. The clinical hold on the drug, seladelpar, stemmed from … Continue reading “FDA Lifts CymaBay Drug Hold, Tests to Resume in Rare Liver Disease PBC”
Vesigen Nabs $28M to Wrap “ARMMS” Around Large Molecule Drug Delivery
It’s not enough for a cell or gene therapy to reach a cell, it must also get inside it to access most of the validated drug targets. Vesigen Therapeutics is developing technology that could best other approaches at penetrating the cellular membrane, and it launched on Wednesday with $28.5 million to advance its research. The … Continue reading “Vesigen Nabs $28M to Wrap “ARMMS” Around Large Molecule Drug Delivery”
Freeline Therapeutics and Checkmate Pharma Make Opening IPO Moves
The biotech IPO queue has added two more companies. Freeline Therapeutics and Checkmate Pharmaceuticals have each filed the regulatory paperwork to offer shares to the public. Freeline is raising cash to ensure that its lead program, a prospective hemophilia B gene therapy, keeps pace in the race to develop and commercialize a genetic treatment for … Continue reading “Freeline Therapeutics and Checkmate Pharma Make Opening IPO Moves”
Roche, Jnana Enter Drug R&D Alliance Targeting Metabolism’s Gatekeepers
Scientists know that proteins called solute carrier (SLC) transporters move substances important to metabolism across cellular membranes. But can drugs effectively hit these proteins to treat disease? Roche is paying startup Jnana Therapeutics $40 million to find out. The alliance announced Tuesday focuses on the discovery and preclinical development of drugs for immunological and neurological … Continue reading “Roche, Jnana Enter Drug R&D Alliance Targeting Metabolism’s Gatekeepers”
Forge Bio’s Combo Model for Gene Therapies Attracts $40M in Funding
Forge Biologics has something rare for most early-stage biotech startups: revenue from customers. Now it has $40 million to expand its model, which places contract manufacturing alongside the development of its own gene therapies, the most advanced of which is being readied for tests in humans. From operations in Columbus, OH, Forge makes gene therapies … Continue reading “Forge Bio’s Combo Model for Gene Therapies Attracts $40M in Funding”
Rhythm Pharma Taps Chairman David Meeker as President & CEO
Rhythm Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RYTM]]) has appointed David Meeker, its chairman, to serve as CEO. He succeeds Hunter Smith, the company’s interim CEO and chief financial officer. Smith will continue serving as CFO. Meeker joined the Rhythm Pharma board in 2015 and has been its chairman since 2017. His experience also includes executive positions at the … Continue reading “Rhythm Pharma Taps Chairman David Meeker as President & CEO”
Tizona’s Karakunnel Joins Innate Pharma as Chief Medical Officer
Innate Pharma (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IPHA]]) announced that Pierre Dodion, the company’s chief medical officer since 2014, is retiring. The Marseille, France-based cancer immunotherapy developer says Dodion will continue to consult with the company in his retirement. To succeed Dodion, Innate Pharma has appointed Joyson Karakunnel as executive vice president and chief medical officer. He was most … Continue reading “Tizona’s Karakunnel Joins Innate Pharma as Chief Medical Officer”
GSK Pays CureVac $328M in mRNA Vaccines Pact—Excluding COVID-19
GlaxoSmithKline is expanding its capabilities in messenger RNA (mRNA) research through a new alliance with CureVac spanning up to five programs targeting infectious disease pathogens. In addition to mRNA vaccines, those programs could also be antibody therapies. GSK (NYSE: [[ticker:GSK]]) is paying CureVac a total of £260 million (about $328 million) to kick off the … Continue reading “GSK Pays CureVac $328M in mRNA Vaccines Pact—Excluding COVID-19”