Biotech

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    Courtesy of Roche
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    Obesity drugs

    Roche joins obesity drug chase with $2.7B deal for startup Carmot

    The acquisition of Carmot, which had been planning an IPO, will hand Roche three weight loss medicines in early clinical testing.

    By • Dec. 4, 2023
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    Maximusnd via Getty Images
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    Concentra, on the hunt for deals, bids for LianBio

    The Tang Capital-controlled company is bidding for LianBio shortly after making takeover offers for Rain Oncology and Theseus Pharmaceuticals.

    By • Dec. 1, 2023
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    National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. (2016). "Human natural killer cell" [Micrograph]. Retrieved from Flickr.
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    Trendline

    Cell therapy

    Six CAR-T cell therapies are now approved in the U.S., and their continued emergence has helped fueled further research into next-generation approaches.

    By BioPharma Dive staff
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    Permission granted by Empress Therapeutics
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    Flagship outlines plans to raise $3B for new fund

    The biotech company creator’s last fund, which closed in 2021, brought in $3.4 billion for investing in new drug startups.

    By • Nov. 30, 2023
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    Permission granted by Roivant Sciences
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    Q&A

    Roivant’s Matt Gline on raising capital and biotech’s outlook for 2024

    Fresh off a $7 billion deal with Roche, the chief executive spoke with BioPharma Dive about this year’s “discordant combination” of major biotech achievements and market headwinds.

    By • Nov. 28, 2023
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Emerging biotech

    Flagship-backed microbiome biotech Evelo to shut down

    The company said it had not found “a viable alternative” to closing down in the months since it hit a clinical setback and laid off staff. 

    By • Nov. 22, 2023
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    Permission granted by Quotient Therapeutics
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    Emerging biotech

    Quotient emerges from Flagship with plan to explore somatic mutations

    Studying somatic mutations could be “the next wave of opportunity” to develop more precise medicines, said Mike Stratton, a scientific co-founder of Quotient.

    By • Nov. 21, 2023
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Emerging biotech

    Roche’s Genentech partners with Nvidia in AI drug deal

    The partnership is another investment by the biotech subsidiary in artificial intelligence for drug discovery and development, continuing an industry trend. 

    By • Nov. 21, 2023
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    Elizabeth Regan / Industry Dive
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    Homology enters reverse merger with Q32 Bio

    The deal, which will result in a combined company operating under Q32's name, comes months after Homology laid off much of its staff.

    By • Nov. 16, 2023
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    Meletios Verras via Getty Images
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    Gene editing

    World’s first CRISPR medicine approved in UK for sickle cell, beta thalassemia

    Clearance of Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics' Casgevy in the U.K. comes ahead of expected regulatory decisions in the U.S. and Europe.

    By • Nov. 16, 2023
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Q&A // Emerging biotech

    West Coast investor Red Tree on its San Diego expansion and staying bullish in biotech

    Red Tree Venture Capital plans to tap into San Diego’s biotech pipeline as it works to build a West Coast competitor to Boston-area investors.

    By • Updated Nov. 20, 2023
  • A grey exterior sign with Alkermes' written on it sits in a bed of flowers outside a glass office building.
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    Permission granted by Karissa Waddick
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    Alkermes separates cancer drug business as new company Mural

    Now independent Mural Oncology will focus on advancing a pipeline of engineered cytokines for cancer, while Alkermes has recast itself as a “pure-play” neuroscience company.

    By • Nov. 15, 2023
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    Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
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    A gene editing biotech’s struggles end with reverse merger

    Since halting work on a sickle cell treatment early this year, Graphite Bio has laid off staff, shed assets and, now, agreed to be subsumed via a merger with Lenz Therapeutics.

    By Kristin Jensen • Nov. 15, 2023
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    koto_feja via Getty Images
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    ALS drug development

    Forbion-backed biotech raises $138M to develop ALS drug

    The Series A round for three-year-old startup VectorY is one of the largest private financings in Europe this year, Forbion said.

    By • Nov. 14, 2023
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    Courtesy of Forge Biologics
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    Ajinomoto spices up its biopharma business with gene therapy deal

    Forge Biologics operates a contract manufacturing business and develops its own gene therapies, which appears to have attracted the Japan-based food and biotechnology company.

    By • Nov. 13, 2023
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    hapabapa via Getty Images
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    CAR-T biotech Cargo Therapeutics prices $281M IPO

    While the proceeds came in at the low end of Cargo’s expected range, the IPO is the fourth largest this year for a biotech company.

    By • Nov. 10, 2023
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    Permission granted by Biogen
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    Biogen says growth is coming, but won’t specify when

    CEO Chris Viehbacher said the company has “the elements to think about a return to topline growth.” Yet, that goal hinges on the successful commercialization of multiple new products.

    By • Updated Nov. 8, 2023
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    Chris McGrath via Getty Images
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    Flagship expands into Asia-Pacific with new Singapore hub

    The biotech company creator hopes its new office will help its portfolio companies grow and strike partnerships in the region.

    By • Nov. 7, 2023
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    Leonid Sorokin via Getty Images
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    Ventyx revises TYK2 drug plans after lackluster study data

    The biotech will terminate studies of its drug in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis after the “magnitude of efficacy” reported in one was less than Ventyx’s target.

    By • Nov. 7, 2023
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    Stock via Getty Images
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    Obesity drugs

    An obesity drug biotech gets buy-in from Eli Lilly, venture firms

    Startup OrsoBio raised $60 million in a Series A round co-led by Longitude Capital and Enavate Sciences, and joined by the pharma’s venture arm.

    By • Nov. 7, 2023
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    Dia Dipasupil via Getty Images
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    Q&A

    CEO Anne Wojcicki on turning 23andMe into a ‘full-fledged biotech’

    23andMe always had larger aims than at-home genetics testing. In this in-depth interview, Wojcicki explains the company’s foray into drug R&D.

    By Alexandra Pecci • Nov. 7, 2023
  • Scientists at Orum Therapeutics observing the physical appearance of an experiment.
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    Permission granted by Orum Therapeutics
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    Bristol Myers pays $100M for a different kind of ADC

    A deal with Orum Therapeutics gives the large pharma access to a blood and bone marrow cancer drug that's ready to enter clinical testing.

    By • Nov. 6, 2023
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    Andrii Yalanskyi via Getty Images
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    November brings new flurry of biotech layoffs

    Seres, Kronos Bio and Rani Therapeutics joined Sangamo in announcing job cuts, while private biotech LocanaBio revealed it's shutting down.

    By • Nov. 3, 2023
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    Permission granted by Sangamo Therapeutics
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    Sangamo to cut jobs again with planned business overhaul

    The gene therapy company will move headquarters and reduce its workforce by 40%, while seeking partners for its Fabry and cell therapy research.

    By • Nov. 2, 2023
  • Workers gather inside BioMarin’s gene therapy manufacturing plant in Novato, California.
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    Courtesy of BioMarin Pharmaceutical
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    BioMarin to replace CEO Bienaimé with Genentech veteran

    The rare disease drug developer is turning to former Genentech head Alexander Hardy as the launch of its Roctavian gene therapy stumbles.

    By Kristin Jensen • Nov. 2, 2023
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    Ta Nu via Getty Images
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    Emerging biotech

    Bioluminescence Ventures debuts with $477M to speed up drug discovery

    The San Francisco-based venture capital firm has already invested in precision medicine as well as cell and gene therapy.

    By • Nov. 1, 2023