Biotech

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    Emerging biotech

    Startup Eikon, led by Merck vets, buys drugs from three biotechs and banks another $106M

    The California biotech, led by Roger Perlmutter and other former Merck executives, has now raised nearly $775 million since its launch two years ago.

    By • June 1, 2023
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    Courtesy of Biohaven Ltd.
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    Biohaven sends latest drug to FDA, despite past trial setback

    The biotech, best known for its success developing migraine medicines, will seek approval of a treatment that failed a Phase 3 trial but showed signs of a positive effect.

    By • May 31, 2023
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    luismmolina via Getty Images
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    Trendline

    The expanding world of RNA therapies

    Vaccines from BioNTech and Moderna proved the power of messenger RNA in medicine. A growing field of RNA-targeting therapies is advancing alongside them.

    By BioPharma Dive staff
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Rain Oncology to cut workforce by 65% after study failure

    The company, which went public in 2021 to develop a cancer drug licensed from Daiichi Sankyo, may try to acquire a different tumor-targeting medicine to grow its pipeline.

    By • May 30, 2023
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    Atea rejects takeover bid from Concentra

    The COVID-19 drug developer said the offer from the firm that recently took over Jounce Therapeutics “fundamentally undervalues the company.”

    By • May 30, 2023
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    Amylyx’s ALS drug could face rejection in Europe

    The biotech said a committee advising the European Medicines Agency is “trending” toward issuing a negative opinion of its drug Relyvrio, which was approved in the U.S. last year. 

    By • May 30, 2023
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    Slump in medtech VC activity continues as inflation keeps investors on the sidelines

    Investors struck deals worth $1.8 billion over the first three months of the year, down from $3 billion in early 2022.

    By Nick Paul Taylor • May 26, 2023
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    Permission granted by Institute of Protein Innovation
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    Q&A // Emerging biotech

    Serial biotech founder Tim Springer on investing in startups and democratizing antibody research

    Springer, who became a billionaire after investing in Moderna, highlighted gene therapy and machine learning as two fields he’s optimistic will shape biotech’s future. 

    By • May 26, 2023
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    Illumina chair loses to Icahn pick as proxy battle ends

    The decision to replace board Chair John Thompson could change the company’s course as it decides whether to divest liquid biopsy company Grail.

    By Elise Reuter • Updated May 25, 2023
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    BenevolentAI CFO resigns as company lays off staff, restructures

    The biotech, one of several AI drug discovery specialists to go public in recent years, is cutting up to 180 jobs and reorganizing its pipeline to conserve cash.

    By • May 25, 2023
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    Illumina, Icahn prepare for proxy showdown

    Can Carl Icahn bend Illumina to his will? Shareholders will vote Thursday on removing the company’s CEO and chairman from the board and replacing them with nominees from the activist investor.

    By Elise Reuter • May 25, 2023
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    Digital health funding holds steady in Q1 after year of decline

    The sector defied trends seen in the broader venture capital economy, where funding has tightened. But investment is still at years-low levels.

    By Emily Olsen • May 25, 2023
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    PTC lays off staff, fires CFO as neuromuscular drug study fails

    The biotech is giving up on early-stage gene therapy research as part of a restructuring meant to cut costs and redirect resources toward therapies most likely to succeed.

    By Kristin Jensen • May 24, 2023
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    FDA delays decision on Duchenne gene therapy, considers narrower approval

    The agency will extend its review of Sarepta’s treatment by one month as it weighs limiting an initial OK to children with Duchenne aged 4 to 5 years old.

    By • Updated May 24, 2023
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    Concentra bids on Atea, seeking to acquire another struggling biotech

    However, Atea’s board said Tuesday they rejected the offer from Concentra, which was recently involved in the takeover of Jounce Therapeutics.

    By • Updated May 30, 2023
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    Emerging biotech

    ReNAgade debuts with $300M and an ‘all-in-one’ system for delivering RNA drugs

    Staffed by former Alnylam and Moderna employees, the startup is developing technologies that could be useful in a variety of RNA drugmaking methods.

    By • May 23, 2023
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    Novartis
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    Novartis buys rare disease gene therapy from Avrobio

    The pharma will pay nearly $90 million to acquire Avrobio’s treatment for cystinosis, an inherited condition caused by the toxic buildup of an amino acid.

    By • May 22, 2023
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    Adobe Stock, Courtesy of Gorodenkoff

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    Sponsored by OpenClinica

    How the digital front door benefits clinical trial patients, clinicians and sponsors

    A digital front door in clinical trials is a triple win that improves patient and clinician satisfaction, data quality and costs.

    By Ben Baumann, OpenClinica Co-Founder and COO • May 22, 2023
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    Moderna reports ‘encouraging’ early data for one of its rare disease medicines

    Now known for its vaccine research, the biotech said its clinical trial is the first to report results of a messenger RNA therapeutic designed for intracellular protein replacement.

    By • May 19, 2023
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    Mustang pares research, sells manufacturing plant to save money

    The biotech joins a score of other cell and gene therapy developers that, on the heels of a historic market downturn, have cut costs.

    By • May 18, 2023
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    Courtesy of Prothena
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    Billy Dunn, former FDA neuroscience head, joins Prothena board

    Dunn is joining the neurological drug developer less than three months after stepping down from his role leading an agency office responsible for several controversial regulatory reviews. 

    By Kristin Jensen • May 17, 2023
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    Emerging biotech

    Siren emerges from stealth with plans to marry gene therapy to cancer immunotherapy

    Spun out of the lab of former UCSF researcher Nicole Paulk, the biotech is targeting brain and eye tumors with a new kind of treatment it has dubbed “immuno-gene therapy.”

    By • May 17, 2023
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    Biotech Scribe strikes gene editing deal with Lilly subsidiary

    The California-based company now has partnerships in place with Sanofi, Biogen and Lilly’s Prevail.

    By • May 16, 2023
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    Emerging biotech

    Biotech startup Ray raises $100M for vision-restoring gene therapies

    Founded in early 2021, the company is using optogenetics to design treatments that could work across disease genotypes and in the later stages of vision loss.

    By • May 16, 2023
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    Emerging biotech

    Flagship’s newest startup is imitating nature to make new drugs

    The latest startup from one of biotech’s most prolific company creators has $50 million to explore a new way of designing medicines.

    By • May 16, 2023
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    Gilead expands Arcus partnership, with eye to inflammatory disease

    The new deal is worth up to $1 billion, and will see the two collaborators work together on up to four inflammatory disease drug targets.

    By • May 15, 2023