Business

bit.bio has secured a foundational US patent for opti-ox, its precision cell programming and manufacturing technology. opti-ox uses a dual genomic safe harbour approach to cell programming, and the granted US patent covers the use of opti-ox to deterministically activate genetic code in any eukaryotic (cell with a nucleus) cell type. bit.bio uses opti-ox to […]

CS Pharmaceuticals (CSP) has acquired AxeroVision, a company developing novel therapies for the treatment of dry eye disease (DED) and other ophthalmic inflammatory diseases that address the underlying inflammatory processes. Darren Mercer, Chief Executive of CSP, said: “We are thrilled to acquire AxeroVision, and in particular the pipeline product AXR-270 which contains a novel selective […]

Biogen has revealed an agreement to acquire Reata Pharmaceuticals for approximately $7.3 billion. The news follows an announcement by the company last week that it would cut around 1,000 jobs, or 11% of its workforce, to allow investment into its product pipeline. In its second quarter results, the company said its new ‘Fit for Growth’ […]

BioIVT has acquired PrecisionMed, a supplier of human biological material for genetics, drug discovery, and biomarker research and in vitro diagnostics. Based in Carlsbad, CA, US, PrecisionMed has been collecting biospecimens for neurology and oncology research for more than 27 years, and reportedly has the largest private, global repository of longitudinally collected human CSF for […]

ICON, a healthcare intelligence and clinical research organisation, recently released its ICON Cares 2022 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report. Diarmaid Cunningham, Chief Administrative Officer at ICON, shares insight with DDW.  At ICON, we engage with our key stakeholders through a variety of methods and the environmental, social and governance (ESG) report is a key […]

International investors are abandoning UK life sciences as excessive revenue clawback rates start to bite, according to the latest Life Sciences Competitiveness Indicators published by the government1. The UK saw a substantial drop in the estimated value of inward life sciences foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2022 compared to 2021, falling to £1.9 billion ($2.5 […]

NK:IO has been awarded £1.6m ($2.1m) in grant funding from Innovate UK’s New Cancer Therapeutics programme. The funding will support preclinical development, including development of a manufacturing process in collaboration with the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, whose mission is to support the UK’s cell and gene therapy industry. NK:IO is based on discoveries in […]

Shares in AstraZeneca fell by 6% on July 3 when the company published the first results from its Phase III trial for datopotamab deruxtecan (Dato-DXd) and continued to fall throughout the day, though there was some recovery on July 4. It was reported that the therapy demonstrated statistically significant improvement in progression-free survival vs docetaxel […]

Vesalius Biocapital, a life sciences venture capital investor, has closed its fourth fund, Vesalius Biocapital IV, securing over €95 million of commitments. The company plans to invest in first and best-in-class European life science companies in drug development and digital health. The goal is to build a portfolio of 10-15 companies, providing capital and the […]

Astraveus, providers of modular, microfluidic cell foundries for cell and gene therapy (CGT) manufacturing, has completed an oversubscribed €16.5 million Series Seed financing led by AdBio partners, co-syndicated with M Ventures, Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC Inc., and Bpifrance Large Venture.  Astraveus’ Lakhesys platform is an end-to-end cell foundry that uses deep process optimisation […]

Italian contract research organisation IRBM has signed a new agreement with Merck & Co Inc (MSD outside the USA and Canada) to continue their collaboration in the peptide therapeutics area. “The success of this collaboration is reflected by the outstanding achievements in the delivery of orally available peptide candidates,” said Elisabetta Bianchi, Senior Director of […]

Evox Therapeutics has purchased Codiak Biosciences engEx-AAV technology platform, including all intellectual property rights, and exclusive access to certain engineering and manufacturing rights. The technology enables active loading of adeno-associated virus (AAV) into exosomes followed by their release when the AAV-loaded exosomes are delivered into recipient cells. This has been demonstrated to be an effective […]

invoX Pharma, a UK-based wholly-owned subsidiary of Sino Biopharmaceutical, with an advancing pipeline of innovative products, has completed a second tranche of investment in pHion Therapeutics, a next-generation mRNA vaccine company.   pHion is developing a pipeline of therapeutic and prophylactic vaccines focussed on oncology and infectious diseases. The company’s proprietary RALA platform can deliver anionic […]

Lifebit and Flatiron Health have announced a multi-year strategic partnership with the aim of improving scientific discoveries by learning from the experience of  cancer patients. Health data generated by hospitals, healthcare providers, research organisations and clinical trials hold the potential to advance research and innovation, improve patient care and accelerate drug development. The sensitivity of […]

Sales of branded anti-obesity drugs (AOB) could hit $44 billion in 2030 vs $2.5 billion in 2022, with just under 70% stemming from the US. The predictions come from analysts at Bloomberg Intelligence (BI), who believe securing broad reimbursement and supply are key, with a possible upside from further innovations including combination products. Michael Shah, […]

eMolecules has announced the acquisition of Specs Compound Handling, a provider of chemical compound management services to the life sciences industry. eMolecules provides a digital chemical search engine, specialising in unique structures with delivery options from a global network of suppliers. “Welcoming the highly reputable and talented Specs team into eMolecules represents a major milestone […]