The new industry deals progressing drug discovery

New partnerships, acquisitions and collaborations are helping drug discovery companies to tackle some of the biggest problems facing the industry. These include patient access to cell and gene therapies, the development of DNA gene therapies, and the challenges surrounding GI clinical trials. Delbert acquires injectable antibiotic from Bristol Myers Squibb Delbert Pharma has acquired an injectable antibiotic from the monobactam class used in the treatment of severe infections. Delbert Pharma made a primary OBO with Sagard NewGen, Idia Capital Investissement, Socadif Capital Investissement and MACSF in 2020. Its portfolio includes more than fifteen high-value products in the fields of infectious diseases, central nervous system and oncology. The company’s previous acquisitions include penicillin G for the treatment of syphilis and a first-line treatment for bipolar disorders. Ellipses in-licences first in class immuno-oncology agent Ellipses Pharma has agreed to in-license global rights to ‘GENA-104’, a first-in-class immuno-oncology monoclonal antibody that targets CNTN4, a recently discovered checkpoint protein that is highly expressed in a wide range of tumour types. ‘GENA-104’ was first discovered by Genome & Company, a South Korea-based biotechnology company. Under the agreement with Genome, Ellipses will take responsibility for all future clinical development of GENA-104 under the identifier EP0089. A Phase I IND for EP0089 was approved by the South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in January 2024. Ellipses expects to initiate a Phase I clinical trial in South Korea during 2025 with expansion of involvement to the US and Europe following the relevant regulatory approvals. PhaseV and Alimentiv partner on machine learning in GI clinical trials PhaseV and Alimentiv have partnered to support the optimal design and execution of advanced adaptive clinical trials for a range of GI conditions. These trials will focus on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), celiac disease, eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease (EGID) and other related disorders. Designing and executing randomised control trials (RCTs) in the field of GI presents significant challenges. Advanced trial designs, such as adaptive designs, can help overcome these challenges by leveraging accumulating data throughout a trial to optimise design and execution. The collaboration incorporates PhaseV’s proprietary adaptive clinical trial technology with Alimentiv’s full-service GI CRO service offerings. Cormica acquires Focus Laboratories Cormica has continued its expansion with the acquisition of microbiological testing firm Focus Laboratories, which operates facilities in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and Palm Harbor, Florida. This follows Cormica’s acquisition of Zwisler Laboratorium in Reichenau, in the south of Germany. Focus Laboratories will benefit from Cormica’s New Jersey chemistry facility, TPM Laboratories, enabling it to offer clients a more comprehensive portfolio of tests. Focus Laboratories’ founder Tony Grilli will remain in his leadership role, ensuring continuity for the team and clients. 4basebio partners with Circio to build circVec synthetic DNA vectors 4basebio and Circio are combining Circio’s circVec circular RNA expression system with 4basebio’s proprietary synthetic DNA formats hpDNA and opDNA to develop and test the in vivo delivery of synthetic circVec DNA vectors. Under the collaboration, 4basebio has successfully developed and validated circVec vectors in their proprietary synthetic hpDNA and opDNA formats, including formulation into Hermes LNP formulations optimised for in vivo delivery of DNA payloads. Both parties will now in parallel proceed to test the performance of these circVec-op/hpDNA vectors in mouse models. If successful, the results will create the foundation for a continued collaboration to develop and test future therapeutic candidates for genetic medicine, vaccines and other potential applications. Cmbio teams up with Nimble Science Cmbio has agreed a strategic partnership with Nimble Science, to deliver multi-omic data insights from the small intestine. Through this initiative, Nimble’s SIMBA GI Health Data Platform will be combined with Cmbio’s expertise in multi-omics data integration to advance microbiome research and support innovative advances in personalised healthcare. The platform leverages the SIMBA Capsule, a non-invasive ingestible device, that allows for precise sampling of the small intestine, offering a more targeted and direct approach compared to traditional reliance on faecal or endoscopic samples. Cmbio will serve as a Certified Service Provider, having worked closely with Nimble Science to develop and validate the data quality of this approach. The collaboration will provide insights such as identifying microbiota-driven mechanisms that impact nutrient absorption, immune modulation, and metabolic pathways, paving the way for targeted therapies and precision interventions. Trenchant BioSystems and Autolomous partner Trenchant BioSystems and Autolomous have announced plans to combine their platforms under the terms of a long-term partnership agreement that will address the timelines, costs and challenges within the cell and gene therapy (CGT) manufacturing sector. As a result of the partnership, Trenchant BioSystems will integrate Autolomous’ autoloMATE digital solution into their automated CGT manufacturing platform that has been designed for distributed manufacturing at competent medical facilities globally. This will deliver the first manufacturing process in a single, compact chassis and fully automated, combined with a digital platform that automates batch records and captures manufacturing performance and lot-release data in real time. Trenchant’s CGT manufacturing process uses a proprietary cell selection and activation technology, spinoculation, and cell washing technologies to remove the current requirement of costly and lengthy ex vivo expansion of CAR-T cells to produce a clinical dose. Cellular Origins and Cytiva collaborate on robotic manufacturing Cytiva and Cellular Origins have entered into a collaboration hoping to revolutionise the manufacture of cell therapies. By combining Cytiva’s automated Sefia platform with Cellular Origin’s automated robotic platform, Constellation, the partners say CGT manufacturers will be able to scale up production to industrial levels without changing the process used during discovery phases or clinical trials. The two systems will provide digital interconnection, including quality control systems, fully remote digital controls, and analytics. Removing the need for manual intervention between and within CGT manufacturing steps will help drive new standards of automation and manufacturing productivities. This collaboration is a continued investment in optimisation with the benefits including manufacturing space efficiency, lower labour requirements, and a reduction in the overall cost of CGTs, leading to eliminating or reducing some of the major barriers to access. Diana Spencer, Senior Digital Content Editor, DDW