News round-up by DDW’s Megan Thomas for 16-20 August
DDW’s Megan Thomas selects five news stories which spotlight the deals, collaborations and funding keeping the industry moving forward, enabling academics and drug developers to continue with life-saving research.
1. OGT training initiative with CytoCell University
OGT has expanded its activities with CytoCell University, an initiative that provides training to scientists on the basics of fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH). CytoCell University’s FISH training and OGT aim to support scientists internationally and help customers advance genetic analysis.
2. Partnership to develop and manufacture biosimilars
Abzena and BioXpress Therapeutics have partnered to support biosimilar development for third party customers, creating an integrated solution between two service providers with expertise in biosimilar development and GMP manufacture.
3. Angelini Pharma and Lumira Ventures launch the ALBF
Angelini Pharma and Lumira have launched the Angelini Lumira Biosciences Fund (ALBF), which has been established to invest in early-stage companies in Canada and U.S. markets that are developing pharmaceutical therapies for central nervous system disorders (CNS) and rare diseases. The ALBF will be managed by Lumira Ventures and Angelini Pharma will commit $35 million to ALBF and will be the sole institutional investor.
4. BridgeBio collaborates with Bristol Myers Squibb
BridgeBio Pharma has entered a clinical collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb to evaluate the combination of BBP-398, a potentially best-in-class SHP2 inhibitor, with OPDIVO (nivolumab) in patients with advanced solid tumours with KRAS mutations with the hope of providing an effective new treatment option for patients with difficult-to-treat cancers.
5. NIH invests $53 million in HIV cure research
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded approximately $53 million in annual funding over the next five years to ten research organisations in a continued effort to find a cure for HIV.
