2020 Could be a Defining Year for SQZ Biotech
If 2019 was a breakthrough year for Watertown, Mass.-based SQZ Biotech, 2020 could be a defining year as the company tests is first antigen-presenting cell asset in the clinic to treat solid tumors that are HPV positive.
Getting to the Root of the Disease: Developing Drugs Against the Hard-to-Target Wnt Pathway
“Successful drugs targeting the Wnt pathway haven’t been developed yet because the Wnt pathway is so essential to all cells,” commented Yusuf Yazici, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Samumed. “Previous drugs in development have shown many off-target effects at effective doses, rendering them unsafe for use.”
After big year, RNAi drugmakers compete to prove what comes next
Two decades passed between the discovery of RNA interference, a natural mechanism of gene control, and approval of the first drug built on the Nobel Prize-winning science.
RNA Therapies Emerge for Genetic Diseases
Some biopharmaceutical enterprises are even specializing in specific mechanisms of action by targeting and modifying RNA through temporary and ongoing treatment to avoid safety concerns that may arise from permanent gene therapy alterations. In this article, Daniel de Boer, CEO at ProQR Therapeutics, will discuss how they are advancing RNA therapies in retinal disorders.
Bay Area Researchers Key on Blood Plasma to Fight Age-Related Diseases
A year ago, the FDA issued a warning to consumers to stay away from unscrupulous clinics that offered blood taken from young people to use as an anti-aging remedy. But one Bay Area biotech company is actually gathering the scientific evidence and conducting well-designed studies, under the approval of the FDA.
Reversing Disease Signals by The Bio Report
Ben Zeskind likens Immuneering’s platform technology to noise-cancelling headphones. Infact, the company’s use of the term “Disease Cancelling Technology” speaks directly to that. The approach, he says, allows the company to build a pipeline of drug candidate that address aspects of disease that have eluded tradition drug development approaches. We spoke Zeskind, CEO of Immuneering, about the company’s evolution from its roots in bioinformatics, its movement into drug development, and how its proprietary platform technology works.
Synaptive Medical updates Modus V surgical microscope
Synaptive Medical announced that its U.S. and Canadian Modus V robotic digital microscope now includes updates such as additional 3D visualization and voice-activated control. The Modus V is a robotically controlled digital microscope used as part of Synaptive’s BrightMatter surgical suite designed for less invasive, patient-specific approaches in complex cranial procedures.
NantKwest Gains 91% After Promising Cancer Result
NantKwest Inc. shares rose by a record after the company’s CEO said its experimental cancer therapy had shown a dramatic result in one patient with pancreatic cancer. In an interview with Bloomberg Television, Chief Executive Office Patrick Soon-Shiong said one patient with metastatic pancreatic cancer had their tumors eradicated after treatment with the company’s experimental immune-system-based therapy. The patient had previously been treated unsuccessfully, and received the drug as a compassionate measure for people without other treatment options.
