- | Rain Therapeutics
Biomarkers Show the Power of Contexualization
Two genetic signatures that Rain Therapeutics scientists are focusing on are MDM2 gene amplification and wild-type p53 status, which tend to be exclusive events in malignancies.
- | Clover Biopharma
Clover Biopharma nabs $250M-plus for COVID-19 vaccine in expanded CEPI deal
China’s Clover Biopharma is getting another boost as it gears up for a global, pivotal trial of its COVID-19 vaccine. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) is adding $258.5 million to a deal the partners initially struck in April this year, which will see the candidate through a phase 2/3 study and licensure in China and other countries.
- | Vaxart
Vaxart Has Developed the First Oral Investigational COVID-19 Vaccine
South San Francisco-based Vaxart recently announced they had entered into a phase 1 trial for their VXA-CoV2-1 vaccine. Vaxart is a biotechnology company developing a range of oral recombinant vaccines based on its proprietary delivery platform.
- | X4 Pharmaceuticals
The Making Of A Pharma CEO
Paula Ragan, Ph.D., is one of those leaders and one of a select group who not only was mentored by Termeer — an industry legend lost too soon — but cofounded a company with him. Today, she’s part of another elite group: female CEOs of biopharmaceutical companies. This is the story of how she went from aspiring academic to biopharmaceutical protégé to CEO of X4 Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: XFOR), a six-year-old company focused on improving the immune system for treating rare diseases.
- | Compugen
Targeting PVRIG in cancer immunotherapy
Compugen Ltd. recently presented new research data further supporting the PVRIG protein coding gene as a potentially promising target for cancer immunotherapy. These data suggest that PVRIG inhibition may enhance T cell priming and infiltration into tumors and provide further evidence supporting the potential advantages of targeting PVRIG—alone and in combination with TIGIT and PD-1 inhibitors—in tumors for which current checkpoint blockers have not proven successful.
- | Amolyt Pharma
Novel drug may provide symptom control in hypoparathyroidism
Several analogues of parathyroid hormone in different formulations are being developed to provide more long-lasting effects of the molecule. AZP-3601 (Amolyt Pharma) is one of several approaches to provide a parathyroid hormone-like molecule that provides effects that are more lasting.
- | Aridis Pharmaceuticals
An Inhalable mAb For COVID-19?
Aridis Pharmaceuticals founder, CEO, and Director Vu Truong, Ph. D. doesn’t think the 8,000 milligram dose of Regeneron’s SARS-CoV-2 Virus Multi-Antibody Therapy (REGN-COV2) given to President Trump is a practical approach to treating the millions affected by the disease. “That’s an incredibly expensive dose to manufacture considering that less than 1% of the medicine will actually make it to the lungs, where the infection resides,” he says, estimating the cost to manufacture at around $1k.
- | Amolyt Pharma
Biotech Veteran Developing Natural Hormones for Orphan Indications
On October 14th, Amolyt Pharma announced the first dosing in its Phase I trial of AZP-3601 in healthy subjects, a momentous occasion capping off years of hard work in pre-clinical development. The drug aims to walk the biological tightrope in the management of hypoparathyroidism, a rare disease causing muscular pain and cognitive challenges.
