- | Celyad Oncology
Celyad’s High Hopes for a Path Forward in Cancer Immunotherapy with CYAD-211
Celyad Oncology is at the forefront of cutting-edge immunotherapy and is hopeful of providing a new way forward for patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. After receiving FDA approval on July 14th to begin Phase I trials, they plan to be in the clinic with their first patient the end of 2020.
- | X4 Pharmaceuticals
X4 Pharmaceuticals’ Phase 2 WHIM Treatment Data Published in the Journal Blood
X4 Pharmaceuticals said that comprehensive data from its mid-stage trial of mavorixafor for the treatment of adult patients with the rare genetic syndrome WHIM was published in Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology.
- | Celyad Oncology
ShRNA and Single Genetic Modification May Lower CAR-T Manufacturing Costs
Cell therapy developer Celyad Oncology is using short-hairpin RNA (shRNA) to create T cells that can be used as an “off-the-shelf” allogeneic therapy for cancer patients. They are also using the technology to help T cells survive longer in patients.
- | Heat Biologics
Heat Biologics gp96 Vaccine Effort Aims for T Cell Immunity
Heat Biologics CEO Jeff Wolf talks with Contagion about the firm’s effort to develop a vaccine for the coronavirus focused on combining antibody and T cell immunity using the GP-96 protein.
- | Vaccinex
Drug Targets Identified More Discerningly
A distinct targeting approach is being followed at Vaccinex. “We are not targeting the mutation that triggers the disease, but the pathological process that is triggered by the accumulation of misfolded proteins,” says Maurice Zauderer, PhD, the company’s CEO.
- | CalciMedica
Companies To Watch: CalciMedica
CalciMedica has been developing a new class of anti-inflammatory drugs, calcium release-activated calcium (CRAC) channel blockers, with the lead indications for treating acute pancreatitis and viral pneumonia now in Phase 2 trials for its compound, Auxora, an injectable emulsion. Recently, the company discovered the same drug may have a large impact on systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), the hyperimmunity associated with viral pneumonia, a common comorbidity and comortality condition in COVID-19 disease. Hence, it now has a Phase 3 trial underway with Auxora targeting severe COVID-19 pneumonia.
- | Sotio
Unum’s CAR-T tech—and research team—lands at Czech biotech Sotio for $8.1M
It’s no secret that Unum Therapeutics has had a tough run—in March, the company cut more than half its staff and wound down its clinical work in a bid to shore up a preclinical CAR-T prospect. Now, that program, along with the technology behind it, has found a new home: Sotio, a Prague-based biotech developing multiple types of cancer treatments.
- | Fountain Therapeutics
Healthy aging – it’s still all about diet and exercise. For now
This work ultimately led to the creation of Fountain Therapeutics, where he is a co-founder – and continues to drive a significant amount of the research conducted at his Stanford lab.
