Partnology’s Post

Recent Biopharma Funding Updates 🪙 Funding events and more details about each 👇 Get the full update weekly → https://lnkd.in/gGSgpiJM Ascendis Pharma 🏦 New company Eyconis to develop ophthalmology assets w/ $150M funding AcuraStem 🏦 $7M funding from NIH and DOD PHARNEXT 🏦 Raised €250K through OCEANE-BSA issuance Vivet Therapeutics 🏦 Received €4.9M to advance the development of a gene therapy Fab'entech 🏦 Awarded €7.7M from the EC to develop therapy for emerging viruses Nanobiotix  🏦 $20M milestone payment from an ongoing global Ph3 head and neck cancer study NightHawk Biosciences, Inc 🏦 Received $3.25M from the sale of non-core IP and Issuance of a low-interest bearing note Addex Therapeutics  🏦 $2.1M ADS offering w/ H.C. Wainwright & Co. LLC Valneva  🏦 $103M sale of priority review voucher Gilead Sciences & Arcus  🏦 Collaboration amended and entered into a $320M equity investment Cour Pharmaceuticals Development Co., Inc.  🏦 $105M in series A financing Halia Therapeutics, Inc. 🏦 $30M series C financing Aptose Biosciences, Inc. & Hanmi Pharmaceuticals 🏦 Closed $9.7M public offering and concurrent $4M private placement with Hanmi Pharmaceutical Astria Therapeutics, Inc.  🏦 $125M public offering Tourmaline Bio  🏦 Closed $172.5M public offering Vera Therapeutics, Inc.  🏦 $250M public offering 60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals, INC 🏦 Closed of $2.4M public offering CG Oncology  🏦 Closed $430M initial public offering Vaxcyte  🏦 Closed $862.5M public offering Corbus Pharmaceuticals  🏦 Closed $94.5M public offering Processa Pharmaceuticals  🏦 Closed $7.0M public offering Alto Neuroscience  🏦 $128.6M public offering GRI Bio, Inc.  🏦 $5.5M public offering Evaxion Biotech A/S  🏦 $15M public offering CorriXR Therapeutics 🏦 $8M public offering w/ ~6.5M already sold Tyra Biosciences  🏦 $200M private placement Adverum Biotechnologies  🏦 $127.5M private placement Bio-AI Health 🏦 $3M equity funding Cellanome 🏦 $149.9M equity funding ORIC Pharmaceuticals Inc. 🏦 $125M equity funding Entact Bio 🏦 $39.8M equity funding Cleveland Diagnostics, Inc. 🏦 $56.4M equity funding EnteroBiotix 🏦 $2.5M equity funding Epicore Biosystems 🏦 $10M equity funding w/ $1.5M already sold Allarity Therapeutics 🏦 $1.4M debt financing w/ $400K already sold Solenic Medical Inc. 🏦 $4M debt financing Akebia 🏦 $55M term loan financing secured Coherus $250M term loan agreement amended w/ Pharmakon Advisors, LP Dilon Technologies 🏦 $10M offering w/ $4.6M already sold Alpha Cognition 🏦 $6.8M offering w/ $2.8M already sold Stingray Therapeutics 🏦 $450K securities and option offering Palisade Bio  🏦 $2.5M issued warrants exercised --- 👋 I'm Dominic Vacchiano, Co-founder of BiopharmIQ by Amp. We maintain biopharma data to help with your sales/BD activities. 📰 Each week we share clinical/regulatory news in an easy-to-digest format. #biotech #biopharma

LucidQuest Strategic Insights (lqventures.com) >>> Gene&Cell Therapy >> ADC dealmaking is red hot. Is it sustainable?: The frenzied dealmaking for antibody-drug conjugates is far from over. In the past 10 days, there’s been a slew of ADC deals. Genmab made its first-ever acquisition — of ProfoundBio, which is in the clinic with multiple ADCs. Merck made a small bet on a startup looking to make the drugs safer on the heels of a massive ADC deal in the fall. Ipsen acquired an asset on the verge of entering human studies, and blue-chip investors doled out $158 million for an ADC startup on the brink of Phase 3. Jan van de Winkel “ADCs are super-hot molecules right now,” Genmab CEO Jan van de Winkel told Endpoints News last week. That means Genmab had to come to ProfoundBio with a “good proposed price,” which ended up being $1.8 billion in cash, he said, in part because the biotech had just secured $112 million in financing. Van de Winkel declined to disclose whether the Danish drugmaker bid against other pharma companies vying for ProfoundBio. What is crystal clear, though, is that Genmab isn’t the only biopharma ponying up big bucks for an ADC. Pfizer dished out $43 billion last year to buy Seagen, a pioneer of antibody-drug conjugate technology, and Merck’s licensing deal with Daiichi Sankyo was one of the largest-ever upfront deals, at $4 billion. Now, there are bidding wars, sky-high valuations and a desire to put ADCs to work in categories beyond cancer. Athena Countouriotis “In many situations, large pharmaceutical companies were willing to bid quite high for some of those assets, and especially for us, for targets that were oversaturated, we didn’t want to just continue to bid up,” Avenzo Therapeutics CEO Athena Countouriotis told Endpoints in January. Her biotech wound up in-licensing a different type of oncology asset, but is still on the hunt for ADCs after raising more money last month. The ADC frenzy Pfizer’s Mylotarg was the first ADC to receive FDA approval in 2000, and since then the niche area of oncology R&D — which is sometimes described as a “fancy chemotherapy” — is now mainstream within pharma pipelines. About a dozen ADCs are now on the market, including AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo’s standout breast cancer medicine Enhertu. The medicine’s sales doubled from $1.25 billion in 2022 to $2.57 billion last year. The ADC market is anticipated to grow to about $30 billion in worldwide sales by 2028, a six-fold increase over 2020, per an Evaluate report in February. More than 260 such treatments have been tested in the clinic as of August, according to a study published in the open access journal mAbs. It’s more than just a fad. The field is poised to grow more as researchers work to improve the technology and chemistry, drugmakers expand the scope of diseases that ADCs are tested in, and new… #lucidquest #genetherapy #celltherapy

An evolving landscape in precision oncology prompts industry insiders to seize opportunities in Exscientia's refined portfolio. 💡 #Exscientia #precisiononcology #biotechinnovation

National Resilience, Inc. (Resilience) Adds another Global Partner this time Taiwan Bio-Manufacturing Corporation (TBMC), aimed at revolutionizing the biomanufacturing industry! In a joint venture that merges cutting-edge technology with Taiwan's renowned expertise in automation and digital manufacturing, Resilience and TBMC are set to redefine the future of biomanufacturing. This collaboration comes at a crucial time as the demand for complex medicines continues to grow, outpacing traditional manufacturing capabilities. By leveraging Resilience's innovative technology platforms and TBMC's excellence in engineering, we're poised to accelerate the development and production of next-generation therapies including biologics, vaccines, cell therapy, and gene therapy. TBMC, a collaborative effort between the Taiwan government and National Resilience, Inc., harnesses Taiwan's proficiency in smart manufacturing and digital technology to pioneer advanced biomanufacturing solutions for complex medicines. With a focus on biologics, vaccines, nucleic acids, cell therapy, and gene therapy, TBMC aims to revolutionize the industry landscape. In a strategic alliance, Resilience will offer crucial assistance in crafting cGMP facilities and developing process laboratories, solidifying its role as an equity shareholder in TBMC. This partnership underscores a shared commitment to innovation and the advancement of healthcare worldwide. Source:

An interesting article just came out in Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News by Alex Philippidis titled Pipeline Pruning: Exscientia Cuts Programs to Sharpen Precision Oncology Focus based on the interview with Andrew Hopkins. Everyone should read it. I do like Exscientia and its charismatic founder, who published several very useful review papers in Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 2002-2006 that highlighted the opportunities and challenges in the pharmaceutical industry. Back then, it was clear that there will be shortage of high-quality therapeutic programs in the pharma industry. Unlike Atomwise, which, in my personal opinion, failed as an AI company, laid off many AIDD folks, and now, in my personal opinion, is failing as a drug discovery company with a couple of ancient targets in preclinical (TYK2 and RIP2 in optimization 😱), Exscientia has many expert drug hunters and has the potential to discover and develop high-quality therapeutics and a collection of promising targets. Therefore, this announcement of cutting so many programs, even A2A, which was in development for a very long time is a bit puzzling to me. The biotechnology companies and VCs should look closer at the programs the company had in 2021 and 2022 and consider some of them for in-licensing as some of the targets were very promising in my opinion. So if I were a VC right now, I would take a bag of money and go shopping for these assets 💡. https://lnkd.in/gtNpQ7Bv

Thoughts on this? >> enGene drops preclinical cystic fibrosis program to strengthen bladder cancer strategy - Fierce Biotech >> Comment below! >>> lqventures.com #strategy #competitiveintelligence #marketing #pharmaceutical #pharma #healthcare #competitivemarketing #biotech

Thoughts on this? >> enGene drops preclinical cystic fibrosis program to strengthen bladder cancer strategy >> Comment below! >>> lqventures.com #strategy #competitiveintelligence #marketing #competitivemarketing #healthcare #pharma #pharmaceutical #biotech

Thoughts on this? >> enGene drops preclinical cystic fibrosis program to strengthen bladder cancer strategy >> Comment below! >>> lqventures.com #strategy #competitiveintelligence #marketing #pharmaceutical #pharma #biotech #healthcare #competitivemarketing

Biotech Buzz: Partnerships, Deals and Innovations Shaping the Future 🔬 1. Novartis expands its radiopharmaceutical portfolio by acquiring Mariana Oncology for $1 billion, plus potential milestone payments of $750 million. The acquisition includes drug programs such as a candidate for small cell lung cancer treatment, bolstering Novartis' targeted radiation medicine offerings in oncology.  💊 - https://lnkd.in/dAx_FR3p 2. Delphia Therapeutics, a biotech startup, secures $67 million by GV (Google Ventures), Nextech Invest, Polaris Innovation Fund and Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. to develop an innovative "activation lethality" platform for cancer treatment. This novel approach aims to target cancer cells and combat drug resistance, providing a differentiated strategy in the oncology drug development landscape. 🎯 - https://lnkd.in/drY4zJ4C 3. Moderna ends gene editing deal with Metagenomi, returning rights to primary hyperoxaluria type 1 program and base editing tech. While retaining shareholder status, Moderna's strategic prioritization enables Metagenomi to regain control over its core technology. The move reflects Moderna's portfolio realignment and Metagenomi's refocus on its proprietary platform. 📝 - https://lnkd.in/d38rqmsu 4. The FDA approves Boehringer Ingelheim's high-concentration, citrate-free Cyltezo, a biosimilar to Humira, at a 5% discount. This expands affordable treatment access for patients. Biosimilars like Hyrimoz are gaining ground, with a 36% prescription surge after CVS Caremark dropped Humira from formularies, driving biosimilar adoption. 💰 - https://lnkd.in/d7RzSuWX 5. Bayer acquires remaining 25% stake in @Bayer Zydus Pharma, achieving full ownership. This strategic move aligns with Bayer's goals, strengthening its position in the pharmaceutical industry. The acquisition underscores Bayer's commitment to enhancing its pharmaceutical presence and operations. 🌐 - https://lnkd.in/drrtVH4W 6. Profluent, a Berkeley startup, has developed groundbreaking generative AI that analyzes biological data, including CRISPR mechanisms, to create new gene editors. This innovation promises enhanced gene editing capabilities and more precise treatment of genetic diseases, propelling personalized medicine forward. 📈 - https://lnkd.in/d5WurMAA

Yesterday, Merck acquired Caraway Therapeutics, Inc., a company developing small molecule modulators of lysosome function for $610 M including milestone payments. 💲The company had raised $23 M through grants and a Series A co-led by MRL Ventures Fund (Merck) and AbbVie Biotech Ventures, joined by other corporate venture capital (CVC) participants such as Amgen Ventures, and backed by the Michael J. Fox Foundation, Dementia Discovery Fund, and Mayo Clinic, in addition to IVCs. 1️⃣ Caraway’s patient-derived iPSC Core enables reconstitution of disease context-specific neurons to design and test drugs 𝘪𝘯 𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘳𝘰, leveraging their advanced imaging and electrophysiology platform. The lead candidate stimulates the ion channel TRPML1, which regulates cationic flow and enzymatic activity in the essential waste clearing organelle, the lysosome; drives autophagy-lysosomal pathway transcriptional regulation; and maintains interactions between the lysosome and plasma membrane. 2️⃣ TRPML1 activation also drives expression of glucocerebrosidase (GCase), a ‘housekeeping’ enzyme whose deficiency is the causative factor in the lysosomal storage disorder (LSD), Gaucher disease, a focus indication in gene therapy (AVROBIO; Freeline). GCase is encoded by the 𝘎𝘉𝘈 gene and breaks down glucocerebroside in the lysosome. Almost 400 𝘎𝘉𝘈 variants are responsible for the three clinical subtypes of Gaucher arising due to aberrant glycolipid accumulation. Mutations in 𝘛𝘙𝘗𝘔𝘓1 itself are associated with Morquio syndrome (MPS IV) and a wide array of other rare monogenic LSDs.   🧠 Only recently has Parkinson’s disease (PD) been conceptualized as having genetic components, including 𝘚𝘕𝘊𝘈 and 𝘔𝘈𝘗𝘛. Mutations in the 𝘓𝘙𝘙𝘒2 gene have attracted drug development efforts, including via PROTAC (Arvinas) and small molecule (Denali Therapeutics / Biogen) to correct disruptions in cytoskeletal and neurite function, and notably, vesicular trafficking and autophagy, which correlate with LRRK2’s interaction with synaptic α-synuclein, tau aggregation, and inflammation-producing microglia. The most frequent ‘large-effect’ genetic risk factor in PD, however is mutation of 𝘎𝘉𝘈, associated with the aforementioned pathogenic errors in lysosomal flux and ER stress that give rise to toxic macromolecule accumulation characterized as GBA-Parkinson’s. Caraway’s drugs targeting TRPML1 and the related channel TMEM175 across LSDs, GBA-PD (Phase I initiation expected mid-2024), ALS, as well as polycystic kidney disease represent a novel approach, but one familiar to the #longevity community ➡ see link in comments re: disabled macroautophagy as a hallmark of aging. Related: the NLRP3 inflammasome as an increasingly important target across TAs (Roche; Ventus Therapeutics) ♨ #autophagy #raredisease #neurodegeneration #inflammation 🔅 To learn more about the innovative biopharma landscape, portfolio planning, and valuation, please contact me or Adrian Rubstein 🔅