DUBLIN – Translate Bio Inc. is the first beneficiary to gain from Sanofi SA’s massive $11.7 billion addition to its balance sheet, following its recent disposal of its holdings in long-time partner Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. Lexington, Mass.-based Translate Bio is getting $300 million up front, another $125 million in equity investment and up to $1.9 billion in milestones under a major expansion of an existing agreement with Paris-based Sanofi to develop mRNA-based vaccines for infectious disease. Translate Bio will also receive tiered royalties on product sales.
Pionyr’s deal with Gilead could bring in more than $1B
Gilead Sciences Inc. has acquired a 49.9% equity interest in privately held Pionyr Immunotherapeutics Inc. Shareholders of South San Francisco-based Pionyr will receive $275 million when the deal closes, while Gilead receives 49.9% of Pionyr’s common stock and an exclusive option to purchase the remaining equity. Gilead could exercise an exclusive option, once phase Ib antitumor immunity studies of PY-314 and PY-159 are complete, for a $315 million option exercise fee and up to $1.15 billion in potential future milestone payments. Gilead is also pitching in to pay for the two clinical trials and other R&D at Pionyr.
Artificial intelligence strategies being implemented by biopharma companies
The importance of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) continues to be acknowledged by drug development companies. Recently, to help accelerate the discovery of therapies to treat COVID-19, several deals have been forged to deploy those tools. As a result, the BioWorld Artificial Intelligence price-weighted index, which includes biopharmaceutical companies, medical devices and health care services companies that are utilizing AI, after a slow start, has climbed in value and is currently up almost 13% since the beginning of the year.
AACR 2020: Taking immunotherapy to the next level
Bolstered by the success of CTLA4 and PD-(L)1 antibodies, companies are exploring new targets to encourage the immune system to attack tumors. At the American Association for Cancer Research Virtual Annual Meeting II, researchers presented data from a phase Ia/Ib study testing Roche Holding AG's tiragolumab, which targets TIGIT, as a single agent and in combination with Roche's PD-L1 inhibitor, Tecentriq (atezolizumab). The meeting also included a presentation of data from a phase Ib study testing Tecentriq in combination with RO-7198457, an RNA-lipoplex neoantigen specific immunotherapy being developed by Roche.
AACR 2020: Combination therapies: Searching for synergy
Almost all types of solid tumors are treated with multiple drugs because the combinations have better efficacy than single-agent treatments. But finding those combinations can be difficult in a sea of potential pairwise combinations. At the American Association for Cancer Research Virtual Annual Meeting II, scientists highlighted ways to find the most promising combination therapies using data-driven approaches.
Scientific integrity not at risk in U.S. response to COVID-19, lawmakers told
Neither the president nor anyone in the administration has instructed U.S. health officials to do less testing, Assistant Health Secretary Brett Giroir testified today at a House oversight hearing on the U.S. response to COVID-19 as he and other government witnesses were repeatedly asked whether President Donald Trump had told them to slow down testing. To the contrary, the NIH’s Anthony Fauci said testing will be increasing. Fauci and FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn also repeatedly assured members of the Energy and Commerce Committee that data and science will dictate the approval of COVID-19 therapies and vaccines, not political pressure. In response to concerns that corners are being cut to speed the development of vaccines and therapies, Fauci said the risk involved with the accelerated pace of development is not a risk to safety or scientific integrity. It is a financial risk.
Witnesses at Senate hearing press for annual appropriation for vaccine infrastructure
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee met again June 23 to discuss the federal government response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and one clear signal that emerged from the hearing is that Congress will have to provide annual funding to build a sustainable infrastructure for vaccine development and manufacture if the nation is to deal appropriately with the next pandemic.
Genexine begins human trials for COVID-19 vaccine
HONG KONG – South Korea-based Genexine Inc. has begun the enrollment of patients and is ready to start human trials for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate. Young Chul Sung, the CEO of Genexine, stated that its phase I/IIa trials of GX-19, a DNA vaccine against COVID-19, are the first domestic vaccine trials to have been approved by South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. The phase I trial will be in 40 healthy participants at Gangnam Severance Hospital.
Free access to BioWorld coronavirus articles
The articles from BioWorld’s ongoing coverage of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak are available at www.bioworld.com/coronavirus. Note that we have added three critical tables which are constantly updated:
- Vaccines and therapeutics in development
- Diagnostics on the market and in development
- Clinical trials of biopharma and med-tech products affected by COVID-19
Also in the news
ABM, Achilles, Aligos, Allogene, Amgen, Avita, Beyondspring, Bioinvent, Biosig, Brainstorm, Castle, Catalyst, Century, Cue, Daiichi Sankyo, Empirica, Everest, Fibrogen, Frontier, Greenwich, Illumina, Immunovative, Inovio, ITM, Iveric, Jaguar, Janssen, Kadmon, Karuna, Leap, Leo Lens, Linnaeus, Marker, Mateon, Medigene, Mersana, Millendo, Miragen, Mirror, Molecular Templates, Myovant, Neoleukin, Nimbus, Nkarta, Novaremed, Numab, Oncolytics, Oppilan, Oric, Outlook, Palatin, Pharmacyclics, Pharmacyte, Phio, Point, Polynoma, Principia, Puretech, Rakuten, Reneo, Renibus, Rgenix, Ribon, Rubius, Sana, Saniona, Santhera, Scenic, Schrödinger, Seelos, Silence, Silverback, Sotio, Spectrum, Sunesis, Sutro, Tara, Teligent, TG, Theratechnologies, Thermo Fisher, Tolero, Tonix, Transgene, Turning Point, Twoxar, Tyme, Vaccitech, VBI, VBL, Verastem, Viralclear, Xencor