Eiger Biopharmaceuticals Inc. posted strong top-line phase III data demonstrating that peginterferon lambda, a type III interferon that stimulates immune responses, significantly reduced the risk of COVID-19-related hospitalizations or emergency room visits longer than six hours by 50% and death by 60%. The multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was of 1,936 non-hospitalized patients with COVID-19 who were at risk of progression to a severe illness. The results prompted Eiger to say it would submit the data to the FDA for an emergency use authorization. The Palo Alto, Calif.-based company’s stock (NASDAQ:EIGR) was getting a solid bounce at midday as shares were trading 39% higher. 

TRIPS waiver an unnecessary slippery slope?

With the World Health Organization’s COVAX facility having more COVID-19 vaccine doses available than have been requested by the countries it was designed to help, industry groups are pushing back against the proposed TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) waiver for COVID-19 vaccines that has been agreed to by the EU, India, South Africa and the U.S. Although the draft text of the agreement would initially limit the waiver to vaccine IP, it would require World Trade Organization members to decide, within six months, whether to extend the waiver to COVID-19 diagnostics and therapies.

Alnylam sues Pfizer, Moderna over lipid nanoparticle tech

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. has filed suits against both Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc. over alleged infringements of its patent on biodegradable cationic lipids that it said "are foundational to the success of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines." The suits, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, seek damages that could prove substantial given the billions of dollars of sales both Pfizer and Moderna have already booked globally for the vaccines. A separate suit, announced Feb. 28 by Arbutus Biopharma Corp. and Genevant Sciences Ltd., seeks compensation for other alleged patent infringements by Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine.

After settling $775M patent dispute from Alexion mega-merger, Astrazeneca looks to bring R&D talent in-house 

As it settles a patent dispute with Japan’s Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. for $775 million, the U.K.’s Astrazeneca plc is looking to bring intellectual property in-house by snapping up a new generation of talented scientists. The settlement with Tokyo-based Chugai follows years of patent litigation with Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the Boston, Mass.-based pharma that Astrazeneca bought last year for $39 billion. It relates to Alexion’s long-lasting rare diseases drug Ultomiris (ravulizumab) and means that the two parties have begun to withdraw patent infringement proceedings filed in the U.S. and Japan. 

SCG collaborates with Singapore’s A*STAR on multispecific antibodies

SCG Cell Therapy Pte. Ltd. has signed a collaboration agreement with Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)’s Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI) to advance the development of multispecific antibodies. The partnership will draw on BTI’s technology platform and SCG’s product development experience for therapeutic antibody screening CMC process development to discover new treatment candidates for infectious diseases and related cancers, particularly for hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus.

As pandemic subsides, nonprofit deal and grant activity decline

From every perspective, the number of biopharma deals with nonprofit or government entities, as well as industry grants, are significantly below last year, and efforts focused on the COVID-19 pandemic have dropped as well. Combined, the volume of bio/nonprofit deals and grants is down by 16.6%, while the value has fallen 56%. So far in 2022 there are 172 bio/nonprofit deals worth $1.02 billion, and a total of 59 grants valued at $223.88 million.

Also in the news

Abbie, Akston, Alladapt, Alzecure, Amolyt, Aquestive, Astrazeneca, Beyondspring, Biolexis, Biomarin, Centogene, Clover, Codagenix, Eiger, G1, Heron, Impel Neuropharma, Inflarx, Ionis, Journey Medical, Lamassu, Merck, Moderna, Nanjing Bioheng, Neximmune, Oncolytics, Ose Immunotherapeutics, Pfizer, Polarityte, Promore, Resverlogix, Revel, Scancell, Scisparc, Silence, Soligenix, Stealth, TC, Tetra, TFF, Triumvira Immunologics, Zephyr AI