Cartesian Therapeutics Inc. unveiled 12-month efficacy and safety data from the phase IIb trial of Descartes-08 in participants with generalized myasthenia gravis (MG). Participants dosed with a single six-week course of treatment showed a sustained benefit in symptoms of MG at the 12-month mark. The product is an autologous engineered CAR T-cell therapy candidate targeting B-cell maturation antigen. Shares of Cartesian (NASDAQ:RNAC) were trading at $11.42, up $1.31, or almost 13%.

Aiming for autoimmunity, Merida Bio launches with $121M series A

When an autoimmune disease disrupted the life of someone close to scientist Dario Gutierrez, an idea emerged for a new company called Merida Biosciences focused on removing misdirected antibodies and their negative effects using Fc biotherapeutics. “I actually founded and started the company while at Third Rock [Ventures]” in 2022 after watching a relative with immune thrombocytopenic purpura deal with “a big mismatch in the therapies she was receiving,” Gutierrez, Merida’s chief scientific officer, told BioWorld. Newly launched Merida just raised $121 million in a series A financing aimed at moving its first candidate into the clinic for the company’s lead indication, Grave’s disease. The financing was co-led by Bain Capital Life Sciences, BVF Partners and Third Rock, with GV and Perceptive Xontogeny Venture Funds participating.

Much-needed predictability lacking in US biosimilar market

Ill-considered government policies, pharmacy benefit manager market abuses and an unpredictable future are casting doubt on the long-term sustainability of the U.S. biosimilar market, Craig Burton, the executive director of the Biosimilars Council, told a House Ways & Means subcommittee today. To punctuate his point, he noted that 90% of the innovative biologics facing patent expiration over the next decade have no biosimilar in development. While committee members agree on the need to strengthen the biosimilar market, that agreement ends when placing the blame and identifying solutions.

South Korea clears world’s first recombinant anthrax vaccine

South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on April 8 cleared Barythrax injection (GC-1109) as the world’s first recombinant anthrax vaccine. The product was codeveloped by GC Biopharma Corp. and Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Barythrax, the third anthrax vaccine to be approved worldwide, can be administered intramuscularly to protect against anthrax caused by Bacillus anthracis in adults, ages 19 to 65, prior to exposure.

US Senate hearing on trade long on heat, short on light

The April 8 Senate hearing on the Trump administration’s tariffs generated some heated debate, although U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer parried most of the criticism by pointing to the yawing trade deficit. While the tariffs are scheduled to go into effect at 12:01 AM April 9, markets opened April 8 trading with a modest gain that suggested that Wall Street has already factored the tariffs into its thinking about company valuations.

Experts cite deadly consequences of PEPFAR funding disruption

The extent of the damage that will be caused if the U.S. overseas aid program, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), is axed or has its funding cut, is laid out in an expert analysis published in The Lancet April 8, which estimates nearly 500,000 children could die from AIDS-related causes by 2030, while 1 million children will be infected with the virus. The paper was published as a House Committee on Appropriations subcommittee hearing on PEPFAR heard evidence of the serious impact President Donald Trump’s executive order on Jan. 20 to suspend USAID for 90 days already has had on PEPFAR programs on the ground.

Trial misses sink cancer stocks in Q1: Mersana, Cargo, Mural fall

The BioWorld Cancer Index (BCI) ended the first quarter (Q1) of 2025 down 4.74%, with 20 of its stocks declining in value while just nine of posted gains. The biggest decliners in the BCI through the end of March were Mersana Therapeutics Inc. (down 76%), Cargo Therapeutics Inc. (down 72%), Sutro Biopharma Inc. (down 65%), Adaptimmune Therapeutics plc (down 64%), Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc. (down 63%), and Macrogenics Inc. and Mural Oncology plc (both down 61%).

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Acelyrin, Accure, Allogene, Alumis, Amarin, Amneal, Anavex, Angelini Ventures, Beam, Duality, Edesa, Epsilogen, Entheon, Immucell, Immunity, Janssen, Johnson, Kashiv, Keymed, Lexeo, Lift, Luye, Mbx, Nkgen, Raythera, Rhythm, Telix, Teva, Tigatx, Tonix Tuhura, Veranova, Viatris, Viridian, Xtl, Zenas, Zevra