LONDON – Oxford Immunotec plc is aiming to plug a significant gap in the COVID-19 diagnostics landscape, with the development of a commercial clinical grade test for quantifying T cell responses to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. T-Spot Discovery SARS-CoV-2, currently available for research use only, is based on the same automated technology as the company’s tuberculosis diagnostic, which is approved for use in more than 60 countries.
Researchers at City of Hope have used a combination of oncolytic virus and CD19-targeting CAR T cells to first force expression of CD19 on tumor cells and then hunt down those cells, eradicating tumors in immunocompetent mouse models and endowing them with immunity to later re-administration of tumor cells.
Through the use of sequencing data, researchers in Hong Kong presented a case study providing the strongest evidence yet that individuals can become reinfected with SARS-CoV-2 after clearing a first infection.
LONDON – After 17 years of patient toil, Lytix Biopharma AS has landed the first commercial endorsement of its oncolytic peptide platform, agreeing to a potential $113.5 million deal in which Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc. will develop the lead product, LTX-315, as a transdermal treatment for skin cancer.
LONDON – From the start of the pandemic antibodies have been the main focus of attempts to understand the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 and ascertain what it will take for vaccines to be protective.
Partners Adaptive Biotechnologies Corp., which is based in Seattle, and Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft Corp. have started sharing an open database that details the immune response in COVID-19 patients with researchers and public health officials. The project is analyzing thousands of de-identified patient blood samples submitted from institutions around the world and is dubbed ImmuneCODE.
SUZHOU, China – Genome editing startup Edigene Inc. and CAR T developer Immunochina Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., both from Beijing, have unveiled joint efforts to develop an allogeneic CAR T therapy for cancer. Terms remain undisclosed.
SUZHOU, China – Genome editing startup Edigene Inc. and CAR T developer Immunochina Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., both from Beijing, have unveiled joint efforts to develop an allogeneic CAR T therapy for cancer. Terms remain undisclosed.
So far, the excitement surrounding “living drugs” is that of pioneer work, with the Carl June and Steve Rosenberg playing the roles of Lewis and Clark or the Wright brothers.
Avectas Ltd., of Dublin, brought in a $20 million series C financing, ratcheting the total equity investment in the company to $40 million. Privately held Avectas, formed in 2012 as a spin-out from Ireland’s Maynooth University, said it plans to accelerate the clinical translation and commercial scale-up of its cell engineering technology and expand its staffing in Ireland.
