Gene therapy developer Kate Therapeutics Inc. (KateTx), which is developing next-generation adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors that target skeletal and cardiac muscle, has unveiled $51 million series A round and a licensing deal with Astellas Pharma Inc.
Shares of Avidity Biosciences Inc. (NASDAQ:RNA) dropped 15% March 30 as the company disclosed details of the serious adverse event (SAE) that prompted a partial clinical hold in September 2023 on the phase I/II trial testing AOC-1001 in adults with myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1).
Juvena Therapeutics Inc. co-founder and CEO Hanadie Yousef had the company’s name picked out several years before it was officially incorporated in 2017 to combine Yousef’s work in the mechanics of aging with an underutilized class of biologics and an advanced proteomics platform to tackle chronic and age-related diseases.
A preliminary assessment of Avidity Biosciences Inc.’s phase I/II study of AOC-1001 in myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) showed the first-ever targeted delivery of RNA into muscle, an area previously untreatable with existing RNA therapeutics. Sarah Boyce, Avidity’s CEO, said in a Dec. 14 call that the antibody oligonucleotide conjugate’s data were unprecedented in the RNA space and in myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), labeling it a “revolutionary advancement.”
Arthex Biotech SA has achieved key regulatory milestones in its program to develop ATX-01 in myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1). Having held a pre-IND meeting with the FDA last year and received scientific advice from the EMA, Arthex plans to file an IND application in the U.S. and a clinical trial application (CTA) in Europe next year.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Entrada Therapeutics Inc. have entered into a global collaboration focused on discovering and developing intracellular Endosomal Escape Vehicle (EEV) therapeutics for myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1).
Pepgen Inc. has announced new preclinical data supporting the progression into clinical trials of PGN-EDODM1, its product candidate in development for the treatment of myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1).
A serious adverse event (SAE) in one participant has led the U.S. FDA to place a partial clinical hold on Avidity Biosciences Inc.’s lead program. The action is centered on the phase I/II Marina study of AOC-1001, an antibody oligonucleotide conjugate for treating myotonic dystrophy type 1, the most common form of muscular dystrophy in adults.
Expansion Therapeutics Inc., a company developing new drugs for severe RNA-mediated diseases based on the work of its scientific founder, Scripps Research chemistry professor Matthew Disney, has raised $80 million in a series B financing to identify and advance oral small-molecule candidates for the potential treatment of myotonic dystrophy type 1, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and tauopathies.
"RNA was long thought to be an 'undruggable' target for small molecules, because most cellular RNAs have extensive secondary structure, but only limited tertiary structure," Matthew Disney told BioWorld Science.