Vir Biotechnology Inc.’s 2024 deal with Sanofi SA is starting to look like a pretty savvy move. The company, which picked up three clinical-stage dual-masked T-cell engagers (TCEs) and rights to the platform technology as part of a pipeline overhaul, reported phase I data for TCE programs targeting HER2 and PSMA that indicated promising efficacy with a low prevalence of the cytokine toxicity that has hampered other TCE programs.
Sana Biotechnology Inc. CEO Steve Harr said “cool and transformative science” led to his firm’s latest strides in type 1 diabetes, and the “very generalizable [clinical] result” cheered Wall Street, which led shares of the Seattle-based firm (NASDAQ:SANA) to close Jan. 8 at $4.30 up $2.65, or 160.6%. “I believe we now have all of the pieces in place to move forward rapidly,” Harr said.
Xeltis BV completed enrollment in the EU pivotal trial for its restorative vascular access conduit, Axess. The prospective study will investigate the patency, safety and performance of Axess in adult patients with end-stage renal disease requiring vascular access to start or maintain hemodialysis therapy.
Strong interim safety and efficacy data from Hoth Therapeutics Inc.’s phase IIa study of HT-001 helped boost the company’s stock (NASDAQ:HOTH) on Jan. 7 as shares rose 178% to close at $2.28 each.
Ophthalmic diseases specialist Oculis Holding AG announced positive phase II data showing its serum-glucose corticoid kinase-2 activator OCS-05 protected nerve cells and improved vision in patients with acute optic neuritis. The placebo-controlled, randomized trial assessed the neuroprotective effect of OCS-05 in combination with standard-of-care steroid injections, against steroids alone, with a benefit seen in preserving both ganglions and retinal cell nerve fibers.
Major depressive disorder (MDD) notched another late-stage failure in the form of Neumora Therapeutics Inc.’s data from the phase III Koastal-1 study, the first of three replicant trials in the pivotal program testing kappa opioid receptor antagonist navacaprant.
Intriguing scientific data continue to roll out in the head and neck cancer space, where the need for therapies has spurred a number of drug firms to try new approaches, which BioWorld examines in part two of a series that began in the Dec. 30 issue.
An artificial intelligence-based tool developed by researchers in the U.K. is helping doctors identify people at risk of developing atrial fibrillation. Data from the ongoing Find-AF pilot study shows that the algorithm can comb through patients’ electronic health records and detect red flags which could indicate whether they are at risk of developing the heart condition.
The U.S. FDA’s draft guidance for reporting of deviations from clinical study protocols lends some insight as to the definition of a deviation, but the agency highlights some concerns about related compliance activities.
Though Pyxis Oncology Inc.’s preliminary phase I data with antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) PYX-201 in solid tumors were characterized as positive, findings sent the Boston-based firm’s stock (NASDAQ:PYXS) into a tailspin. Shares dropped from $3.82 to $2.01 between Nov. 20 and the morning of Nov. 21, even as experts along with Wall Street agreed that the compound shows particular promise in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma – a space where developers aplenty remain busy.
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