Europe has more oncology startups than the U.S., but many more U.S. companies scale up to the later growth stage. Given the proven links between patent ownership and access to finance, that critical gap is in part because U.S. companies hold nearly twice as many patents as European counterparts, according to an analysis by the European Patent Office.

Researchers at the University of California at San Francisco have identified an RNA-binding protein that increased the translation of Myc mRNA. The authors wrote that their work, which was published online in Nature Cell Biology on Feb. 4, 2025, “transforms the understanding of the translational code in cancer and illuminates therapeutic openings to target the expression of oncogenes.”

Newco Akribion Therapeutics GmbH has raised €8 million (US$8.3 million) in a seed round to develop a new and potent class of RNA-targeted CRISPR nucleases, which, rather than cleaving specific nucleic acids, can destroy every type of nucleic acid in a cell.

Auron Therapeutics Inc. has received FDA clearance of its IND application for its oral KAT2A/B degrader AUTX-703 in hematological malignancies. A phase I proof-of-concept trial in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) will open enrollment this quarter, supported by a recently completed $27 million series B financing.