Disappointing readouts from separate phase II studies in atopic dermatitis sank shares of Q32 Bio Inc. and Anaptysbio Inc., as their respective antibody candidates failed to impress in a highly competitive space.
Citryll BV has closed an €85 million (US$89.8 million) series B, enabling it to take CIT-013, an antibody designed to block pathological neutrophil extracellular traps that drive a wide range of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, into phase IIa development.
During a busy day of dealmaking, Cour Pharmaceutical Development Co. Inc. entered a pact with Roche Holding AG’s Genentech unit to advance tolerogenic nanoparticle treatments for an autoimmune disease indication, garnering up to $940 million in up-front and milestone payments. Cour’s partnership with Genentech is its biggest to date, and the largest deal announced by a biopharma company on Dec. 3. A total of seven deals amounted to a combined single-day deal value of $3.67 billion.
Our immune cells are not just “defenders” against deadly viruses and pathogens but also a great balancer for tissue homeostasis. For neurological disorders, understanding the neuro-immune axis could be key to treating previously untreatable conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, according to Jun R. Huh, professor of immunology at Harvard Medical School.
An international consortium of thousands of scientists is creating the Human Cell Atlas, a three-dimensional map of all the cells in the body. The goal is to understand all the cells that make up human tissues, organs and systems, which will enable multiple medical applications. This collection of cell maps is openly available for navigation at single-cell resolution, identified through omics analyses that reveal the tridimensional distribution of each cell.
Incyte Corp.’s mention of would-be “backup molecules” could bode well for findings yet to roll out with Mas-related G protein-coupled receptor X2 antagonist INCB-000262 in chronic spontaneous urticaria. Meanwhile, though, the news is not good, as Incyte said in a terse press release that it will pause enrollment in the ongoing phase II study with the drug because of in vivo preclinical toxicology findings.
IL-23 receptor antagonist icotrokinra hit co-primary phase III endpoints in moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, positioning the oral peptide at the forefront of a multibillion-dollar franchise for partners Protagonist Therapeutics Inc. and Johnson and Johnson.
Vitalli Bio Inc. terminated a potential $477 million licensing deal for autoimmune disease drug, DWP-213388, signed a year ago with Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., although Vitalli still retains option rights to two more dual inhibitor candidates that could fetch up to $941 million.
Celltrion Inc. said it would acquire Iqone Healthcare Switzerland SA in the fourth quarter of 2024 for about ₩30 billion (US$21.34 million) to expand its European business. “This move represents a strategic shift in our growth strategy,” Taehun Ha, Celltrion vice president and Europe head, said in a statement Nov. 15.
While women make up half the world’s population and own two out of every five businesses, there are substantial knowledge gaps about conditions affecting their health – mostly due to decades of research excluding women from clinical trials and investment decisions.
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