Yoltech Therapeutics Co. Ltd. has advanced YOLT-204 into the clinic for the treatment of transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia (TDT). If successful, YOLT-204 may provide an off-the-shelf curative treatment for TDT patients without conditioning chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
The accelerating pace of U.S. FDA approvals for cell and gene therapies is “great for the field and great news for the patients,” but questions remain over commercialization, with “costs remaining stubbornly high.” That was the glass half-full summary of Tim Hunt, president of the industry group, the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, reprising progress in 2024, and looking forward to the prospects for further growth and the potential impact of the incoming Trump administration in 2025.
In a deal potentially worth $810 million for Regenxbio Inc., Nippon Shinyaku Co. Ltd. is partnering on the U.S. and Asian development and commercialization of iduronate-2-sulfatase enzyme RGX-121 for Hunter syndrome and RGX-111 for Hurler syndrome.
Shares of Phio Pharmaceuticals Corp. soared 291% Jan. 13 on news that two patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma had a complete response following treatment with the company’s Intasyl siRNA gene silencing candidate PH-762.
Affinia Therapeutics Inc. has nominated AFTX-201 as a development candidate for the treatment of BAG3 dilated cardiomyopathy. The gene therapy, using Affinia’s cardiotropic capsid, is given as a one-time intravenous injection.
Coave Therapeutics SA has completed the transition to becoming a genetic medicines specialist, after divesting its single ophthalmology program and raising $33 million in a series A round.
About four years after launch, Orna Therapeutics Inc. signed its second major deal, this time validating the lipid nanoparticle delivery technology it acquired through its Renagade Therapeutics Inc. buyout in May 2024, with Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. seeking next-generation approaches for hemoglobinopathies.
After raising AU$16.75 million (US$10.4 million) in a series A round, Celosia Therapeutics Pty Ltd. is heading toward the clinic with its novel gene therapy that targets TDP-43, a protein directly linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) pathology.