Flagship Pioneering’s Senda Bio secures $123M for new ‘programmable medicines’
Biotech startup Senda Biosciences is developing technology that yields a new type of medicine with two programming components: one directs the therapy to go to […]
Cambridge
Merck picks circular path to RNA and commits $250M to biotech startup Orna
Merck aims to bolster its genetic medicines pipeline through a new research alliance with Orna Therapeutics, a startup whose technology forms RNA into a circle […]
GSK pays $100M to partner on a cancer drug with new twist on immunotherapy
GSK is partnering with Mersana Therapeutics on the development of an antibody-drug conjugate that is approaching Phase 1 testing. Unlike other ADCs that deliver a […]
Alnylam drug succeeds in heart study, setting stage for FDA filing and showdown with Pfizer
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals drug Onpattro, an FDA-approved treatment for nerve pain caused by hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis, now has Phase 3 data showing it can also help […]
FDA hits pause on Beam Therapeutics’ off-the-shelf cell therapy for blood cancers
Beam Therapeutics’ application to begin human testing of a cell therapy made with base-editing technology is now under an FDA clinical hold. In other clinical […]
U.S. government places $1.74B order for Moderna’s new Covid-19 vaccine boosters
The U.S. government has signed a supply agreement securing 66 million doses of Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine booster shots, which are designed to address the omicron […]
Novartis turns to algorithms developer Anumana to apply AI to cardio conditions
Novartis is partnering with algorithms startup Anumana to develop a new artificial intelligence-based solution for cardiovascular diseases. The goal is to find ways to detect […]
Danger Ahead. Good
BY KIM BELLARD I saw a great quote by Alfred North Whitehead the other day: “It is the business of the future to be dangerous.” […]
Amgen joins Kernal Bio’s $25M financing as the startup brings mRNA 2.0 to cancer
Kernal Biologics has technology that enables the delivery of messenger RNA therapies to a wider range of destinations in the body. The Series A financing […]
With new gene therapy data in hand, Sarepta talks with FDA about approval pathways
Sarepta Therapeutics has more clinical data showing the safety and efficacy of its experimental gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. A pivotal Phase 3 test […]
New data for Intellia’s CRISPR therapy shows potential for one-time treatment of a rare disease
An Intellia Therapeutics therapy that uses CRISPR to perform in vivo genomic edits has clinical data showing that the therapeutic effects continue for a year […]
GSK gets pneumococcal vaccine contender with $2.1B Affinivax acquisition
Pfizer and Merck have each won FDA approvals in the past year for new pneumococcal vaccines, but GSK aims to top both of them with […]
New Flagship Pioneering startup expands the protein universe to fuel drug discovery
ProFound Therapeutics emerged from stealth with technology that it claims has discovered tens of thousands of previously undiscovered proteins—many of them promising new drug targets. […]
CAR T without the toxicity: Kelonia gets $50M for a new take on cell therapy
Kelonia Therapeutics is developing cell therapies made by the in vivo engineering of a patient’s cells made possible by the targeted delivery of a genetic […]
FDA sounds caution on Foghorn cancer drug with a partial hold after patient death
The lead cancer drug candidate of Foghorn Therapeutics is now under a partial clinical hold following a patient death. According to the biotech, the patient […]
Flagship merges two of its biotechs to form cellular microenvironment-focused Sonata
Sonata Therapeutics is developing drugs that reprogram cellular microenvironments to send signals intended to have curative effects. Cancer is the initial focus of the biotech, […]
Claiming Akebia agreement breach, Otsuka seeks to end anemia drug pact
Otsuka Pharmaceutical is ending its alliance with Akebia Therapeutics, a move that comes less than two months after the FDA rejected their partnered anemia drug, […]
PepGen IPO nabs $108M for muscular dystrophy drug with potential edge over Sarepta med
PepGen’s technology improves the delivery of a therapy to more tissue types and the clinical-stage biotech plans to use its IPO cash to continue developing […]
Biogen gets in tune with MedRhythms to develop new digital therapeutic for MS
Biogen struck a deal that could bring a digital therapeutic to its multiple sclerosis product portfolio. The drugmaker is partnering with startup MedRhythms in the […]
Biogen pulls Alzheimer’s drug application in Europe as EMA calls data insufficient
Biogen withdrew an application seeking approval in Europe for Alzheimer’s disease drug Aduhelm, a move that follows a negative opinion on the therapy issued by […]
Regenerative med biotech Satellite unveils tissue-based tech to restore organ function
Satellite Bio has emerged from stealth with technology for bioengineering tissue to restore organ function. The regenerative medicine startup, based on research from MIT and […]
Cell therapy developer Be Bio hauls in $130M for pipeline in rare disease, cancer
Be Biopharma is developing cell therapies by engineering B cells to churn out therapeutic proteins with an initial focus on cancer and rare disease. The […]
Final CMS decision limits coverage of Biogen’s Aduhelm to those in clinical trials
Biogen’s Alzheimer’s disease drug Aduhelm will only be covered for Medicare beneficiaries participating in a clinical trial. The final coverage determination will have the effect […]
Safety concerns sink Akebia drug for anemia from chronic kidney disease
The FDA rejected Akebia Therapeutics drug vadadustat as a treatment for anemia caused by chronic kidney disease. According to the biotech, the agency cited safety […]
Celsius Therapeutics heats up with $83M and an IBD drug on path to the clinic
Single-cell analysis biotech Celsius Therapeutics has raised $83 million to advance its pipeline of drugs for autoimmune disorders and cancer. The startup’s lead autoimmune program, […]
GSK joins LifeMine’s $175M funding as partners revive fungi as a drug discovery frontier
LifeMine Therapeutics, a company that analyzes fungal genomes to find molecules that have potential as new medicines, has raised $175 million in financing. Among the […]
Alnylam sues Moderna & Pfizer, claiming Covid-19 vaccines infringe lipid patent
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals has proprietary lipid nanoparticle technology used in its FDA-approved RNA therapies. The biotech company claims that the messenger RNA Covid-19 vaccines from Moderna […]
AstraZeneca’s Evusheld Covid-prevention drug gets UK approval
Treatment aimed at people who cannot be vaccinated is boost to firm’s coronavirus portfolio AstraZeneca has received UK regulatory approval for its long-acting Covid-19 antibody […]
Novartis turns to Voyager Therapeutics to get gene therapies into the brain
Novartis is paying Voyager Therapeutics $53 million up front to begin a partnership focused on the discovery of capsids for central nervous system disorder gene […]
Sherlock Biosciences secures $80M to bring molecular diagnostics to the home
Diagnostics developer Sherlock Biosciences has advanced its molecular diagnostic capabilities, which can now produce faster results on low-cost devices. The startup will use its Series […]
Flagship’s Vesalius launches with $75M to take AI into realm of common diseases
Artificial intelligence is a powerful tool for rare disease drug discovery. The founders of Vesalius Therapeutics say AI and machine learning can also be applied […]
Startup hC Bioscience emerges with $24M to join pursuit of transfer RNA therapies
New startup hC Bioscience is developing therapies based on transfer RNA, molecules that can be leveraged to address disease-causing proteins. The biotech joins several companies […]
Agios strategy shift pays off with FDA approval of first drug for rare anemia
Agios Pharmaceuticals has its third FDA-approved product, and the first under its new rare disease strategy. The regulatory decision also marks the first approved treatment […]
J&J partners with startup Remix, aiming to treat disease by “tuning” RNA
Several biotech companies are rising to the challenge of developing small molecules to drug RNA. Remix Therapeutics is joining the chase, but its different approach […]
Intellia’s Rewrite Therapeutics buyout brings new precision to gene editing
Gene-editing medicines developer Intellia Therapeutics is paying $45 million up front to acquire Rewrite Therapeutics. The startup’s technology brings Intellia another tool for its genetic […]
CMS proposes limited coverage of Biogen Alzheimer’s drug, only in clinical trials
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposes covering Biogen Alzheimer’s disease drug Aduhelm only for people enrolled in a clinical trial. In explaining this […]
Avrobio shifts gene therapy priorities as data surprise shelves lead program
Avrobio is stopping enrollment in a clinical trial for its Fabry disease program after new results showed variability in how the gene therapy was taken […]
FDA sets decision date for Amylyx Pharma ALS drug that improves neuron survival
The FDA has accepted Amylyx Pharmaceuticals’ submission for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis drug AMX0035 and it expects to issue a regulatory decision by late June. A […]
Biogen projects confirmatory study for Alzheimer’s drug will take four years
Six months after Biogen was awarded regulatory approval for its Alzheimer’s disease drug Aduhelm, the company the company is laying out a timeline for the […]
Eli Lilly steers into Foghorn’s gene traffic control drugs with $380M pact in cancer
Eli Lilly is building its cancer drug pipeline via a research alliance with Foghorn Therapeutic, a biotech whose technology discovers drugs addressing targets in a […]
Curie Therapeutics unveils $75M to widen scope of radiopharmaceuticals for cancer
Radiopharmaceuticals deploy radiation to damage cancer DNA, but Curie Therapeutics sees these therapies opening the door to a wider range of ways to kill tumors. […]
Blueprint Medicines to buy cancer drug startup with potential edge over Takeda, J&J targeted therapies
Blueprint Medicines is paying $250 million up front to acquire Lengo Therapeutics, developer of targeted cancer therapies. The startup’s lead drug candidate is on track […]
‘Follow the science’: AstraZeneca unveils £1bn R&D centre
Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical company has come a long way since it fought off a takeover bid in 2014 Little expense has been spared at the giant […]
AstraZeneca cuts the ribbon on its $1bn R&D lab in Cambridge
After years of delays and rising costs, AstraZeneca has formally unveiled its $1 billion R&D facility in Cambridge, said to be the biggest science lab […]
Generate Bio adds $370M for big push toward programmable protein medicines
Generate Biomedicines applies artificial intelligence and machine learning to protein analysis, which it uses to program its protein therapies for particular applications. The startup now […]
Aiming for on/off switch of genes, Chroma corrals $125M for new wave of medicines
Chroma Medicine is developing epigenetic therapies that turn genes on or off. The biotech startup has emerged from stealth mode backed by a $125 million […]
CRISPR-editing biotech Arbor Bio adds $215M for liver, CNS disease therapies
Arbor Biotechnologies raised new cash to keep up the pace in the chase for new genetic medicines. The MIT spinout applies artificial intelligence and machine […]
Flagship’s next genetic meds startup has $50M for transfer at a critical protein stop
Alltrna, a biotech startup founded by Flagship Pioneering, is developing a new type of medicines based on a form of RNA called transfer RNA, or […]
Biotech startup Marengo unveils $80M and a new way to get T cells to fight cancer
Apple Tree Partners’ latest cancer biotech company, Marengo Therapeutics, is using antibodies to selectively activate T cells to fight cancer. Led by former Merck KGaA […]
ALS drugmaker steps up with FDA filing, but yet another biotech stumbles in clinic
Amylyx Pharmaceuticals has submitted its amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) drug for FDA review based on positive Phase 2 data after discussions with the agency over […]
Biogen ALS drug fails main goal of key test, but company points to other results
Biogen amyotrophic lateral sclerosis drug, tofersen, failed a Phase 3 clinical trial, but the drug showed improvement according to secondary and exploratory goals of the […]
Resilience turns to Harvard for biologics manufacturing tech, inks 5-year R&D pact
Biomanufacturing technologies company Resilience is partnering with Harvard in a deal that could see innovations from the university’s labs commercialized under new businesses. Resilience has […]
Atlas Venture-incubated Rectify lands $100M to transport drug hunt to new grounds
Rectify Pharmaceuticals is taking an approach to disease that led to a successful franchise of Vertex Pharmaceutical lung drugs and expanding it to more diseases […]
Pyxis IPO leads way as four life science firms kick off 4Q, raising nearly $500M
Pyxis Oncology’s IPO raised $168 million as the biotech steers toward the clinic with drug candidates and technology licensed from Pfizer. Theseus Pharma, IsoPlexis, and […]
Voyager Therapeutics’ strategy shift to gene therapy tech leads to a Pfizer alliance
The gene therapy pipeline of Voyager Therapeutics has hit several setbacks in the past year, but a strategy shift to its capsid technology is now […]
Vedanta Bio guts out microbiome trial win to keep up with field, get BARDA cash
Vedanta Biosciences is developing its microbiome therapy with support from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. Under terms of that contract, the positive Phase […]
Exo Therapeutics adds $78M as cancer, inflammation drugs march toward clinic
Biotech startup Exo Therapeutics aims to overcome the challenges of drugging proteins by targeting exosites, locations that modulate enzyme activity. The company has four small […]
Anji Pharma adds $70M for clinical trials, expansion of ‘hub and spoke’ biz model
Cross-border biotech Anji Pharma closed $70 million in Series B funding to advance a drug pipeline that includes metabolic and cancer drugs. The biotech’s business […]
Biogen and Samsung land FDA approval for biosimilar to blockbuster Roche drug
The FDA has approved the first biosimilar that references the blockbuster Roche drug Lucentis. The Biogen and Samsung BioLogics joint venture that developed the biologic […]
Startup testing video-based treatment for ‘lazy eye’ touts Phase 3 results
Luminopia, a startup with a digital therapeutic for amblyopia, or lazy eye, recently published the results of a phase 3 study showing its TV-based treatment […]
Blood disorder biotech Disc Medicine gets $90M to bring two drugs into Phase 2
A Roche drug that failed as a treatment for neurological disorders is now the lead program for Disc Medicines. CEO John Quisel said Roche’s clinical […]
A biotech startup’s hunt for elusive disease targets scores $60M for drug R&D
Atavistik Bio is one of several companies discovering and developing drugs that work by allostery, binding to less obvious sites of a target protein. Acting […]
Boots launches on-demand delivery trial with Deliveroo
Customers can order medicines for mild ailments, makeup, toiletries and more from 14 stores The pharmacy chain Boots will become the latest large retailer to […]
Pfizer makes big move in blood cancers with $2.3B Trillium acquisition
Though Gilead Sciences leads the group of companies developing immunotherapies that target the cancer protein CD47, Pfizer contends that molecules it is getting through the […]
Sesen Bio says rejected bladder cancer drug may need new clinical trial
For much of this summer, Sesen Bio said all of the FDA’s communications pointed toward regulatory approval for the biotech’s bladder cancer drug. Though Sesen […]
Eli Lilly joins $30M Series A financing for startup bringing AI analysis to endoscopy
The artificial intelligence-based technology of Iterative Scopes brings computer vision analysis to endoscopic images. The startup’s technology was initially developed to assist gastroenterologists in finding […]
FDA approval of AstraZeneca lupus drug sets up competition with GSK’s Benlysta
An AstraZeneca lupus drug has been awarded FDA approval for treating the most common form of the autoimmune disorder. The regulatory decision gives AstraZeneca a […]
Biogen and Eisai unveil details for five-year, real-world Aduhelm clinical trial
Patients taking new Alzheimer’s disease drug Aduhelm will be evaluated in a real-world study lasting up to five years. Biogen announced plans for the observational […]
Ring Therapeutics rounds up $117M to find better viral vectors for gene therapy
The engineered viruses used to deliver gene therapies can spark complications and they can’t be re-dosed. Ring Therapeutics says viruses that evolved with humans can […]
Seres Therapeutics microbiome drug flunks Phase 2 test in ulcerative colitis
Seres Therapeutics’ ambitions to treat ulcerative colitis with a microbiome drug were dealt a setback as its experimental therapy failed in Phase 2 testing. The […]
Amylyx Pharmaceuticals raises $135M as ALS drug heads to pivotal clinical trial
An amyotrophic lateral sclerosis drug from Amylyx Pharmaceuticals is being prepared for Phase 3 clinical testing on track to begin later this quarter. To support […]
PAQ Therapeutics scores $30M to unleash “Pac Man” drugs on neuro disease
Startup PAQ Therapeutics is developing drugs work like Pac Man, gobbling up components of a cell associated with disease. The biotech has closed $30 million […]
Biogen reaches across globe and pays $125M to land its next new MS drug
By paying $125 million up front for rights to multiple sclerosis drug candidate orelabrutinib, Biogen secures a place among those companies trying to treat the […]
Sigilon hemophilia A cell therapy trial placed on hold after patient complication
A hemophilia A patient in a Sigilon Therapeutics clinical trial developed a well-known complication to treatments for the blood disorder. The potential problem for Sigilon […]
FDA tweaks Aduhelm’s label, narrows use of the Biogen drug to mild Alzheimer’s
The drug label for Biogen Alzheimer’s disease drug Aduhelm has been revised to clarify that its use is for patients with mild forms of the […]
UK supercomputer Cambridge-1 to hunt for medical breakthroughs
Computer – the most powerful in Britain – will use AI to find new cures and deepen understanding of diseases The UK’s most powerful supercomputer, […]
Apellis taps Beam’s base-editing tech to broaden autoimmune disease scope
Fresh off its first FDA approval, Apellis Pharmaceuticals is teaming up with Beam Therapeutics, a partnership that will use Beam’s base-editing technology to develop new […]
Intellia’s early CRISPR trial data validate a drug pipeline and the gene-editing field
Intellia Therapeutics has early clinical trial data showing that its CRISPR-based therapy for a rare disease can edit genes inside the body safely and effectively. […]
Lyell, Verve IPOs raise a combined $692M as both biotechs steer toward clinical trials
Lyell Immunopharma and Verve Therapeutics are still preclinical, but they’re bring novel genetic approaches to the treatment of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Now the two […]
Northpond, 5AM Ventures lead $45M funding for CAMP4’s trek to new RNA therapies
CAMP4 Therapeutics is developing a new kind of RNA therapy that treats disease by upregulating gene expression. The startup has raised $45 million as CEO […]
While Sage Therapeutics sees a window for depression drug, market is skeptical
A Sage Therapeutics depression drug that failed a pivotal study in 2019 has positive preliminary results from a new Phase 3 clinical trial, but the […]
Pioneering a new realm of biology, startup Senda Bio expands financing to $98M
Senda Biosciences is developing drugs based on an understanding of intersystems biology—the way that humans interact with bacteria and plants. The startup, founded by Flagship […]
Confirming benefit of Biogen Alzheimer’s disease drug will take 8 years
Biogen is still discussing with the FDA the clinical trial design to confirm the benefit offered by its newly approved Alzheimer’s disease drug, Aduhelm. According […]
FDA picks accelerated approval path to decide in favor of Biogen Alzheimer’s drug
A Biogen Alzheimer’s drug that clears amyloid plaque from the brain has been granted accelerated approved by the FDA. The drug, which will be marketed […]
MorphoSys to buy Constellation Pharma in a $1.7B bet on epigenetic cancer drugs
MorphoSys is acquiring Constellation Pharmaceuticals and its late-stage myelofibrosis drug in a deal that values the epigenetics biotech at $1.7 billion. Germany-based MorphoSys will finance […]
Moderna’s Covid vaccine shows efficacy in younger teens; regulatory filing are next
Moderna released preliminary clinical data showing its Covid-19 vaccine produced efficacy in adolescents that was comparable to what was seen in adults. The company plans […]
Biogen teams up with Ginkgo Bioworks in gene therapy manufacturing pact
Biogen is reaching across the Charles River, striking up a gene therapy manufacturing alliance with synthetic biology firm Ginkgo Bioworks. Ginkgo will use its technology […]
Bayer’s BlueRock Therapeutics widens cell therapy scope to the eye under new pact
BlueRock Therapeutics, a Bayer subsidiary, is teaming up with Opsis Therapeutics and Fujifilm Cellular Dynamics in an R&D pact focused on developing stem cell therapies […]
Biogen gene therapy for rare eye disease falls short in key clinical trial
A Biogen gene therapy for a rare, inherited eye disorder that leads to blindness has failed a key clinical trial. The preliminary results are the […]
Biogen adds to neuro drug pipeline with acquisition of stroke drug from TMS
Biogen paid $18 million to acquire a drug that TMS Co. of Japan tested in patients with acute ischemic stroke. The acquisition follows the report […]
The firm that birthed Moderna unveils new startup for next play in RNA
Incubated by Flagship Pioneering, biotech firm Laronde is developing endless RNA, or eRNA, a new class of medicines that goes beyond messenger RNA-based therapies. Flagship […]
Andreessen Horowitz leads $100M Series A round in Dyno and its gene therapy tech
Dyno Therapeutics’ technology for designing viral vectors that deliver gene therapies has led to partnerships with Novartis, Sarepta Therapeutics, and Roche. With the Series A […]
Neuroelectrics gets $17M for new take on electrical therapy for epilepsy, depression
Neuroelectrics is planning a pivotal test of its wearable medical device, which delivers brain electrical stimulation to treat epilepsy. The startup’s Series A round of […]
Biotech IPO wave rolls on as Werewolf, Vaccitech raise $230M for clinical trials
Vaccitech and Werewolf Therapeutics joined the public markets, raising a combined $230 million. The vaccine developer and the cancer immunotherapy biotech will apply the IPO […]
Alnylam FDA submission aims to expand biotech’s franchise of gene-silencing drugs
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals has filed for FDA approval of vutrisiran, which could become the biotech’s fourth drug that works by RNA interference. Meanwhile the company is […]
Vertex Pharma inks another R&D alliance to expand its gene-editing ambitions
Vertex Pharmaceuticals is collaborating with Obsidian Therapeutics to develop up to five new gene editing therapies. Obsidian’s technology precisely controls protein expression, a capability the […]
Regulatory progress for two biotechs stalls as FDA requests more information
The FDA placed a clinical hold on a KalVista Pharmaceuticals drug being readied for mid-stage studies in a rare, inherited disorder. Meanwhile, the FDA has […]
Relay Therapeutics pays $85M for startup with a new AI tech for drug discovery
Relay Therapeutics has its own technology that applies artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to drug discovery. Its $85 million acquisition of ZebiAI gives it […]
Amylyx Pharma’s ALS drug needs a Phase 3 study to support FDA submission
Amylyx’s ALS drug met the goals of a mid-stage study, paving the way for regulatory submissions in Europe and Canada. But the FDA is requiring […]
Cancer biotech Tango Therapeutics picks a SPAC as its IPO dance partner
Tango Therapeutics’ SPAC merger will infuse the biotech with $353 million to fund clinical trials for its cancer drugs based on synthetic lethality. Tango’s lead […]
Biotech startup Repertoire adds $189M to expand array of immune medicines
With two cancer programs already making progress, Repertoire Immune Medicines will use the Series B financing to expand its immune synapse research to autoimmune disorders […]
Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine gets FDA O.K. for storage changes, extra dose per vial
The FDA increased the maximum number of doses permitted for each vial of Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine, a change intended to make more doses available. The […]
Omega Therapeutics adds $126M to move “programmable” drugs closer to the clinic
Omega Therapeutics has raised more than $210 million in the past eight months for R&D of medicines that regulate genes. The company’s lead therapeutic candidate […]
AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine is 79% effective; FDA submission on the way
AstraZeneca reported that its Covid-19 vaccine was 79% effective at preventing severe infection and 100% effective at preventing hospitalization. The company expects to file a […]
Aveo Oncology’s kidney cancer drug gets FDA nod, 8 years after stinging rejection
In two pivotal studies years apart, Aveo Oncology’s drug tivozanib did not help kidney cancer patients live longer overall compared to the standard of care. […]
FDA approves Sarepta drug for muscular dystrophy with rare genetic mutation
The FDA decision gives Sarepta Therapeutics its third approved drug for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The accelerated approval requires the biotech to conduct additional clinical testing […]
Bluebird scrambles to find out if its gene therapy caused cancer in clinical trial
Cancer is a known risk of lentiviral-based gene therapies. Though bluebird says its gene therapy is engineered to avoid that risk, the company is suspending […]
Neurocrine nixes Parkinson’s gene therapy from Voyager Theraeutics alliance
The Neurocrine decision follows a clinical hold placed on the Parkinson’s program in December. It’s Voyager’s second loss of an R&D partner in the past […]
One year after founding, startup EQRx raises $500M to advance goal of cheaper cancer drugs
The latest funding brings total investment in the company to $750 million. The money has gone, in part, toward licensing of promising drug candidates in […]
Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine shows antibody, T-cell responses a month after second dose in interim Phase I data
The company published interim data from the Phase I study of mRNA-1273 in 40 older and elderly adults, showing responses comparable to those seen in […]
AI-centered drug discovery startup XtalPi raises nearly $319M in Series C round
The six-year-old Google-backed company was founded by three MIT physicists and hopes to use its technology to make drug discovery faster and less cumbersome by […]
Foundation Medicine to launch liquid biopsy companion diagnostic following FDA approval
The company announced Wednesday the FDA approval of its liquid biopsy test, the second to win an agency nod in less than a month, saying […]
Moderna to supply up to 160M doses of Covid-19 vaccine to Europe
The biotech company reached a deal with the European Commission to supply an initial 80 million doses, while European Union member states will have the […]
J&J to buy Momenta Pharmaceuticals for $6.5B
The drugmaker emphasized the full global rights it would acquire to Momenta’s lead asset, nipocalimab, which it is developing for several autoantibody-driven diseases and that […]
Moderna secures more than $1.5B federal government deal to provide Covid-19 vaccine
The agreement, which includes 100 million doses of mRNA-1273 and an option to acquire 400 million more, brings the total amount of money the biotech […]
Biogen to get speedy FDA review for Alzheimer’s drug despite not using voucher to request it
Biogen and Eisai said the FDA had accepted and given priority review to their application for aducanumab. The drug will undergo an advisory committee meeting […]
BMS, bluebird refile FDA approval application for CAR-T therapy in myeloma
The companies’ resubmission of their application Wednesday seeking approval for idecabtagene vicleucel was in line with the timeline they provided in May, when the FDA […]
Thrive raises $257M Series B round for registration study of blood test for early cancer detection
The study design is still being finalized, and the company is thus not yet divulging too many details. However, CEO David Daly said it would […]
Moderna snags another $472M from BARDA, launches Phase III Covid-19 vaccine trial
The company had received $483 million from BARDA in April to fund the development of the vaccine, mRNA-1273, through Phase III, but that amount was […]
Biogen to launch Phase IV study of spinal muscular atrophy drug in post-gene therapy patients
The company plans to enroll 60 patients who have received its drug, Spinraza, following suboptimal response to Novartis’ Zolgensma, which was approved last year. The […]
Relay Therapeutics prices IPO at $400M
The company, whose drug-discovery efforts are focused on protein motion and detection of interactions that occur anywhere on a protein rather than only at active […]
Moderna publishes Phase 1 Covid-19 vaccine data showing robust immune responses
Evaluation of durability is still under evaluation, but the responses to mRNA-1273 show neutralizing antibody titers multiple times higher than those of recovered patients. Additionally, […]
Roche pays Blueprint $675M upfront for ex-U.S. development, commercialization rights to cancer drug
Under the deal, Blueprint will additionally be eligible for more than $900M in milestone payments plus royalties for the RET inhibitor pralsetinib. The deal includes […]
Moderna completes enrollment in Phase II Covid-19 vaccine trial
The company said it is on track to start its 30,000-participant Phase III trial this month and has finished manufacturing enough supplies of the vaccine […]
Biogen, Eisai complete submission of controversial Alzheimer’s drug. The ball is in FDA’s court now.
The FDA has 60 days to decide whether or not to accept the application. An analyst wrote that the agency accepting it with a priority […]
‘The wondrous map’: how unlocking human DNA changed the course of science
Thanks to the success of the Human Genome Project, 20 years ago this week, scientists can track biology and disease at a molecular level Twenty […]
