23andMe: What If …
A much diminished 23andMe exists today, a far cry from the phenomenon that it was in the world consumer DNA testing. Could things have unfolded differently under a different leader with a different vision?
Carmot’s IPO Filing Makes Case for Bias in Drugging Key Obesity, Diabetes Targets
Carmot Therapeutics isn’t the first company targeting both the GLP-1 and GIP receptors to treat metabolic diseases. But the company contends that biased signaling—activating certain pathways but not others—is key to setting its drugs apart from others in the same class.
presented by
When Investment Rhymes with Canada
Canada has a proud history of achievement in the areas of science and technology, and the field of biomanufacturing and life sciences is no exception.
Bayer’s New $250M Cell & Gene Therapy Site Signals More Investments to Come
Bayer opens its new cell therapy manufacturing facility as it prepares a Parkinson’s disease cell therapy for Phase 2 testing. The new 100,000 square foot facility also has space for manufacturing other cell therapies in the pharma giant’s pipeline.
Neuro Startup Arialys Raises $58M for Privilege of Tackling Brain Inflammation
Avalon BioVentures unveiled new portfolio company Arialys Therapeutics. The startup’s lead program, an antibody from Astellas Pharma, is a potential treatment for anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis (ANRE), a rare autoimmune inflammatory disorder.
Amgen, FTC Settlement Allows $28B Horizon Acquisition to Move Forward
Amgen and the Federal Trade Commission are settling the lawsuit the regulator filed to block the pharmaceutical giant’s $28 billion Horizon Therapeutics acquisition. As part of the settlement, Amgen agrees not to “bundle” its products with Horizon’s drugs in negotiations with health plans.
43K Patients in California Could Get Refunds, Bill Corrections As Part of Discounted Care Settlement
Santa Clara Valley Healthcare in California has begun notifying 43,000 patients about their eligibility for billing corrections and refunds. The system’s patient outreach effort is a result of a recently settled lawsuit filed against Santa Clara County. In the complaint, former patients alleged the county did not inform them about its hospitals' charity care and discount payment policies, leading them to have to pay large bills.
Novartis Pays Ionis $60M to Expand Alliance on a Hot Target for Cardio Drugs
Novartis and Ionis Pharmaceuticals, already partners in cardiovascular disease R&D, are expanding their alliance to see if they can develop a next-generation therapy offering efficacy and dosing advantages. But competitors are already in the mix with programs addressing the same cardiovascular disease target.
Startup Fundraising Spotlight: Octave Bioscience
Octave Bioscience, based in Menlo Park, California, just closed a $30 million extension to its Series B funding round.
Turnstone Bio Goes IPO to Fund Clinical Tests of New Kind of Cancer Cell Therapy
Turnstone Biologics isn’t the only cell therapy biotech focused on tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. With $80 million in IPO cash, it can continue clinical trials that could show whether its approach to TILs has advantages.
FDA Approves BioMarin Pharma’s Gene Therapy, the First for Hemophilia A
The FDA approved Roctavian for treating hemophilia A. The regulatory decision makes the BioMarin Pharmaceutical product the first gene therapy for this inherited bleeding disorder.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
presented by
How California’s New Legislation Could Affect Healthcare M&A Activity
Healthcare dealmakers must prepare for a new law and a recently-introduced bill in the California Senate, both of which aim to increase oversight in the healthcare M&A space. This is a legislative trend other states are beginning to participate in too — such as New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut.
California Lawmakers Approve Emergency Loan Program for Struggling Hospitals
California lawmakers recently passed a bill that would provide interest-free cash loans to nonprofit and public hospitals undergoing significant financial distress. The loan program would provide up to $150 million in funds over the next couple years.
VC Firm SR One Closes $600M Fund to Build ‘Elite Biotechnology Companies’
SR One’s new investment fund is its second one since spinning out of GSK in 2020. The firm says it now has more than $1.5 billion in assets under management.
New Hemophilia Data Lead FDA to Delay Decision for BioMarin Gene Therapy
BioMarin Pharmaceutical's submission of additional data for patients treated with its hemophilia A gene therapy, Roctavian, mean that the FDA will push out a regulatory decision to early summer. But it could be worth the wait as analysts anticipate FDA approval and project Roctavian becoming one of BioMarin’s biggest products.
With New Kind of CAR, Cancer Startup Cargo Refuels With $200M for Cell Therapy Race
Cargo Therapeutics is developing CAR T-cell therapies that overcome ways cancers evade currently available treatments. True to its name, the startup’s approach involves putting more cargo and more complex cargo onto engineered T cells.