If the state of current events has shown us one thing, it’s that inclusion matters. Inclusivity is more important than ever. Whether you are black, white, gay, or straight, the time for conversations about inclusion is now. If you’re a small or medium-sized biotech company, you may think you don’t have a place in the […]

Checkpoint inhibitors do one thing: release the molecular brake that keeps immune cells from recognizing and targeting tumors. This cancer immunotherapy approach has saved countless lives and turned drugs from Merck and Bristol Myers Squibb into blockbuster products. But what if a single drug could block checkpoint proteins while simultaneously sparking an anti-tumor response? That’s […]

Alpine Immune Sciences’ lupus drug candidate now has AbbVie lined up to continue the compound’s development. The drug, ALPN-101, is ready for Phase 2 testing, which will be conducted by Seattle-based Alpine. The deal announced Thursday grants AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) an exclusive option to license the drug after that study. The North Chicago, IL-based pharmaceutical […]

The cancer cell therapies available today are made by tweaking a patient’s own immune cells to better recognize and fight the disease. Orca Bio is developing what it says is the next generation of cell therapy: custom preparations made without modifying cells or genes. Orca is already testing its technology in humans, though it has […]

C4 Therapeutics, a biotech developing small molecules designed to take advantage of a cellular mechanism as a way to treat disease, has raised $170 million in venture equity and debt to start human testing. The Watertown, MA-based firm is among a number of companies competing in the popular protein degradation space, in which drug developers […]

The FDA on Monday approved a new drug for patients with advanced small cell lung cancer, permitting the treatment to be marketed based on less evidence than it traditionally requires in order to speed its path to market. Madrid-based PharmaMar, which developed lurbinectedin (Zepzelca), licensed its US commercialization rights to Jazz Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: JAZZ) last […]

GlaxoSmithKline’s years-long oncology resurgence is on track to have two new drugs approved in the US in mid-2020, after the company won a key first-line ovarian cancer indication for Zejula (niraparib) in April. The belantamab mafodotin and dostarlimab approvals also anticipated this year will give GSK its first commercial footholds in the immuno-oncology market – […]

Diabetes drug giant Novo Nordisk has reached a $725 million deal to acquire Corvidia Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotech developing treatments for disorders affecting the heart and the kidneys. The upfront payment due to Corvidia shareholders is cash. According to the terms of the agreement, Denmark-based Novo Nordisk (NASDAQ: NOVO) could be on the hook for […]

Verve Therapeutics aims to use gene editing to address heart attacks by targeting the liver, not the heart. And it wants to make its edits inside the patient. The startup’s approach raises a lot of questions. Verve has some answers now, and it has raised $63 million to learn more. The new financing announced Thursday […]

To ameliorate a pandemic that infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci calls his “worst nightmare,” a winner-takes-all solution won’t be enough. Fauci, who directs the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, this week told attendees at the Biotechnology Innovation Organization’s annual convention that developing multiple vaccines and therapeutics will be necessary to tamp down the […]

Cancer drug developer Iteos Therapeutics announced Tuesday that it appointed Matthew Gall as its chief financial officer. Gall was most recently senior vice president of corporate development and treasurer at Sarepta Therapeutics (NASDAQ: SRPT). His previous experience includes roles at Celgene and Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: GILD). Iteos, a Belgium-based firm with US headquarters in Cambridge, […]

The biggest life sciences IPO of the year so far belongs to Legend Biotech. The cancer drug developer was able to raise $423.8 million after pricing its shares well above the targeted price range. Legend, which has executive offices Somerset, NJ, had planned to sell 18 million shares in the range of $18 to $20 […]