Novo Holdings-backed Booster takes off

Today’s Big News

Oct 10, 2024

Gritstone files for bankruptcy in hope of keeping cancer vaccine R&D afloat


Ono links with LigaChem to bag preclinical ADC in $700M biobuck deal 


Novo Holdings-backed Booster takes off with protein degraders aimed at neurodegeneration


Immatics' cell therapy leapfrogs into phase 3 on strength of early-stage survival data


UPDATED: Astellas unveils new Japan site for cell therapy research arm Universal Cells, discloses 24 US layoffs 


ModeX's multispecific antibodies shut down COVID variants and advance to the clinic with $35M more BARDA bucks


Syneos Health lands former IQVIA R&D leader as CEO 

The Top Line Podcast: Don’t miss out on the newest episode. Listen now.

 

Featured

Gritstone files for bankruptcy in hope of keeping cancer vaccine R&D afloat

Gritstone bio may have left no stone unturned when it came to searching for a financial rescue, but the vaccine biotech has decided that all roads now lead to bankruptcy.
 

Top Stories

Ono links with LigaChem to bag preclinical ADC in $700M biobuck deal

Ono Pharmaceutical has bought a seat in a quiet corner of the congested antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) space, agreeing to pay LigaChem Biosciences up to $700 million for a potential first-in-class solid tumor candidate LCB97.

Novo Holdings-backed Booster takes off with protein degraders aimed at neurodegeneration

Booster Therapeutics has launched with $15 million in seed financing and a mission to take on the current crop of targeted protein degraders.

Immatics' cell therapy leapfrogs into phase 3 on strength of early-stage survival data

Immatics has vaulted into phase 3 on the strength of early-stage data. The biotech is gearing up to start a pivotal trial of its melanoma cell therapy IMA203 this year in light of the response and progression-free survival results seen in a phase 1b study.

UPDATED: Astellas unveils new Japan site for cell therapy research arm Universal Cells, transferring 12 roles overseas

Astellas subsidiary Universal Cells is establishing a second location overseas at the Japanese pharma’s research campus in Tsukuba. As part of the move, 24 roles held by Universal Cell employees in Seattle are being eliminated. However, 12 of the former Seattle-based roles will be transferred to and filled by employees at the Tsukuba site in Japan.

ModeX's multispecific antibodies shut down COVID variants and advance to the clinic with $35M more BARDA bucks

Though the peak of COVID-19 deaths is thankfully behind us, the virus is still a pernicious public health threat that vexes drugmakers by constantly evolving new variants that can elude existing treatments.

Syneos Health lands former IQVIA R&D leader as CEO

Syneos Health has tapped Costa Panagos to take the reins from former CEO Colin Shannon, who will transition to the role of executive chair.

Fierce Biotech Layoff Tracker 2024: Astellas trims cell therapy team; Leo lets go 250 staffers

We really didn't want to have to create another Layoff Tracker this year. But here we are, launching the third annual iteration tracking biopharma layoffs. 

Baxter offers recovery timeline after major IV fluid plant closure due to Hurricane Helene

Following the recent closure of its manufacturing facility in Marion, North Carolina, from flooding caused by Hurricane Helene, Baxter is providing some clarity on remediation timelines.

Illumina unveils benchtop DNA sequencer update with push-button workflows

Illumina bills the MiSeq i100 series as a complete redesign of its original MiSeq sequencer, which made its debut in 2011, saying it can operate four times faster and use room temperature reagents.

GSK will pony up $2.2B to resolve 80K Zantac cases

GSK has agreed to pay up to $2.2 billion to resolve approximately 80,000 lawsuits brought by users of Zantac who claimed the heartburn drug caused their cancer. The agreement frees the British pharma giant from litigating 93% of the state court cases it faced in the U.S.
 
Fierce podcasts

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Breaking down BIOSECURE—Industry implications and what comes next

This week on "The Top Line," Fierce Pharma’s Fraiser Kansteiner and Arnold & Porter’s Dan Kracov break down the BIOSECURE Act's potential impact on the life sciences industry and what comes next after the House of Representatives' recent vote.
 

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On Helix

Date: ‌4 ‌July ‌2024 ‌- ‌Location: ‌Babraham ‌Research ‌Campus, ‌Cambridge ‌UK

 

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