An extremely deal-heavy week (9 in total!), including the raise of a $555 million biotech. Dr Kemi Olugemo joins Korro Bio from Ultragenyx to advance their RNA therapeutics. The Eisai/Biogen team kickstart the BLA process for the subcutaneous injection of Leqembi, aiming to facilitate the administration for patients taking the drug.
-
Sands Capital
raises $555 million for its third life sciences-focused fund. The organisation will use this fund to support private biotechnology companies across drugs, diagnostics, medical devices, and life sciences tools. The firm's past investments include
Karuna Therapeutics
, Dice Therapeutics, and Acrivon Therapeutics.
-
Fulcrum Therapeutics
and
Sanofi
enter into licensing agreement for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy drug, losmapimod. The oral small molecule drug is currently being evaluated in Phase III clinical trials. Sanofi will gain exclusive commercialisation rights for the drug outside of the US.
-
Shionogi & Co., Ltd
and
Maze Therapeutics
announce exclusive worldwide license agreement for Pompe Disease asset, MZE001. The oral glycogen synthase 1 inhibitor has generated positive Phase I results.
-
Brixton Biosciences
raises $33 million Series B funding round, led by
Schooner Capital
with notable participation from
SV Health Investors
,
Sparta Group
,
Excelestar Ventures LLC
,
PV Capital Group
and Catalyst Health Ventures. The biotech has received promising FIH studies with its novel Neural Ice? technology and focuses on chronic and acute pain indications. Brixton Biosciences will use the round to advance two pivotal clinical studies in knee pain associated with osteoarthritis and knee replacement surgery.
-
Beacon Biosignals
and
Longboard Pharmaceuticals
announce collaboration to advance sleep endpoints in clinical trials related to rare epilepsy syndromes. The partnership will use Longboard's drug development expertise in combination with Beacon Biosignal's Dreem 3S? EEG headband device and AI algorithm-derived neurobiomarkers.
-
Calico Life Sciences
announces extension of collaboration with
Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
until 2029. The extended partnership will look at age-related neurodegeneration, in particular focusing on the biology and genetics of aging as well as early-stage drug discovery.
-
AbbVie
and
Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals
announce partnership and option-to-licence agreement. The collaboration will utilise AbbVie's psychiatry expertise and Gilgamesh's innovative research platform to develop next-generation therapies for psychiatric disorders. The focus will be on neuroplastogens, next-generation psychedelic compounds that provide significant clinical benefits whilst minimising the psychoactive effects and challenges experienced with classic psychedelic compounds.
-
Takeda
and
AC Immune
sign agreement for active Alzheimer's Disease immunotherapy, ACI-24.060, currently in Phase Ib trials. Takeda will receive exclusive option to the drug, a potential first-in-class immunotherapy that targets amyloid-beta. AC Immune will be responsible for completing the current trial. Afterwards Takeda would conduct all further clinical development, regulatory activities, and worldwide commercialisation.
-
Aspen Neuroscience, Inc.
receives $8 million grant from the
California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM)
. The biotech will use the grant to advance its clinical research in Parkinson's Disease, including ANDP001, investigational stem cell-derived dopaminergic neuron replacement therapy.
