Back to School & Immunization – GHIN&F Newsletter: August 2024

Back to School and Immunizations: Latest News

As the back-to-school season approaches, it's essential to keep up with the latest in pediatric health and immunizations. In honor of National Immunization Awareness Month, this edition of our newsletter provides you with the latest industry news and updates in pediatric immunology and the entire sector. Discover new developments in vaccines, health trends, and how startups of varying sizes are tackling the problem.

Network and Fund Members News

Global Health Impact Network and Funds’ Founding Partner and CEO, Gary Goldman MD, Co-Founding Partner, Bob Sweeney MD and Venture Partner, Nick Henderson are? serving on the investor advisory board for the H7 Accelerator to help budding founders navigate their entrepreneurial journey as they bring their innovative healthcare solutions to the market. The H7 Accelerator is a 12 week accelerator focusing on startups from Angel to Series A stages specializing in the Medtech and Life Sciences tracks. The accelerator is an equity free program powered by H7 Bio Capital and will connect founders to leading experts, investors and venture capitalists in the industry. Find more information on the program and application process here.

We invite you to join our network at the collaborative social platform here:

Want to stay updated with other network & fund highlights? Contact GHIF General Partners Gary Goldman MD and Sheetal Nariani.

State of the Industry

Earlier this year, the CDC warned that the immunization against measles among U.S kindergarteners had fallen below the herd immunization rate, and that there was a chance that the number of measles cases in the US could break a record this year (WebMD). As communities recover from the tumultuous years of the pandemic, it is vital not to lose track of immunizations. Efforts towards accessible and effective immunization remain as important as ever, and we join the Gates Foundation’s Gavi Vaccine Alliance in celebrating the tremendous progress that has been made in reducing mortality rate for children under five globally by 51 percent since the year 2000, thanks largely to developments in immunizations (Gates Foundation).

Industry News

The healthcare sector has remained resilient in the first half of 2024, with notable momentum in funding and exits. According to Rock Health, if the investment pace continues, 2024 funding and deal counts could surpass 2019 and 2023 levels. Funding at the early stages dominated the digital health landscape, with deals amounting to $2.3 billion in the second quarter of 2024, while the median deal size increased from $4 million to over $6 million in the same period, with these stats driven by companies developing precision medicine, AI based solutions, and food as medicine (CB Insights). Deal activity in the healthcare sector seems to be awakening from a lull, with a few notable IPOs and acquisitions by giants such as Merck, Novartis, and Biogen making up some of the top M&A exits in Q2 '24.

AbbVie has completed its acquisition of Landos Biopharma, adding NX-13, an investigational asset for treating ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, to its pipeline. The acquisition strengthens AbbVie's immunology portfolio by potentially offering a novel therapeutic approach for inflammatory bowel disease (PR Newswire).

Biogen has acquired immunology startup HI-Bio for $1.15 billion. The acquisition, including the promising drug felzartamab in Phase 2 trials for kidney conditions, is a part of their strategy to reduce risk and expand Biogen's focus into immunology (Biopharma Dive).

Johnson & Johnson has completed the $850 million acquisition of Proteologix, Inc.. This includes two pre-clinical bispecific antibodies aimed at treating atopic dermatitis and other immune-mediated diseases, enhancing Johnson & Johnson’s immunology portfolio (Johnson & Johnson).

Immunology biotech company Alumis raises $250 million in its IPO to fund the late-stage development of its lead TYK2 drug. Despite being smaller than initially projected, the IPO, supplemented by a private placement, supports Alumis's goal of advancing next-gen immunology treatments (SFBN).

Santa Ana Bio emerges from stealth with $168 million to develop precision medicines targeting autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, utilizing advanced protein engineering to selectively target disease-causing cell types while sparing healthy tissue (Business Wire).

Uniquity Bio, has been launched by Blackstone with $300 million in funding, has revealed an in-licensed drug from Merck poised for Phase 2 trials in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, targeting thymic stromal lymphoprotein (Medcity News).

German biotech startup SciRhom secures $70 million in Series A to advance its antibody drugs targeting iRhom2, aimed at controlling inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. The round was co-led by Andera Partners, Kurma Partners, Hadean Capital, MIG Capital and Wellington Partners (Biopharma Dive).

Upcoming Events

We are looking forward to the National Immunization Conference (NIC) 2024, hosted by the CDC, where over 1500 public health professionals gather to discuss and share advancements in immunization science, policy, and implementation, featuring dynamic speakers and an exhibition highlighting community health tools and services.

This year’s conference is scheduled for August 12-14, 2024. Register here.

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