FarmaKology Newsletter - Issue #59

Sep 17, 2020

Today's Startup

NextCure

NextCure is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering and developing novel, first-in-class immunomedicines to treat cancer and other immune-related diseases by restoring normal immune function. We view the immune system holistically and, rather than target one specific immune cell type, we focus on understanding biological pathways, the interactions of cells and the role each interaction plays in an immune response. Through our proprietary Functional, Integrated, NextCure Discovery in Immuno-Oncology, or FIND-IO, platform, we study various immune cells to discover and understand targets and structural components of immune cells and their functional impact in order to develop immunomedicines. We are focused on patients who do not respond to current therapies, patients whose cancer progresses despite treatment and patients with cancer types not adequately addressed by available therapies.

News

Moderna and Vertex Establish New Collaboration to Treat Cystic Fibrosis Using Gene Editing

Moderna, Inc. and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated announced today a new strategic research collaboration and licensing agreement aimed at the discovery and development of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) and mRNAs for the delivery of gene-editing therapies for the treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF). The three-year research collaboration initially will focus on the discovery and optimization of novel LNPs and mRNAs that can deliver gene-editing therapies to cells in the lungs, enabling functional cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator protein to be produced.

BioNTech to Acquire GMP Manufacturing Site to Expand COVID-19 Vaccine Production Capacity in First Half 2021

BioNTech SE today announced the signing of a share purchase agreement with Novartis AG, Basel / Switzerland to acquire their GMP certified manufacturing facility in Marburg, Germany. The manufacturing site will expand BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine production capacity by up to 750 million doses per year, or over 60 million doses per month, once fully operational. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2020. The Company plans to be able to produce up to 250 million doses of BNT162b2 in the first half of 2021, thanks to the established team and well-established drug substance and drug product manufacturing capabilities at the site.

Takeda bets on Engitix’s ECM drug discovery platform for liver fibrosis

London-headquartered Engitix is partnering with pharma giant Takeda to discover and develop novel therapies for advanced fibrotic liver diseases, including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis .The pair will leverage Engitix’s proprietary extracellular matrix discovery platform to identify and validate liver fibrosis targets. Engitix CEO and co-founder Dr Giuseppe Mazza describes the deal as a “tremendous opportunity to accelerate the translation of novel ECM-derived targets into potential therapeutics for humans and it provides a significant validation of Engitix’s ECM platform”.

Palleon Pharmaceuticals Raises $100 million Series B to Develop Drugs Targeting Glycan-Mediated Immune Regulation to Treat Cancer and Inflammatory Diseases

Palleon Pharmaceuticals, a company pioneering the field of glycan-mediated immune regulation to treat cancer and inflammatory diseases, today announced the completion of a $100 million Series B financing led by Matrix Capital Management, with participation from Series A investors SR One, Pfizer Ventures, Vertex Ventures HC, Takeda Ventures, and AbbVie Ventures, as well as new investor Surveyor Capital (a Citadel company).