FarmaKology Newsletter - Issue #71

Apr 20, 2021

Today's Startup

Adagio Therapeutics

Adagio Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing best-in-class antibodies that can broadly neutralize SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV-1 and additional pre-emergent coronaviruses. Our candidates are optimized using Adimab’s industry-leading antibody engineering capabilities and are designed to provide patients and clinicians with an unsurpassed combination of potency, breadth, durable protection (via half-life extension), manufacturability, tolerability, and affordability. Our portfolio of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies includes multiple, non-competing antibodies with distinct binding epitopes. Pre-clinical data show that our lead antibody ADG20 matches or exceeds the potency and coverage of other clinical SARS-CoV-2 antibody programs.

News

Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine Roll-out to Resume in Europe Following European Medicines Agency (EMA) Review

Johnson & Johnson today announced that the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee has provided updated guidance for use of the Company’s COVID-19 vaccine and confirmed the overall benefit-risk profile remains positive. The guidance follows a PRAC review of a small number of cases of a very rare adverse event involving blood clots in combination with low platelet counts that can occur within approximately one to three weeks following injection with the Company’s COVID-19 vaccine.

Gain Therapeutics Announces Multi-Target Drug Discovery Collaboration Agreement with Zentalis Pharmaceuticals

Gain Therapeutics, Inc. today announced a multi-target collaboration agreement with Zentalis Pharmaceuticals to discover new product candidates for the treatment of cancer. Gain will use its proprietary SEE-Tx computational platform technology to identify new sites on target proteins for potential use in oncology. SEE-Tx applies a proprietary computational algorithm and supercomputer processing to the published 3D structure of proteins to discover new binding sites with the ability to modulate protein function.

Amgen Launches Biomarker Assist™, a Program To Help More Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Gain Access To Biomarker Testing

Amgen announced the launch of Biomarker Assist™, a program to help more patients with metastatic (stage IV) non-small cell lung cancer gain access to biomarker testing. Biomarker testing at the time of diagnosis is a critical first step in getting patients on the right treatment. Through Biomarker Assist™, eligible patients may save on biomarker testing.

Sorrento Announces Positive Results of Phase 1b Study of COVI-MSC™ Treatment of ICU Covid-19 Patients, Achieving 100% (10 out 10) Discharge Rate

Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. announced today the completion of enrollment in its Phase 1b study of human allogeneic adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (COVI-MSC™) infusions to treat COVID-19 induced acute respiratory failure (ARD) or acute respiratory distress syndrome. This current study (MSC-COV-101) is a single-arm, non-randomized Phase 1b study of the safety and preliminary efficacy of COVI-MSCs administered every other day for up to three infusions for a total of 1 x 106 cells/kg, with patients being followed for 28 days following the final infusion.