News + Updates
Response begins enrollment for trial of RDX-002 for weight management
Oct. 18, 2024
Response Pharmaceuticals has initiated subject enrolment for a Phase II trial of its drug candidate RDX-002, designed to manage weight rebound in patients ceasing treatment with Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists.
The drug candidate aims to reduce post-prandial triglyceride levels and improve cardiometabolic risk factors.
RDX-002 is a potent, selective and gut-specific inhibitor of intestinal microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (iMTP).
By inhibiting iMTP, RDX-002 reduces the absorption of triglycerides and cholesterol post-meal, potentially aiding in weight management and cardiometabolic health. The drug is also being considered for patients on antipsychotic medication.
Biotech Firm Targets Big Pharma With Drug-Tweak Patent Strategy
July 3, 2024
A neuroscientist-led startup is borrowing a page from Big Pharma’s playbook, taking advantage of drug-approval shortcuts while securing advancements in psychiatric treatments—including in the growing psychedelics industry—before larger companies get there.
Terran Biosciences Inc., a self-described “biotech platform company,” develops therapeutics and technologies for patients with neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Terran’s goal is to patent secondary drug advances before the original drugmaker, upending the “patent thicket” strategy major pharmaceutical companies use to block competing medication. The approach is aimed at speeding the availability of improved treatment options for patients with chronic neurological and psychiatric ailments, but critics warn of the potential problems a glut of secondary patents may bring.
Roche to Buy Bowel-Disease Drug From Roivant, Pfizer for More Than $7 Billion
Oct. 23, 2023
Roche ROG 0.63%increase; green up pointing triangle Holding has agreed to buy the developer of a bowel-disease treatment from Roivant Sciences ROIV -1.36%decrease; red down pointing triangle, a company started by Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, and Pfizer PFE -0.10%decrease; red down pointing triangle in a deal worth more than $7 billion.
Kriya Announces More Than $430 million Series C Financing Round
July 26, 2023
Cooley advised Kriya, a biopharmaceutical company, on the addition of over $150 million in capital committed as part of its Series C financing, bringing the total Series C financing round to more than $430 million. Since its founding in October 2019, Kriya has raised over $600 million in committed capital – and with this financing, Kriya’s cash runway is anticipated to run into late 2026. Lawyers Lauren Creel, Lindsy Solanki and Kristina Krasnikova led the Cooley team.
Bond Biosciences Announces the Closing of a Series B Financing
January 25, 2022
Bond Biosciences, Inc. is a privately held biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of first-in-class non-absorbed oral therapeutics that bind excess ions in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract to treat or prevent human disease.
“The closing of our Series B financing will strengthen the development program for BBI-001 and advance our pipeline of non-absorbed, oral therapies”
Bond’s clinical lead, BBI-001, an investigational new drug, is a non-absorbed oral therapeutic designed to bind dietary iron and inhibit iron absorption in patients that suffer from iron overload. Patients with excess iron in their body have a higher risk of liver diseases, certain cancers, joint pain, and metabolic diseases. BBI-001 will be initially developed to treat iron overload associated with Hereditary Hemochromatosis (HH), a genetic disorder that results in the over-absorption of dietary iron.
Gilead hopes to evoke ideas for new autoimmune treatments with $659M deal
January 3, 2023
Gilead plans to work with EVOQ Therapeutics to hopefully bring to mind new treatments for autoimmune disorders in a deal worth up to $658.5 million.
The two companies have signed a new licensing deal to work on preclinical development for rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. Gilead has gained the exclusive right to license EVOQ’s NanoDisc technology to develop the autoimmune candidates.
Kriya Therapeutics Raises $100 Million To Bring Gene Therapy To The Masses
July 14, 2021
Over the past several years, breakthroughs in gene therapy have led to treatments for rare diseases that were deadly just a decade ago. Take Zolgensma—in 2019, it was the first gene therapy approved by the FDA to treat spinal muscular atrophy, a rare genetic disease that affects the mobility of infants and children. But gene therapies have historically had two drawbacks: They are only used for rare diseases, and they carry a hefty price tag (treatment with Zolgensma costs $2.1 million).
Roivant Sciences Strikes SPAC Deal Valuing The Drug Company At $7.3 Billion
May 3, 2021
Seven years ago, Vivek Ramaswamy created Roivant Sciences with the aim of finding a new financial model for drug development. On Monday, Roivant Sciences announced it would be going public by merging with a special acquisition company in a deal that values Roivant at $7.3 billion.
Ann Arbor cancer drug startup aims to start human testing, gets $1.2 million seed round
April 12, 2021
A recent spin-out company from the University of Michigan aims to commercialize a new kind of cancer drug that could, down the road, help patients live longer.
Taking gene therapy to the masses with innovations in diabetes, Alzheimer's and more
March 30, 2021
When Kriya Therapeutics raised $80.5 million in a series A funding round last May, it was as clear a sign as any that gene therapy is moving beyond rare diseases and going mainstream. The biotech is working on three gene therapies to treat metabolic diseases, including its lead asset, KT-A112, for Type 1 diabetes.
Roivant Sciences to absorb Silicon Therapeutics with $450M-plus deal
Feb 26, 2021
Roivant Sciences has moved to take molecule designer Silicon Therapeutics underneath its corporate umbrella in a deal worth $450 million or more that will merge its computational physics work with the efforts of its VantAI drug discovery outfit.
Ex-Myovant chief Seely makes way for Amgen alum Marek as company gears up for Orgovyx launch
Feb 26, 2021
On the heels of its first approval, Myovant Sciences is tapping a new CEO to take that drug to market while stoking its R&D engine to find its successors. Dave Marek takes over from Lynn Seely, M.D., the company’s chief since June 2016.
Kriya Therapeutics announces $80 million Series A financing to advance gene therapies for highly prevalent serious diseases
May 12, 2020
Kriya Therapeutics announced today that it has raised $80.5 million in a Series A financing to fund the development of transformative gene therapies for highly prevalent serious diseases. Kriya was formed in the fourth quarter of 2019 and has an industry-leading gene therapy team that includes former senior leadership from Spark Therapeutics, AveXis, Sangamo Therapeutics, and other gene therapy companies. Kriya's pipeline today includes multiple AAV-based gene therapies for the treatment of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, severe obesity, and other indications. The company is located in the Bay Area, California and Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, and is building a platform infrastructure in partnership with leading academic institutions and industry pioneers..
Kriya Therapeutics announces $80 million Series A financing to advance gene therapies for highly prevalent serious diseases
May 12, 2020
Kriya Therapeutics announced today that it has raised $80.5 million in a Series A financing to fund the development of transformative gene therapies for highly prevalent serious diseases. Kriya was formed in the fourth quarter of 2019 and has an industry-leading gene therapy team that includes former senior leadership from Spark Therapeutics, AveXis, Sangamo Therapeutics, and other gene therapy companies. Kriya's pipeline today includes multiple AAV-based gene therapies for the treatment of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, severe obesity, and other indications. The company is located in the Bay Area, California and Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, and is building a platform infrastructure in partnership with leading academic institutions and industry pioneers..
Leading Healthcare Companies Announce COVID-19 Research Database
April 21, 2020
SAN FRANCISCO, April 21, 2020 / PRNewswire — A consortium of leading healthcare companies today announced the launch of the COVID-19 Research Database, a secure repository of HIPAA-compliant, de-identified and limited patient-level data sets made available to public health and policy researchers to extract insights to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cincinnati Business Courier: P&G pitch contest won by inventor of device to ease pain
January 15, 2020
Procter & Gamble Co.’s second-annual pitch contest was won by Richard Hanbury, CEO of Sana Health, who invented a wearable neurowave-stimulation device designed to control chronic pain.
The P&G Ventures arm of the Cincinnati-based maker of consumer goods such as Kytta ointment to soothe pain in muscles, joints and the back (NYSE: PG) sponsored the so-called Innovation Challenge.
Sumitovant Biopharma Created and Launched as Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma and Roivant Sciences Close Transaction for Strategic Alliance
December 30, 2019
Sumitovant Biopharma Ltd. was today unveiled as a new, global biopharmaceutical company through the closing of the transaction previously announced on October 31, 2019 between Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd. (TSE: 4506), a leading Japanese pharmaceutical company, and Roivant Sciences, a technology-enabled healthcare company.