AstraZeneca wins priority review schedule for leukemia drug; Penn gene therapy upstart grabs $9.29M with Frazier’s help

→ AstraZeneca has won a priority review for its anti-CD22 therapy moxetumomab for hairy cell leukemia. The pharma giant can now expect a decision on third-line use in the third quarter, marking another prospective advance for its critically important oncology pipeline.

→ With major help from Frazier Healthcare Partners, a stealthy gene therapy company from the University of Pennsylvania has secured $9.29 million in investment. Gene therapy pioneer James Wilson co-registered the company in 2016, the Philadelphia Inquirer notes, but has since been replaced on the board by Penn medical school vice dean Kevin Mahoney. Krishna Polu, a former CytomX chief medical officer who joined Frazier as an entrepreneur in residence, is the CEO. Several Frazier execs, including Patrick Heron and Tadataka Tamada, are also on the board.

→ Switzerland’s Glycemicon announced today that after a second closing, it has raised a total of $5.28 million (CHF 5.05 million) to advance cat and human studies of its neutraceuticals. The biotech is developing a pipeline of novel food products that manages prediabetes, the “gray area” between normal blood sugar levels and diabetes, as well as weight.