Genentech and Biogen roll the dice on an upstart biotech with a new siRNA approach — going deep into the brain for targets in neurodegeneration

Alicia Secor (Atalanta)

January 11, 2021 06:01 AM ESTUpdated 08:28 AM

Genentech and Biogen roll the dice on an upstart biotech with a new siRNA approach — going deep into the brain for targets in neurodegeneration

John Carroll

Editor & Founder

Atalanta isn’t your average stealth biotech making a debut. They have some history and deals to sketch out in rough outlines.

The founding execs date the silent launch all the way back to mid-2019, with the publication of a seminal study looking at a new siRNA strategy for neurodegeneration. And instead of scouting for their first partners, the fledgling biotech can already count 2 prominent players as allies in the extensive preclinical work that’s been done to establish the platform.

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July 27, 2021 07:03 AM EDT

R&D

In Focus

How one startup foretold the neuroscience renaissance after '50 years of shitshow'

Max Gelman

Editor

In the past couple of years, something curious has happened: Pharma and VC dollars started gushing into neuroscience research.

Biogen’s controversial new Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm has been approved on the basis of removing amyloid plaque from the brain, but the new neuro-focused pharma and biotechs have much loftier aims. Significantly curbing or even curing the most notorious disorders would prove the Holy Grail for a complex system that has tied the world’s best drug developers in knots for decades.

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Bob Bradway, Amgen CEO (Scott Eisen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

July 27, 2021 04:47 PM EDTUpdated 05:04 PM

Deals

Amgen bellies back up to the M&A table for another biotech buyout, this time with a $2.5B deal for an antibody player focused on PSMA

John Carroll

Editor & Founder

Five months after Amgen CEO Bob Bradway stepped up to the M&A table and acquired Five Prime for $1.9 billion, following up with the smaller Rodeo acquisition, he’s gone back in for another biotech buyout.

This time around, Amgen is paying $900 million cash while committing up to $1.6 billion in milestones to bag the privately held Teneobio, an antibody drug developer that has expertise in developing new bispecifics and multispecifics. In addition, Amgen cited Teneobio’s “T-cell engager platform, which expands on Amgen’s existing leadership position in bispecific T-cell engagers by providing a differentiated, but complementary, approach to Amgen’s current BiTE platform.”

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Ryan Watts, Denali CEO

July 26, 2021 07:36 AM EDTUpdated 08:11 AM

R&D

Denali slips as a snapshot of early data raises some troubling questions on its pioneering blood-brain barrier neuro work

Max Gelman

Editor

Denali Therapeutics had drummed up considerable hype for their blood-brain barrier technology since launching over six years ago, hype that’s only intensified in the last 14 months following the publications of a pair of papers last spring and proof of concept data earlier this year. On Sunday, the South San Francisco-based biotech gave the biopharma world the next look at in-human data for its lead candidate in Hunter syndrome.

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ENDPOINTS CAREERS

Director-Regulatory

Icosavax, Inc.

Seattle, WA, USA

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Why is Oncology Drug Development Research Late to the Digital Biomarkers Game?

Tyler Guthrie

During the recent Annual ASCO Meeting, thousands of cancer researchers and clinicians from across the globe joined together virtually to present and discuss the latest findings and breakthroughs in cancer research and care. There were more than 5000+ scientific abstracts presented during this event, yet only a handful involved the use of motion-tracking wearables to collect digital measures relating to activity, sleep, mobility, functional status, and/or quality of life. Although these results were a bit disappointing, they should come as no surprise to those of us in the wearable technology field.

Art Levinson (Calico)

July 27, 2021 10:58 AM EDTUpdated 11:14 AM

Deals

R&D

Google-backed Calico doubles down on anti-aging R&D pact with AbbVie as partners ante up $1B, start to detail drug targets

John Carroll

Editor & Founder

Seven years after striking up a major R&D alliance, AbbVie and Google-backed anti-aging specialist Calico are doubling down on their work with a joint, $1 billion commitment to continuing their work together. And they’re also beginning to offer some details on where this project is taking them in the clinic.

According to their statement, each of the two players is putting up $500 million more to keep the labs humming.

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Andrea Pfeifer, AC Immune CEO (AC Immune)

July 27, 2021 10:41 AM EDT

Financing

Deals

Looking to replicate Covid-19 success in neuro, BioNTech backers bet on AC Immune and its newly-acquired Parkinson's vaccine

Amber Tong

Senior Editor

The German billionaires behind BioNTech have found a new vaccine project to back.

Through their family office Athos Service, twin brothers Thomas and Andreas Strüngmann are leading a $25 million private placement into Switzerland’s AC Immune — which concurrently announced that it’s shelling out $58.7 million worth of stock to acquire Affiris’ portfolio of therapies targeting alpha-synuclein, including a vaccine candidate, for Parkinson’s disease.

Rajiv Shukla, Constellation Alpha Holdings

July 27, 2021 10:26 AM EDT

Financing

Candel gets busy IPO week moving with downsized raise as Rajiv Shukla's third SPAC goes public

Max Gelman

Editor

Editor’s note: Interested in following biopharma’s fast-paced IPO market? You can bookmark our IPO Tracker here.

In a week that’s expected to see several biotechs price their IPOs, Candel Therapeutics got things kicked off Tuesday with a muted opener.

The company helmed by former GlaxoSmithKline vet Paul Peter Tak made its way to Nasdaq thanks to a $72 million raise, which was downsized by about 15% than originally anticipated, according to Renaissance Capital. Candel priced at $8 per share after initially seeking to launch in the $13 to $15 range.

ENDPOINTS CAREERS

Director, High-Throughput Screening (HTS) Drug Discovery Group

Pliant Therapeutics

South San Francisco, CA, USA

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July 27, 2021 07:21 AM EDT

FDA+

Coronavirus

Businesses and schools can mandate the use of Covid-19 vaccines under EUAs, DOJ says

Zachary Brennan

Senior Editor

As public and private companies stare down the reality of the Delta variant, many are now requiring that their employees or students be vaccinated against Covid-19 prior to attending school or to returning or starting a new job. Claims that such mandates are illegal or cannot be used for vaccines under emergency use authorizations have now been dismissed.

Setting the record straight, the Department of Justice on Monday called the mandates legal in a new memo, even when used for people with vaccines that remain subject to EUAs.

Ugur Sahin, BioNTech CEO (Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa via AP Images)

July 27, 2021 07:07 AM EDT

R&D

Manufacturing

BioNTech is spearheading an mRNA vaccine development program for malaria, with a tech transfer planned for Africa

John Carroll

Editor & Founder

Flush with the success of its mRNA Covid-19 vaccine, BioNTech is now gearing up for one of the biggest challenges in vaccine development — which comes without potential profit.

The German mRNA pioneer says it plans to work on a jab for malaria, then transfer the tech to the African continent, where it will work with partners on developing the manufacturing ops needed to make this and other vaccines.

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