Optimum’s weekly round-up: From a Knighthood for STORM Therapeutics Limited’s founder Sir Tony Kouzarides, to an €80 million Series B financing!
STORM Therapeutics Ltd., the clinical stage company pioneering cellular reprogramming through RNA modifications to treat disease, on Monday announced that Tony Kouzarides, PhD, FMedSci, FRS, its Founder & Director and Professor of Cancer Biology, University of Cambridge, will be honoured with a Knighthood for his global impact on disease treatment.
Professor Kouzarides, a world leading cancer biologist with a career spanning over 25 years, will be awarded the knighthood at the King’s Birthday Honors, 2024, Investiture ceremony.
Calliditas provides setanaxib patent update
Calliditas Therapeutics AB on Thursday announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a patent for application no. 16/760,910 entitled “Use of NOX Inhibitors for Treatment of Cancer.”
The patent covers a method of treating a solid tumour presenting resistance to PD-1 inhibitor immunotherapy by administering setanaxib in combination with a PD-1 inhibitor. The patent will have an expiration date in 2039. Calliditas has corresponding applications and patents in several additional territories around the world, including a pending patent application in Europe.
Gareth Williams appointed CEO of Bionical Health
Bionical Solutions, a leading provider of technology enabled engagement and healthcare services to global pharmaceutical, biotech, healthcare companies and the NHS, on Wednesday announced the appointment of Gareth Williams as CEO of Bionical Health Ltd.
Bionical Health is the rebranded Health Outcomes (Clinical) division of Bionical Solutions, following a strategic decision to demerge and enhance operational focus. Gareth has an exemplary track record, spanning over 20 years, helping build organisations which have a unique proposition for pharmaceutical customers in areas such as homecare, patient support, market access and evidence generation. His expertise will be invaluable as the Company continues to grow and innovate the Bionical Health brand.
iOnctura announces EUR80 million Series B financing to progress pipeline through Phase II trials
iOnctura, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company combating neglected and hard-to-treat cancers, on Thursday announced that it has closed an EUR80 million Series B financing. The funding round was led by new investor Syncona Limited with participation by the EIC Fund, the venture arm of the European Innovation Council (EIC), as well as existing investors M Ventures, Inkef Capital, VI Partners, Schroders Capital and 3B Future Health Fund.
Positive progress in 2023/2024 leaves 4SC well positioned for resminostat commercialisation
4SC AG, a biotech company improving the lives of patients suffering with advanced-stage cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), on Thursday published a summary of key highlights from its Annual General Meeting held in Martinsried, Germany.
These included topline data from its pivotal RESMAIN study, confirming resminostat had successfully met the primary endpoint, demonstrating a statistically significant improvement in progression free survival in CTCL.
Pheon, Heidelberg Pharma and Adcendo featured in Clarivate’s Seven Innovators in Antibody-Drug Conjugates report
Optimum’s clients Adcendo, Pheon Therapeutics, and Heidelberg Pharma were mentioned in Clarivate’s influential Seven Innovators in Antibody Drug Conjugates report.
Based on data, insights and analysis of drug benefits, financing and R&D activity, the report explores why these companies are significant innovators in the space, advancing antibody drug conjugates ADCs to deliver highly targeted cancer treatments with minimal side effects.
Resolution to host macrophage cell therapy webinar
Don’t forget that Resolution Therapeutics Limited, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing macrophage cell therapies to treat end-stage liver disease, will host a virtual R&D webinar on Friday 28th June 2024 at 12.30 BST / 7.30 EDT for investors, analysts and media.
The event will feature an in-depth update on the clinical data from the extended MATCH Phase 2 clinical study and provide insight on Resolution’s novel discovery platform for engineered macrophage cell therapy to enhance therapeutic efficacy in end-stage liver disease (ESLD). Poster presentations on these data were presented at the EASL Congress 2024, held in Milan between 5-8 June 2024. To register please use this link.
AMSilk attends Pitti Filati for the first time to showcase biofabricated premium yarns
AMSilk GmbH, a frontrunner in advanced biomaterials made from spider silk-based proteins, today announces that it will be attending Pitti Immagine Filati, in Florence, Italy, from Tuesday 25th to Thursday 27th June 2024, to showcase its innovative biofabricated yarns.
Neuried, Germany-based AMSilk followed this on Thursday by completing an independent ‘Cradle-to-Gate’ Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) comparing the environmental footprint of AMSilk Ultrafine Fiber with mulberry silk across five environmental indicators: climate change, land and water use, acidification and freshwater eutrophication. Based on this study, AMSilk Ultrafine Fiber has a more favorable environmental footprint compared to mulberry silk in all of the five environmental indicators examined.
Optimum TV
Our latest episode of Optimum TV featured Krishna Polu, CEO of Commit Biologics. A spinout from Denmark’s Aarhus University in 2021, Commit Biologics has developed a new way of harnessing a part of the body’s immune system – called the complement system – to fight cancer and autoimmune disease.
Commit Bio’s CEO Krishna Polu outlines to Stephen Adams, how it’s BICE technology is used to “supercharge” conventional antibodies and the progress the Company aims to make with its €16m seed financing from Novo Holdings and Bioqube Ventures.
📺 Catch more episodes of Optimum TV on Optimum’s YouTube channel!
Who’s on the move this month?
Check out the latest moves in the life sciences sector with our monthly round-up of new funds and the biggest job changes, including analysts, bankers, and healthcare journalists.
That’s all folks! We hope you are enjoying Optimum’s weekly round-ups; subscribe today so you never miss an edition.
