A US-EU research team has found that a class of compounds that promote tumour cell death can also limit autoimmunity.

BioEcho develops single-spin and 96-well kits for the isolation of DNA from different starting materials. Their proprietary EchoLUTION single-step technology avoids the use of inhibitory process reagents while using dedicated efficient lysis reagents for e.g. different plant tissues. In contrast to common bind-wash-elute procedures, the process does not require washing steps. The inhibitor-free DNA enables lowered time-to-result in enzyme-dependent genomic analyses such as PCR or NGS.

Celgene will pay $75m upfront to get an option on three cancer programmes developed by Immatics Biotechnologies.

Danish microbiology specialist Unibio International plc had completed a US$15m financing round led by West Hill Capital.

US company Freenome will use its multiomics platform to develop response biomarkers to ADC Therapeutics’ Phase II antibody drug conjugate (ADC) ADCT-402.

GlaxoSmithKline plc announced belantamab mafodotin (GSK2857916) met the primary endpoint of overall response rate (ORR) in a pivotal Phase II trial in treatment-refractive multiple myeloma.

Researchers from Paul Scherrer Institute in Villingen, Switzerland, and Hoffmann La-Roche AG report in Cell they have solved the structure of a target relevant in metastasis.

An antibody therapy that targets red blood cells (RBCs) unexpectedly showed anti-inflammatory effects and rapidly reversed rheumatoid arthritis and prevented lung injury in mouse models. 

Nabriva Therapeutics plc has got the go from the FDA to market its pleuromutilin antibiotic Xenleta (lefamulin), a protein synthesis blocker with new mode-of-action to treat community-acquired bacterial pneumonia.

Zurich-based ADC maker Araris Biotech AG announced the closing of an oversubscribed seed financing round of CHF2.5m with Redalpine, Schroder Adveq and VI Partners contibuting.