food allergy drug

GSK has agreed to acquire California-based RAPT Therapeutics in a deal valued at $2.2 billion (€ 1.88 billion), expanding its respiratory, immunology and inflammation portfolio with a late-stage food allergy candidate. The transaction gives GSK global rights to ozureprubart, a long-acting anti-IgE monoclonal antibody now in phase IIb clinical development.

Alzheimer’s disease means memory loss for those affected. Beyond this, however, it is above all relatives and care staff who are impacted when the loss of cognitive abilities is accompanied by symptoms such as agitation, aggression, anxiety and depression, making home care impossible. This aspect of the disease is now gaining greater visibility through a major second financing round from EQT LifeScience, Gimv and Andera Partners with Exciva from Heidelberg.

Photo credits: Markus Winkler

AgomAb Therapeutics has filed for an initial public offering (IPO) in the U.S., looking to tap public markets to fund the next stage of development for its pipeline in fibrotic and inflammatory diseases. The Antwerp-based biotech said in its filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that it plans to list its shares on Nasdaq under the ticker AGMB.

epcoritamab trial

Last week, Genmab and AbbVie hit a setback with epcoritamab, after the bispecific T-cell-engaging antibody failed to deliver a survival benefit in a phase 3 study in relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The EPCORE DLBCL-1 trial missed its primary endpoint of overall survival, the partners said on Friday. While epcoritamab did slow disease progression and performed better across several secondary measures, the survival miss overshadows the readout. 

Photo credits: Karola G from Pexels.

French gene therapy research institute Genethon announced it has signed an exclusive global license with AskBio that allows the company to use Genethon-patented technology incorporated in AB-1009, an experimental gene therapy for Pompe disease.

Photo credits: 
Tara Winstead from Pexels.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have together compiled ten principles for good artificial intelligence (AI) practice in drug development.

Photo credits: Mathieu Stern

QLi5 Therapeutics has completed a €6.26 million capital increase led by its Korean co-founder, Qurient, which has also increased its voting stake in the German biotech. The funding will be used to advance QLi5’s proteasome inhibitor(PI)-based antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) payload platform, an approach the company is presenting as a next step beyond today’s dominant ADC payload classes.

The Novo Nordisk Foundation has committed up to DKK 5.5 billion (€736 million) to the BioInnovation Institute (BII), a Copenhagen-based hub for life science and deep tech entrepreneurship. The long-term funding, running from 2026 to 2035, aims to strengthen Denmark’s innovation capacity while helping Europe turn scientific excellence into companies, jobs and solutions.

Jurgen Berendsen has returned to Symeres (Nijmegen, NL) as Chief Financial Officer. His appointment took place at the beginning of this year.

Munich-based Innovative Molecules steps into the spotlight with a partnership with Italy’s Alfasigma. The deal brings fresh capital and a global licence for adibelivir, a next-generation antiviral targeting the ultra-rare, life-threatening Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) encephalitis.