Lung cancer cell dividing © National Cancer Institute

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has upgraded Roche’s Alecensa (Alectinib) from second-line to first-line treatment for patients with locally advanced of metastasing ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

InflaRX lead candidate (blue) binding complement factor C% (red). © InflaRx

German infection specialist InflaRx (Jena) raised US$55m in a Series D financing co-led by Bain Capital Life Sciences LP, Cormorant Asset Management LLC and RA Capital Management LLC  to finance its clinical programmes with its lead asset IFX-1.

The TG01 cancer neoantigene vaccine primes the immune system to recognise cancer cells with RAS mutation. © Targovax SAS

Norwegian Targovax ASA (Oslo) has reported tremendous safety, immunogenicity, and one-year survival data, of in the modified cohort of the TG01 trial in resected pancreatic cancer patients.

Vaccine production in Sanofi's sole production site in France started in 1973. © Sanofi Pasteur

Sanofi is investing €170m to expand its vaccine manufacturing site in Val de Reuil, France, which produces 900 million vaccine doses worldwide each year.

British researchers have identified interleukin 36 (IL-36) as a druggable proinflammatory driver of psoriasis. Because of its very targeted effects of antibodies directed against the cytokine they want to start clinical tests in man. 

German-Israeli Neurim Pharmaceuticals announced top line efficacy results of its insomnia drug PedPRM in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

Drug encapsulated in erythrocytes. @ Erytech Pharma SA

French cancer drug encapsulation specialist Erytech Pharma SA wants to raise US$100m (€85m) in an IPO at NASDAQ and a subsequent private placement outside Northern America to finance pivotal trials of eryaspase in ALL and pancreatic cancer. 

Gene therapy with Adeno-associated viruses. © NIH

As first gene therapy ever, AMT-130 has been granted FDA Orphan Drug status in Huntington’s Disease.

Robotic cell culture system CellPROi. © Shibuya Corp.

Promethera Biosciences and Shibuya collaborate to establish a breakthrough cell therapy manufacturing platform.

Immatics headquarters in Tuebingen. © Immatics Biotechnologies

Cancer immunotherapy specialist Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH (Tuebingen, Germany) raised US$58m in a Series E financing round led by German investors dievini Hopp BioTech Holding and AT Impf as well as Wellington Partners and new investor Amgen.