From Berlin biotech NOXXON through a strategic realignment and considerations of cryptocurrency investments, and now back to drug development: TME Pharma has found a potential partner for its lead drug candidate NOX-A12 in Japanese biotech company TMS. For now, however, the companies are only entering exclusive negotiations. Whether these will actually lead to funded clinical development remains uncertain.
The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress is one of the biggest events on the cancer research calendar, where clinical results can reshape treatment decisions and drug developers’ prospects. This year, Immatics presented new data for its PRAME-targeting therapies, BioNTech expanded the evidence for its bispecific antibody pumitamig, and AstraZeneca reported survival gains across several cancers. Here’s our roundup of the most important announcements from European biopharma.
New data from the World Conference on Lung Cancer in Seoul are giving BioNTech’s oncology strategy more substance beyond its mRNA platform. Gotistobart has shown a marked survival benefit in previously treated squamous NSCLC, while the company’s leading bispecific antibody pumitamig continues to generate encouraging signals across tumor types and in combination with an antibody-drug conjugate. The key question now is whether these early signals can translate into registrational success.
A Phase III win for Moderna and Merck’s personalized mRNA cancer vaccine has reignited investor enthusiasm for mRNA — and put BioNTech back in the spotlight. But the data are more important than the stock rally: for the first time, a personalized mRNA cancer therapy has produced positive Phase III data in a major indication.
Swedish rare-disease specialist Sobi is paying $75 million upfront for global commercial rights to Innate Pharma’s lacutamab, a first-in-class antibody targeting KIR3DL2 in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. The deal gives Innate funding and a commercial partner for its next clinical step, while adding a late-stage oncology asset to Sobi’s rare-disease portfolio.
Ipsen confirmed to European Biotechnology that it has stopped developing the Phase 1/2a ERK inhibitor IPN01194 and will return worldwide rights to French biotech AGV Discovery.
See-and-Treat Concept using Radioactive Smart Probes: Professor Rudolf Werner provides an overview of established and future indications in clinical practice, highlighting advances in theranostics and their growing impact on precision oncology.
Immatics has published a series of updates on its PRAME pipeline, using the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting to share data on its lead candidate and next-generation program.
Adcendo has struck a Keytruda supply agreement with MSD, positioning the Danish biotech to study an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) with the blockbuster checkpoint inhibitor.
Cytospire Therapeutics has raised a £61 million (€71 million) Series A round, positioning the British biotech to advance pan-gamma-delta T-cell engagers (TCEs) into cancer clinical trials.
BioNTech SE
Moderna
Knowbio with Sweden.se
Andre Dallavalle