All the top Biotech & Pharma news in one daily newsletter.

Want to understand how these updates are formatted? Check-out the FAQ.

Have any feedback? I’d love to hear you from - connect with me on LinkedIn. 📣

Looking to reach an audience of 1600+ biotech and pharma professionals? Let’s chat. 👍

THE GOOD
Approvals & Labels

FDA advisory committee votes 8-4 supporting Seikagaku's condoliase injection for treating lumbar disc herniation-related leg pain in adults.
Biologic, radic­u­lar leg pain as­so­ci­at­ed with lum­bar disc her­ni­a­tion - Read more [Paywall]

THE GOOD
Business Development

Eli Lilly buy global rights to Mediar Therapeutics’ MTX-463 (anti-WISP1) antibody for pulmonary fibrosis in up to $786M deal
Monoclonal antibody, pulmonary fibrosis - Read more

Insilico Medicine out-licenses AI-designed cancer drug (undisclosed inhibitor target) to Stemline Therapeutics in up to $550M deal
Small molecule, cancer, solid tumor, AI - Read more

Zai Lab in-licenses development and commercial rights to Vertex Pharmaceuticsl's povetacicept (targeting BAFF, APRIL) for mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, Taiwan region and Singapore
Fusion protein, IgA nephropathy, kidney disease - Read more

Windward Bio in-licenses global “excluding Greater China and several Southeast and West Asian countries” rights to Harbour BioMed and Kelun-Biotech’s HBM9378/SKB378 (anti-TSLP), up to $970M deal plus royalties
Monoclonal antibody, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - Read more

Verdiva Bio in-licenses global ex-China and ex-South Korea rights to a Ph2-ready and two IND-enabling stage obesity assets from Sciwind Biosciences
GLP-1, obesity, cardiometabolic - Read more

Gilead enters STAT6 inhibitor field through $1.7B deal with Leo Pharma, paying $250M upfront for preclinical program rights
Small molecule, atopic dermatitis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - Read more

Boehringer Ingelheim licenses fourth antibody-based cancer hopeful from Oxford BioTherapeutics discovery collab
Antibody, cancer - Read more

Synaffix licenses its antibody-drug conjugate development technology to Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma
Antibody-drug conjugate, cancer - Read more

THE GOOD
Clinical Trials

Pfizer's subcutaneous sasanlimab (PD-1 inhibitor) succeeds in Ph3 trial for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer treatment
Monoclonal antibody, bladder cancer - Read more

Marea Therapeutics' MAR001 antibody (targeting ANGPTL4) delivers positive Ph2 results for lowering remnant cholesterol in cardiovascular disease patients
Monoclonal antibody, cardiovascular disease, cholesterol - Read more

Mersana Therapeutics's emiltatug ledadotin (targeting B7-H4) delivers positive initial Ph1 trial data for treating triple negative breast cancer
Antibody-drug conjugate, breast cancer - Read more

Dyne Therapeutics' showcases positive Ph1/2 trial data for DYNE-101 (targeting DMPK) in myotonic dystrophy type 1
Antisense oligonucleotide-conjugate, myotonic dystrophy type 1 - Read more

Crinetics Pharmaceuticals' atumelnant (ACTH receptor antagonist) delivers positive Ph2 trial data for congenital adrenal hyperplasia and Cushing's syndrome treatment
Small molecule, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, Cushing's syndrome - Read more

4D Molecular Therapeutics' touts positive Ph1 data for 4D-150 (targeting VEGF) for treating for diabetic macular edema and wet age-related macular degeneration
Gene therapy, diabetic macular edema, wet age-related macular degeneration, AAV - Read more

Bayer's MRI contrast agent gadoquatrane delivers positive Ph3 data, meeting diagnostic efficacy with 60% lower gadolinium dose than current agents
Small molecule, cancer, MRI contract agent - Read more

Inmagene Biopharmaceuticals showcases positive Ph2a data for IMG-007 (anti-OX40) in atopic dermatitis treatment
Monoclonal antibody, atopic dermatitis, eczema - Read more

PRESENTED BY BIOTOOLS INNOVATOR
Calling All Innovators in Life Science Tools and Diagnostics!

At BioTools Innovator, your breakthroughs can shape the future of human health. Whether you're advancing drug discovery or diagnostics, our program provides the tools to bring your ideas to life.

What’s in it for you?

• 4 months of expert guidance and tailored mentorship.

• Connections to top investors, partners, and peers in the industry.

• A chance to win up to $300,000 in funding to fuel your growth.

Don’t wait! The application deadline is approaching  on January 15, 2025.

Let’s turn your vision into reality. Apply here: www.biotoolsinnovator.org/apply/ 

⬇️ More Good News ⬇️

THE GOOD
Company Launches

Ouro Medicines launches with $115M Series A, ambitious goals to “reset” immune system to treat immune-mediated diseases
Bispecific antibody, autoimmune disease - Read more

Timberlyne Therapeutics launches with $180M Series A, developing a CD38 antibody for going after immune-mediated conditions
Monoclonal antibody, autoimmune disease - Read more

Kerna Labs launches $6M seed raise, AI approach to developing improved mRNA therapeutics beyond vaccines
mRNA, drug discovery, drug development - Read more [Paywall]

Windward Bio launches with $200M Series A and in-licensed mAb assets from Harbour BioMed and Kelun-Biotech
Monoclonal antibody, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - Read more

Kardigan launches with $300M Series A, targeted treatments for cardiovascular disease
Personalized medicine, cardiovascular disease, heart disease, drug development - Read more

THE GOOD
Fundraises

Eli Lilly & Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) launch $500M venture fund to support early-stage biotech platforms and therapeutics development
Venture capital, biotech investing, platform technology - Read more

Biosphere $8.8M Seed, developing a “proprietary UV sterilization approach” for next-gen bioreactors
Bioreactor, manufacturing, cell culturing - Read more

RhyGaze $86M Series A, developing gene therapy treatments to restore vision in blind patients
Gene therapy, blindness, vision loss - Read more

Oxford Cancer Analytics (OXcan) $11M Series A, developing next-gen blood tests for early lung cancer detection
Liquid biopsy, cancer detection, blood test, diagnostics - Read more

Linqmed $10.2M Series B, developing radiopharmaceutical treatment for brain tumors and supporting Ph3 trials
Radiopharm, glioma, brain cancer - Read more [Press release in Japanese]

Tune Therapeutics $175M Series B, developing epigenetic editing technology for hepatitis B treatment
Gene-editing, hepatitis B, epigenetic editing - Read more [Paywall]

Compass Pathways $150M public offering, developing psilocybin-derived treatments for depression and PTSD
Small molecule, treatment-resistant depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychedelics - Read more

Amylyx Pharmaceuticals $60M public offering
Synthetic peptide, antisense oligonucleotide, endocrine disorders, neurodegenerative disease - Read more

Meiji Seika Pharma $20M strategic investment from MPM BioImpact
Vaccine, infectious disease - Read more

THE GOOD
Investments

Eli Lilly launching “global capability centre” in Hyderabad, India; hiring 1,000+ employees
Digital strategy, facility build - Read more

THE GOOD
IPOs

Obesity biotech Metsera files for Nasdaq IPO to fund Ph3 trial of GLP-1 drug MET-097i
GLP-1, obesity - Read more

THE GOOD
Mergers & Acquisitions

Biogen bids $442M to acquire Sage Therapeutics at a 30% premium after partner's stock fell due to clinical failures
Small molecule, post-partum depression, major depressive disorder - Read more

Quanterix to acquire Akoya Biosciences in all-stock merger, combining blood and tissue biomarker detection technologies
Biomarker detection, liquid biopsy, diagnostics - Read more

THE GOOD
Partnerships

City Therapeutics, Bausch + Lomb partner to develop RNAi treatment for retinal diseases in $485M deal
RNAi, geographic atrophy, retinal disease, drug development - Read more

Absci, Owkin partner to combine AI platforms for accelerated drug discovery in immuno-oncology and immunology
Monoclonal antibody, cancer, drug discovery, AI - Read more

Character Biosciences, Bausch + Lomb partner to develop innovative treatments for age-related macular degeneration
Peptide, age-related macular degeneration, drug discovery, drug development - Read more

Atropos Health, Merck & Co. partner to accelerate drug R&D using AI-powered real-world evidence generation
Drug development, AI - Read more

MOLCURE, Teijin Pharma partner to leverage AI in discovering novel antibody drugs targeting central nervous system diseases
Antibody, central nervous system disease, drug discovery, AI - Read more

THE GOOD
Research

Study reveals T cells can fully prevent viral infections, challenging previous beliefs about immune system's protective mechanisms
Disease prevention, infectious disease, viral infection - Read more

Scientists develop mussel-inspired inhalable nanoparticles for targeted lung cancer drug delivery system
Drug delivery, lung cancer - Read more

THE BAD
Earnings & Finances

AbbVie takes $3.5B write-down after schizophrenia drug emraclidine (selective M4 muscarinic modulator) fails Ph2 trials, following recent $8.7B Cerevel acquisition
Small molecule, schizophrenia - Read more

THE BAD
Layoffs

Barinthus Bio prioritizes celiac disease drug development, cuts 65% of workforce, and closes UK site while seeking partner for hepatitis B program
Biologic, celiac disease, hepatitis B - Read more

Y-mAbs restructures with 13% workforce cut, creates two business units, and relocates Danish operations to US
Monoclonal antibody, cancer, radiopharm - Read more

Passage Bio plans 55% staff reduction as part of PBFT02 gene therapy program prioritization
Gene therapy, dementia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis - Read more

THE BAD
Partnerships

Affibody regains select Asian market rights for izokibep (IL-17A inhibitor) following termination of Inmagene Biopharmaceuticals agreement
Small protein, psoriatic arthritis, hidradenitis suppurativa - Read more

THE BAD
Politics & Policy

US lawmakers urge Biden administration to restrict biotech exports to China's military, citing national security and weaponization concerns.
Geopolitics, national security, biotech exports - Read more

THE BAD
Strategic Plans

Repare Therapeutics discontinues cancer drug combination trial of lunresertib (PKMYT1 inhibitor) and camonsertib (ATR inhibitor) as part of ongoing cost-cutting measures
Small molecule, endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer - Read more

4D Molecular Therapeutics terminates early-stage rare disease programs
Gene therapy, choroideremia, X-linked retinitis pigmentosa - Read more

THE UGLY
No Ugly News Today!

You’re all caught up on the latest Pharma & Biotech News!

TLDR Biotech wants to hear from you! 📣

Have comments/questions/complaints about this newsletter?
Send me an email - I want your brutally honest feedback. 📝

Last thing - if you find the content useful and think a colleague would too, please share TLDR Biotech with them! ♻️

Disclaimer: Content, news, research, tools, and mention of stock or tradeable securities are for educational and illustrative purposes only and do not imply a recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell a particular security or to engage in any particular investment strategy. Read the full terms & conditions here