Cancer
Following the mid-stage readout, Verastem Oncology has decided to move away from its investigational pancreatic cancer drug combo, instead putting resources behind its KRAS inhibitor pill for solid tumors.
Biopharmas that announced Series B financing this year and are looking for employees as they grow include two companies that received $100 million or more. One has partnerships with three Big Pharmas.
Elicio Therapeutics’ investigational cancer immunotherapy failed to meet the primary endpoint of disease-free survival in a Phase 2 trial—a result the company attributed mostly to a disproportionate number of patients with higher residual disease.
Eli Lilly’s new JAK2 inhibitor—which it obtained from the recent acquisition of Ajax Therapeutics—reduced spleen volume by more than a third in 70% of patients with myelofibrosis.
While Merck and Gilead Sciences reported back-to-back late-stage victories for their weekly HIV pill, the partners also discontinued a Phase 3 program for their cancer combo after disappointing lung cancer survival data.
Nuvalent Bio is GSK’s third big-ticket purchase this year, after the pharma dropped $2.2 billion in January for RAPT Therapeutics and $950 million in February for 35Pharma.
The acquisition gives Johnson & Johnson access to Firefly Bio’s next-gen platform designed to create degrader antibody conjugates that can crack the tricky KRAS cancer target.
After Revolution Medicine’s groundbreaking data drop in April, its Tango-partnered combination approach has demonstrated what analysts called “unprecedented” results for 12 patients with pancreatic cancer, teeing up a late-stage study.
Roche and Nurix Therapeutics will advance their BTK degrader for chronic lymphocytic leukemia, as well as immunology and neurology indications.
In addition to a high rate of deaths, ADC Therapeutics’ Zynlonta plus rituximab showed no overall survival benefit in patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma, casting doubt on its value as a second-line treatment in this indication.
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