Cell and Gene Therapy

The cell and gene therapy company is cutting 47 employees and its entire lupus program to focus resources on two CAR Ts. The move follows a reconfiguration last year to move into immunology.

Paul Stoffels left his perch as J&J’s chief scientific officer in 2022 to replace Galapagos’ founding CEO Onno van de Stolpe, inheriting a company that had suffered a series of clinical failures since its 1999 creation.

Despite making an unsolicited bid for gene therapy maker bluebird bio, Ayrmid failed to deliver a binding offer after weeks of due diligence. Bluebird’s board recommended that it go with Carlyle and SK Capital Partner’s original offer to take the company private for $30 million.

Stifel analysts said that Lexeo’s data showing reduced size and thickness of the heart’s left ventricle are “supportive of a drug effect” for the company’s gene therapy in Friedreich’s ataxia cardiomyopathy.

One day after the European Medicines Agency requested that three clinical trials of Elevidys be placed on hold after the death of a U.S. teenager, a data monitoring committee concluded that they should continue unchanged.

Sangamo, which has been having cash problems, will receive $18 million upfront in licensing fees for its AAV capsid that in preclinical studies has shown the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier.

Already reeling from years of market chaos, the announced departure of CBER chief Peter Marks sent a ripple across biopharma markets.

Cell therapy and oncology–focused Carisma Therapeutics started layoffs late last year. Now the company plans to wind down fully.

The layoffs will take place throughout 2025 and will mostly affect Tenaya’s research and manufacturing operations. The company is continuing to test its hypertrophic cardiomyopathy gene therapy.

Ayrmid’s offer is 50% higher than bluebird’s previously announced deal with Carlyle and SK Capital Partners.