Startups
Led by alums from Takeda and Boston Pharmaceuticals, Hillstar Bio is working on treatments that remove harmful immune cells to relieve disease.
Deerfield Management claims that Alcon Research is seeking a discounted takeover of Aurion Biotech while blocking the startup’s efforts to go public.
The World Health Organization names antimicrobial resistance as one of the most urgent public health threats, but it remains an unattractive target for the pharmaceutical industry due to its weak profitability.
Versant Ventures continues to invest in the increasingly competitive obesity space, this time launching Helicore with $65 million and a GIP-targeting asset intended to induce higher-quality weight loss.
Ouro is planning to leverage T cell engagers to deplete B cells and “reset” the immune system to treat immune-mediated diseases.
The company’s lead asset is a potentially first-in-class oral GLP-1 receptor agonist that has the potential to be dosed weekly, which according to CEO Khurem Farooq can help improve accessibility and affordability.
A week after it released positive early-stage data, Metsera has partnered with Amneal Pharmaceuticals in an effort to secure the development and supply of its investigational weight loss therapy MET-097.
Under an in-license agreement worth up to $294 million, Roivant Sciences gains exclusive worldwide rights from Bayer to develop and commercialize mosliciguat, a potential first-in-class inhaled soluble guanylate cyclase activator.
Candid Therapeutics, which is repositioning two antibodies for autoimmune indications, will be led by Ken Song who was previously CEO of RayzeBio and oversaw its $4.1 billion acquisition by Bristol Myers Squibb.
Quotient Therapeutics’ platform targets somatic mutations, which the startup contends can help identify a broader scope of genes potentially associated with disease phenotypes. Wednesday’s agreement is part of an existing partnership between Pfizer and Flagship Pioneering.
PRESS RELEASES