Regeneron and Alnylam Agreement Will Benefit Both So Why the Sell-Off? Regeneron Pharmacueticals Founded, and led for 30 years, by physician-scientists Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) demonstrates an exceptional ability to translate science into medicine. Working diligently Regeneron succeeded in putting seven treatments in the hands of specialists in clinics around the world. Additionally, the firm managed to build a rich pipeline of numerous investigational products; all of …

Sangamo’s Stock Price Soars Sangamo Therapeutics’ (SGMO) stock soared more than 52% in pre-market trading following the announcement with Pfizer (PFE), of interim data from Phase 1/2 Alta study evaluating the firm’s gene therapy product SB-525 for severe hemophilia A.  The Product, SB-525 SB-525 comprises a recombinant adeno-associated virus serotype 6 vector (AAV6) encoding the complementary deoxyribonucleic acid for B domain deleted human FVIII. The …

While waiting for Mueller’s report we stopped speculating on the stocks in what we saw as an unreadable market. Following the delivery of the Mueller report we hesitated to prophesy as we waited to see how the market would perform and the reasons for its performance. We usually try to speculate about the performance of biotech firms’ stocks based on their scientific capabilities, including their …

News We Loved to Hear  The First and Only Approval of a Specific Product for Postpartum Depression ZULRESSOTM The FDA granted approval of Sage Therapeutics’ (SAGE) ZULRESSOTM (brexanolone) injection. A product for the treatment of the condition known as postpartum depression (PPD). This makes Zulresso the first and only medicine specifically approved by the FDA to treat PPD; the most common medical complication of childbirth. The product …

Atossa Genetics (ATOS) announced that the FDA has issued a “Safe to Proceed” letter under their “expanded access” program permitting the use of Atossa’s oral Endoxifen as a post-mastectomy treatment in a pre-menopausal, estrogen-receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer patient. The patient completed a 3-week course of Atossa’s oral Endoxifen prior to her surgery under an FDA-approved expanded access program. Atossa’s stock rallied from under $2 to …

We congratulate our subscribers who kept Spark Therapeutics (ONCE) in spite of the stock’s kind of paralysis for no serious reasons. Spark, a fully integrated, commercial gene therapy company, announced today that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement with Roche (RHHBY). The firm is to fully acquire Spark Therapeutics at a price of $114.50 per share, in an all-cash transaction. This move represents  a total equity value …

Keytruda and Cabometyx Are Both Winners Keytruda failed to meet co-primary endpoints in Pivotal Phase 3 trial The pivotal Phase 3 KEYNOTE-240 trial evaluating Keytruda, Merck’s (MRK) checkpoint inhibitor anti-PD-1 therapy plus best supportive care, for the treatment of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who were previously treated with systemic therapy, did not meet its co-primary endpoints of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival …

RegenxBio (RGNX), a clinical-stage gene therapy firm with a proprietary NAV® Technology Platform, will host an analyst and investor event focused on its ophthalmology program; including its lead product candidate RGX-314, on Thursday, February 21, 2019, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EST in New York City. A live webcast will be available on the company’s website. The agenda will include discussion on RegenxBio’s NAV® Technology Platform; a review of the market landscape and unmet …

The United States FDA granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation to AMT-061. The European Medicines Agency gave it access to the Priority Medicine (PRIME) regulatory initiative. Gene therapy firm, uniQure (QURE), announced updated clinical data in patients treated in the ongoing Phase 2b study of AMT-061; an investigational AAV5-based gene therapy containing a patent-protected  FIX9-Padua (Factor 9) for the treatment of patients with severe and moderately severe hemophilia B. The announced data, which …

FDA Granted Rare Pediatric Disease Designation for RegenxBio’s Product RGX-181 for CLN2 RegenxBio RegenxBio (RGNX), a development-stage firm that focuses on designing and developing gene therapy based on its proprietary NAV® Technology Platform, announced that the U.S. FDA granted Rare Pediatric Disease Designation to its RGX-181 therapy. RegenxBio is a leading clinical-stage biotechnology company that promises to cure genetic-derived diseases with its gene therapy. RegenxBio’s NAV Technology Platform is …

Can a liquid biopsy test be accurate enough for physicians to rely on in differentiating between malignant and benign lung nodules in early stage lung cancer and probably other cancers?  A Yes answer has come out from OncoCyte Corporation (OCX) which announced positive results from its key R&D Validation study demonstrating the accuracy of the Company’s DetermaVu™ liquid biopsy test for lung cancer.  The R&D Validation study …

Data published in Cancer Immunology Research indicate monotherapy and combination opportunities for COM701, a first-in-class cancer immunotherapy antibody targeting PVRIG CompuGen (CGEN) announced the online publication of preclinical data demonstrating the role of PVRIG as a novel immune checkpoint and the potential of its first-in-class inhibitory antibody product COM701 targeting PVRIG, to serve as an effective cancer immunotherapy. The findings were published in two peer-reviewed papers in …

More good news came  from Exelixis (EXEL). It was expected by many but not by those who ignore the good news in favor of any negative news or lack of news. The announced news is that the FDA approved Exelixis’ Cabometyx® (cabozantinib) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients who have been previously treated with sorafenib. More good news is Exelixis’ announcement that the firm is prepared to fully support the …

Exelixis collaborator, Daiichi Sankyo, Receives Regulatory Approval for MINNEBRO™ (Esaxerenone) Tablets for Hypertension in Japan Exelixis (EXEL) and Daiichi Sankyo announced that the the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) has approved Minnebro™ (esaxerenone) tablets of ,1.25 mg, 2.5 mg, and 5 mg, for hypertension. Minnebro was identified during a prior research collaboration between Exelixis and Daiichi Sankyo, which was entered into in March 2006. The product has been subsequently developed …

Earlier this month the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Fast Track Designation for CTX001 for sickle cell disease (SCD). CTX001 is in clinical trials conducted by CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP) and Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX). It is an investigational, autologous, gene-edited hematopoietic stem cell therapy for patients suffering from severe hemoglobinopathies. The FDA’s Fast Track program is designed to facilitate the development and expedite the review of drugs to …

Rhythm Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (RYTM) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of therapeutics for rare genetic disorders of obesity. It is currently evaluating the efficacy and safety of setmelanotide, the company’s first-in-class MC4R agonist in Phase 3 studies, in patients who suffer from POMC deficiency obesity, LEPR deficiency obesity, BBS and Alström Syndrome. It is obvious that this firm has taken advantage of …

Gilead Sciences (GILD) and Scholar Rock Holding Corporation (SRRK) announced entering into a strategic collaboration to discover and develop highly specific inhibitors of transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) activation for the treatment of fibrotic diseases. Under the terms of the agreement Gilead has exclusive options to license worldwide rights to product candidates that emerge from the following three Scholar Rock TGFβ programs:  – Inhibitors that target activation of latent …

Agenus (AGEN) announced recently that it entered into an immuno-oncology (I-O) partnership with Gilead Sciences (GILD). The partnership is focused on developing and commercializing up to five novel I-O therapies. The terms of the agreement Agenus is entitled to receive a $120 million upfront cash payment and a $30 million equity investment.   The agreement also includes approximately $1.7 billion in potential future fees and milestones. …

In the NEWS AstraZeneca (AZN) announced a collaboration with Cancer Research UK to launch a center of excellence in genetic screening, cancer modelling and big data processing aimed at accelerating the discovery of new cancer medicines. During the announcement of the news, Mene Pangalos, the firm’s Executive Vice President, Innovative Medicines & Early Development, said, the best science doesn’t happen in isolation, which is why AstraZeneca …

The Chinese National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has approved Gilead’s (GILD) HIV combination product Descovy®.  In China, Descovy is to be indicated in combination with other antiretroviral agents for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in adults and adolescents (aged 12 years and older with a body weight of at least 35 kg). TAF, which is part of the combination treatment, is a novel, targeted prodrug of …