Author Archive for: TG

Infinitopes, a U.K. cancer vaccine biotech spun out of Cancer Research U.K. and the University of Oxford, has expanded its seed round to $35.1 million after a second close that added about $15.4 million to existing commitments. The financing was co-led by Octopus Ventures and new investor Amplify Bio. The company says the funds will support its upcoming first-in-human phase 1/2a VISTA trial of its lead therapeutic vaccine, ITOP1, aimed at reducing post-surgical recurrence in oesophageal cancer.

With the departure of the current CEO of diagnostics company Qiagen NV (Venlo, Netherlands/Hilden, Germany) and before a new chief executive has been identified and presented, there appears to be activity at senior management level, according to Bloomberg, around whether a sale of the company or the admission of a major strategic partner could be an alternative. These rumours have sent the share price sharply higher.

GSK has agreed to acquire California-based RAPT Therapeutics in a deal valued at $2.2 billion (€ 1.88 billion), expanding its respiratory, immunology and inflammation portfolio with a late-stage food allergy candidate. The transaction gives GSK global rights to ozureprubart, a long-acting anti-IgE monoclonal antibody now in phase IIb clinical development.

AgomAb Therapeutics has filed for an initial public offering (IPO) in the U.S., looking to tap public markets to fund the next stage of development for its pipeline in fibrotic and inflammatory diseases. The Antwerp-based biotech said in its filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that it plans to list its shares on Nasdaq under the ticker AGMB.

French gene therapy research institute Genethon announced it has signed an exclusive global license with AskBio that allows the company to use Genethon-patented technology incorporated in AB-1009, an experimental gene therapy for Pompe disease.