BioNTech will receive the licenses from Duality Biologics for two investigational antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) assets, which aim to treat various cancers. BioNTech became a household name through its second collaboration with Pfizer after the success of BNT162b2 (Comirnaty), which was the first messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccine to receive emergency use approval in December 2020. However, the Germany-based firm his looked beyond mRNA as its dominant modality and has invested in cell therapies, and various antibodies, but BioNTech has not tapped…

The collaboration will see Novartis help to discover, develop, and commercialize Bicycle’s Radio-Conjugates (BCRs). Bicycle Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapies based on its bicyclic peptide technology, has signed a deal with Novartis to advance and produce BRCs for numerous oncology targets. Under the terms of the agreement, Bicycle will use its bicyclic peptide technology to discover “Bicycles” to be developed into BRCs. Novartis will be responsible for further advancement, production, and commercialization. “It’s a similar construct…

Moderna has entered into a licensing deal with Generation Bio to develop immune cell and liver treatments. The partnership will expand the applications of both company’s platforms through the finding and development of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) using Generation’s cell targeted LNP (ctLNP) delivery system. In turn, it aims to develop nucleic acid therapeutics, including ones that are able to reach immune cells and thus advance their non-viral genetic medicines pipeline. “Generation Bio has designed a stealth LNP designed to be…

Cellipont Bioservices will use the strategic debt facility investment from healthcare investment firm OrbiMed to finish its Texas plant. Cellipont Bioservices, previously known as Performance Cell Manufacturing, after being acquired by private equity firm Great Point Partners in January 2022 said the investment from OrbiMed will fully finance its cell therapy facility in The Woodlands, near Hosuton, Texas. The financial details of the investment have not been disclosed. However, the San Diego-based contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) announced its…

Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) has agreed to manufacture Leucid Bio’s lead asset, LEU011 at the Zayed Center for Research in London, UK. Leucid, a UK clinical stage biotech firm, which is focused on developing chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapies using its lateral CAR platform to treat refractory cancers, has collaborated with GOSH to manufacture LEU011, a lateral CAR targeting NKG2D ligands, for use in human clinical studies. “We decided to partner with GOSH to manufacture our CAR T-cell…

After weeks of speculation, Pfizer has agreed to acquire antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) developer Seagen for $43 billion.  The potential acquisition of Seagen (previously Seattle Genetics) has been circulating news outlets since June last year when the Wall Street Journal reported Merck & Co. was eyeing the Bothell, Washington based firm to increase its oncology offering.   Most recently, the same outlet reported Pfizer was considering purchasing the ADC manufacturer, to which Mike Vandiver, executive director at Seagen, told BPI West delegates the rumored deal “is just noise,…

CDMO GTP Bioways and CRO Texcell have partnered to provide a “one stop shop” for biopharma customers outsourcing their molecules. The two French players have partnered , combining clinical research organization (CRO) TexCells’ biopharmaceutical process development and manufacturing  together with contract development manufacturing organization (CDMO) GTP’s knowledge of viral testing, viral clearance, and bioassays. “Their complementary services of testing and development and manufacturing provides a ‘one-stop-shop’ for biopharmaceutical clients that are outsourcing the development of their molecules,” a spokesperson for…

The US Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) has approved Sino Biopharm’s $161 million acquisition of UK-based bispecific antibody developer F-Star. Sino Biopharm was approved to close the all-cash acquisition last week after the purchase was held up for nine months by CFIUS. The US government agency had been concerned about China’s acquisition of advanced US technologies. The deal has become a major focus in the global competition between China and the US. Cambridge, UK-headquartered F-Star –…

Novartis has extended an AAV capsid licensing agreement with Voyager Therapeutics, a week after AbbVie doubled down on its partnership with Capsida Biotherapeutics.  Novartis has exercised its option to expand an agreement with Voyager Therapeutics, granting it additional access to Voyager’s TRACER platform which engineers’ in vivo adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsids with enhanced properties. The original agreement, announced last year, saw Novartis license AAV capsids for up to three central nervous system (CNS) targets. With an additional payment of $25…

The partnership aims to develop technologies to tackle manufacturing bottlenecks in the delivery of engineered cell products. The multi-year partnership between Danaher Corporation and the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) looks to improve the consistency of clinical outcomes for patients by addressing manufacturing challenges associated with cellular immunotherapies. Both parties said the collaboration is driven by the scale of clinical development identified in the CAR-T cell therapy space. There are six US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved CAR-T cell therapies:…