The Friday Five newsletter will focus on the top five - deals, pipeline, funding, and news of the week. The complete list is available here: Industry Updates

🤝Deals

1️⃣ Xbiome acquires Diabetic Foot Ulcer therapy in a $139mn deal, it will develop AUP-16 which is a genetically engineered Lactococcus lactis, a non-pathogenic, probiotic bacteria in Greater China for Diabetic Foot Ulcer (DFU) and other chronic wounds.

2️⃣ Oxford Biomedica enters the U.S. through a $180mn Homology JV. The UK-based gene therapy CDMO will take an 80% stake in the entity, while Homology will own 20% of the company.

3️⃣ Alvotech, BiosanaPharma partner to develop biosimilar for Xolair. The companies will develop the proposed biosimilar using BiosanaPharma’s 3C process technology, which yields highly productive and low-cost manufacturing.

4️⃣ Amgen enters hot protein degradation field with a $500mn deal with Plexium. It is a multi-year research collaboration and licensing agreement for new protein degradation therapies initially focused on two programs in cancer and other serious diseases

5️⃣ Dr Reddy's Lab inks pact to acquire Nimbus Health. The acquisition will allow Dr Reddy's to build on Nimbus Health's strengths and introduce medical cannabis-based medicines as a promising treatment option for patients

⏫ Pipeline

1️⃣ US FDA approves Genentech’s Vabysmo, the first Bispecific Antibody for the eye, to treat two leading causes of vision loss

2️⃣ EC approves Lorviqua (lorlatinib) as first-line lung cancer treatment

3️⃣ EMA’s CHMP recommends approval for Bristol Myers’s Breyanzi to treat lymphoma

4️⃣ FDA approves Cabenuva, an antiretroviral medication for the treatment of HIV, for use every two months

5️⃣ Biophytis received approval from ANVISA (Brazil) to give access to Sarconeos (BIO101) to hospitalized COVID-19 patients through an expanded access program

💰 Funding

1️⃣ Ribbon Biolabs raises €18mn Series A financing enabling commercial-scale production facilities and US expansion for DNA synthesis technology

2️⃣ Ori Biotech raises $100mn in Series B funding: It plans to use the funds to rapidly transition through pre-commercialization to the launch of its innovative CGT manufacturing platform

3️⃣ RPM startup Athelas raises $132mn funding: It plans to use the funds for growth, including for improving condition-specific patient care journeys

4️⃣ Zharko Pharma completes a seed funding round: It is working on developing a novel non-hormonal treatment for hot flashes

5️⃣ Dewpoint scores $150mn to advance biology and AI-driven platform: This latest financing will further accelerate the goal of developing breakthrough medicines to address a vast array of diseases resulting from dysregulation of biomolecular condensates

📰 News

1️⃣ Filling the gaps in India’s pharma manufacturing supply chain: The lessons of the past – of spiraling API costs, over-dependence on a shrinking list of API makers – have been well learned

2️⃣ Scientists unveil a promising new approach to diabetes prevention: The scientists tested an experimental compound called IXA4, in obese mice, this compound activates a natural signaling pathway that protects the animals from harmful, obesity-driven metabolic changes that would normally lead to diabetes

3️⃣ Up-front licensing costs hit a five-year high: A closer look at the data, from Evaluate Pharma, shows that the median up-front fee hit a five-year high in the second half of 2021.

4️⃣ An insulin patch that sticks inside a person’s cheek: To deliver insulin in a less invasive way, researchers report a prototype insulin-loaded patch that comfortably sticks to the inside of a person's cheek

5️⃣ Scientists find new probiotic promoting longevity: Researchers have discovered the next generation probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus plantarum JBC5, from a dairy product that looks promising in promoting healthy aging