The Weekly Roundup newsletter curates the top five - deals, pipeline, funding, and news from the past week.

The complete list is available here: Industry Updates

🤝Deals and Collaborations

1️⃣ InSilicoTrials and AchilleS vaccines partnered to create novel vaccines and antibodies. They will use InSilicoTrials’ immunogenicity tool to predict immune responses to new proteins without animal testing, accelerating development and improving safety.

2️⃣ LeMaitre will distribute Aziyo Biologics’ cardiovascular patches for 3 years. LeMaitre has an option to acquire Aziyo’s worldwide CV patch business in years 2-3.

3️⃣ BMS signed a $1B+ deal with Tubulius to develop cancer-targeting antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). BMS gets exclusive rights to Tubulius’ P5 conjugation and Tubutecan ADC platforms.

4️⃣ GSK acquired BELLUS Health, gaining its late-stage respiratory drug Camlipixant. Camlipixant is a selective P2X3 antagonist, potentially a best-in-class treatment for refractory chronic cough. The deal strengthens GSK’s specialty medicines and respiratory pipeline.

5️⃣ Kane Biotech signed a U.S. distribution deal for its coactiv antimicrobial wound gel. ProgenaCare will commercialize Kane’s coactiv+ wound gel in the U.S. wound care market.

⏫ Pipeline and Approvals

1️⃣ Oncology: China NMPA approves InnoCare’s BTK inhibitor, orelabrutinib for the treatment of r/r marginal zone lymphoma.

2️⃣ Oncology: FDA approves earlier use of Roche’s Polivy in common form of lymphoma.

3️⃣ Hematology: FDA approves Gamida Cell's allogeneic stem cell transplant therapy.

4️⃣ Neurology: AbbVie wins FDA approval for new migraine indication.

5️⃣ Anti-infective: Innoviva's Sulbactam-Durlobactam was unanimously recommended for approval by FDA advisory committee.

💰 Funding

1️⃣ Pharmaessentia closed a $463M GDR offering to fund growth and pipeline development. The funds will support expanding BESREMi sales in the U.S., Japan, South Korea, Europe, and new markets. Pharmaessentia will also develop BESREMi for new cancer indications, advance long-acting cytokines, immunotherapies, and cell therapies.

2️⃣ Abdera Therapeutics launched with $142M in funding to develop best-in-class radiopharmaceuticals for cancer. Abdera uses its ROVEr platform to engineer tunable radiopharmaceuticals for cancer precision treatments. Funding will advance Abdera’s fleet of radiopharmaceutical candidates, with plans to start human trials next year.

3️⃣ Hasten Biopharma, a China-based startup, raised $315M. The funds will support acquisitions and develop Hasten’s innovative drug pipeline.

4️⃣ Sinopia Biosciences selected its lead drug candidate for Parkinson's and secured funding to start clinical trials. The funds will advance the development of SB-0110, Sinopia's candidate for Parkinson's disease and levodopa-induced dyskinesia.

5️⃣ Sapphiros received $11M from NIH RADx Tech to develop an OTC molecular test. The funding will advance Sapphiros’ high-performance OTC molecular multiplex respiratory diagnostic test. It can detect RSV, flu A, flu B, and COVID-19 in a single test.

📰 Interesting News

1️⃣ A wearable patch uses sound waves to painlessly deliver drugs through the skin. Ultrasonic waves propel drug molecules into the skin, allowing the patch to treat skin conditions.

2️⃣ Stress accelerates aging, but rest can reverse it, a study found. Research showed that stress increases biological age, while relieving stress reduces or eliminates age acceleration. Chronic stress accelerated aging at a cellular level, but age-related health declines were partially or fully reversible upon stress relief.

3️⃣ Indian pharma exports to the EU grew 14% from April 2022 to February 2023. Exports reached $4.53B in that period, up from $3.98B in the same months of FY 2022. The EU is now the second largest market for Indian pharma exports after the U.S. Pharma exports to Europe recorded the highest annual growth in the past year.

4️⃣ A hydrogen inhaler eases lung issues by delivering hydrogen gas, which reduces inflammation and protects cells. Hydrogen inhalation therapy improves respiratory health.

5️⃣ Researchers built a capsule delivering insulin and proteins without injections. An “oral wonder drug” could replace shots for diabetics. The capsule provides needle-free insulin and could revolutionize diabetes care. Oral protein drugs offer an easy, pain-free option.