BioNTech

BioNTech and its partner Duality Biologics said they initiated a late-stage trial testing their precision drug against a certain type of breast cancer, taking on a rival partnership between AstraZeneca, and Daiichi Sankyo.

The biotech announced a restructuring plan as its humanized IgG1 antibody lirentelimab failed two Phase II studies in atopic dermatitis and chronic spontaneous urticaria.

eye

Patients treated with AR-15512 showed higher rates of at least a 10-mm improvement in unanesthetized Schirmer’s score, a metric of tear production.

gene therapy, DNA

2023 was a breakthrough year for cell and gene therapies, with seven FDA approvals in the U.S. and one in the European Union, according to the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine. Looking to 2024, the Washington, D.C.–based advocacy organization predicted that the sector could see up to 17 approvals in the U.S. and EU.

Bayer

The company said the drug eased hot flashes and improved sleep in two late-stage trials, much-needed good news for the German group’s pharmaceuticals unit that is reeling from a recent development setback.

Novo Nordisk

The Danish drugmaker said the partnerships with Omega Therapeutics and Cellarity Inc. could lead to new treatments for people living with obesity and a type of liver disease known as MASH.

Boehringer Ingelheim

In a collaboration agreement announced today, Boehringer Ingelheim will gain access to Ribo’s platform to target hepatocytes with investigational siRNA therapies for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

office

To come up with this list, BioSpace identified companies that launched between September 2022 and September 2023 with Series A funding. They were then assessed using several different criteria including finance, partnerships, pipeline, growth potential and innovation.

Shares of drug developer Dyne Therapeutics doubled in premarket trading on Wednesday after its experimental therapy for a muscle-wasting disorder showed promise in a small, early-stage trial.

space, orion

Biomedical research, the bedrock of medical advancements on Earth, has always been a maze of challenges. From the complexities of human biology to the unpredictability of diseases, researchers are in a constant battle with variables that can alter the course of a study. But what if there was a way to sidestep some of these Earth-bound limitations? This is where space, the next frontier in clinical research, comes into play.