Hologic Inc. moved to expand its breast surgery line with the acquisition of Endomagnetics Ltd. (Endomag) for a proposed $310 million. Endomag offers a magnetic system that allows precise localization of tumors in the breast and lymph nodes without the use of radioactive materials or wires, enabling greater preservation of healthy tissue. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2024.
The process of manufacturing autologous T-cell therapies is technically challenging when compared with other oncology drugs, making the overall cost of developing CAR T therapies significantly higher. A challenging reimbursement environment for drugs listed on China’s National Reimbursement Drug List also means that most patients will have to pay out of pocket to access CAR T therapies. Taken together, complex logistics – production, manufacturing and supply chain – and complicated administration requirements are key bottlenecks that inflate the input costs involved in developing these specialized treatment options.
Chong Kun Dang Pharm (CKD Pharm) has presented data on their c-Met-targeting antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) CKD-703 for the treatment of solid tumors. CKD-703 was designed based on site-specific conjugation, with a stable and homogeneous drug-antibody ratio profile.
Researchers from Axcynsis Therapeutics Pte. Ltd. presented the development and preclinical characterization of AT-2604, a novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting the placental alkaline phosphatases, ALPP and ALPPL2.
Replay Holdings LLC and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report that the FDA has cleared the IND application for PRAME TCR/IL-15 NK (SY-307), an engineered T-cell receptor natural killer (TCR-NK) cell therapy for relapsed/refractory myeloid malignancies.
A group of scientists from the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) have overturned a scientific dogma by demonstrating, for the first time, that DNA mutations are not essential for the development of cancer. The researchers temporarily disrupted gene silencing led by Polycomb proteins in fruit flies, and observed that this could produce tumors caused only by epigenetic changes, without permanent changes to the genome.
In a $2.4 billion deal, Deciphera Pharmaceuticals Inc. is merging with Ono Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. Ono is acquiring all of Deciphera’s outstanding stock shares for $25.60 each in cash. The merger helps Osaka, Japan-based Ono strengthen its oncology portfolio and its presence in the U.S.