Volume 16 Issue 3, September 2022

Praxis Precision Medicines, Inc. uses a genetics-driven approach to develop potential best-in-class drugs for patients with central nervous system (CNS) disorders that are characterized by faulty electrical activity in the brain.

Voyager Therapeutics is unlocking the potential of adeno-associated virus gene therapy to treat a range of neurological disorders, broadening the therapeutic window while ensuring efficacy and safety.

Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals is developing a diverse portfolio of novel, potentially first-in-class and best-in-class medicines targeting mechanisms with demonstrated profound efficacy (onset duration and/or prolonged treatment duration) in humans for the treatment of mental health disorders.

PsychoGenics uses a high-throughput platform comprising cameras and AI to analyze the behaviors of mice given a drug candidate before comparing them to a reference database. The platform enables the development of novel neuropsychiatric drugs and accelerates drug discovery.

Since 2021, the oncology sector has seen a string of billion-dollar deals.

Biopharmaceutical firm Sirnaomics is developing RNAi-based therapies to target proteins in diseases including liver cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, and non-small cell lung cancer.

IO Biotech is developing T-win, a therapeutic cancer-vaccine technology designed to recruit naturally occurring T cells to disrupt multiple immunosuppressive processes in the tumor microenvironment. The lead candidate is in advanced clinical development for melanoma with plans to expand to other solid tumor indications.

Priothera’s immunomodulator mocravimod is an adjunctive and maintenance therapy for acute myeloid leukemia and is poised to enter a pivotal trial. It is now also being developed to unleash the full power of CAR-T therapy.

GE Healthcare is developing radiopharmaceuticals that can match the most appropriate treatment to a patient, which will help physicians initiate a beneficial treatment regime and could reduce the time that a patient receives an ineffective therapy.

A next-generation diagnostic test developed by Haystack Oncology detects the presence of micrometastatic disease in patients who have received surgery for early-stage cancer. By identifying residual disease—which Haystack achieves through accurately measuring circulating tumor DNA—physicians can help their patients receive the appropriate type and duration of treatment and in doing so improve patient outcomes.

OncXerna Therapeutics is pioneering the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the development of drugs and biomarkers for cancer, targeting patients’ tumor microenvironment (TME) to develop a precision-medicine approach that might identify those who will benefit most from the treatments in its pipeline.

MaveriX Oncology has developed the IMPACT-2X platform for the design of first-in-class small-molecule therapeutics—which are conditionally activated by highly expressed hydroxylases in cancer and the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME)—to treat multiple solid tumors.

Synaffix’s glycan-based antibody–drug conjugate technology is experiencing strong demand, based on its potential to improve safety and efficacy of cancer therapies without genetic engineering.

Ichnos Sciences is building multispecific antibodies for hematologic malignancies and solid tumor indications using its ‘plug-and-play’ platform and has clinical-grade manufacturing capabilities ready to deploy.

Metastatic cancer remains one of oncology’s most stubborn problems. MetasTx is developing a first-in-class small-molecule therapy against a unique target that inhibits cancer’s ability to metastasize.

With a focus on detecting, intercepting, treating, and ultimately curing cancer, Janssen Oncology is advancing science and solutions in hematologic malignancies and solid tumors through an innovative strategic partnering approach.

A novel platform that incorporates the human extracellular matrix is helping to accelerate drug development for diseases including fibrosis and solid tumors.

Precision diagnostics and monitoring company Oncocyte is developing the most comprehensive and rapid tumor-microenvironment gene-expression test to assess immunotherapeutic responsiveness. Combined with the company’s other tests, it provides a complete solution for cancer immunotherapy management and monitoring.

Nabla Bio combines innovative artificial intelligence with proprietary wet-lab biology to design, refine and optimize next-generation therapeutic antibodies.

HOOKIPA Pharma is developing a new class of arenavirus-based immunotherapies that activate and amplify targeted T cells to fight cancer. The company is seeking development and commercialization partners for several of its preclinical and clinical programs.

Recent major antibody deals involve immune checkpoint inhibitors, antibody–drug conjugates and natural killer cell engagers for cancer.

Marengo Therapeutics’ breakthrough discovery in T cell receptor (TCR) activation blazes a new trail for safe treatment and long-term protection against cancer.

From antigen design to cell-line development for the successful production of biologics.

California-based Alamar Biosciences is beating antibodies at their own game, boosting affinity by targeting multiple epitopes on the same antigen using its Attobody platform.

This year’s highest-value licensing deals so far are all in the same therapeutic area—oncology.

Nagase Viita is exploring the potential of the saccharide, trehalose, to advance progress in the development of new medical and therapeutic applications, with a particular focus on its ability to stabilize exosomes and improve drug delivery.

Building on its history of successful collaborations, the global business unit at Sanofi responsible for vaccines is seeking partners with a common drive for excellence and pursuit of innovation.

Genomics company Genomenon is combining the power of artificial intelligence with the experience of expert curators to produce an accurate assessment of genetic variants that cause disease to expedite development of diagnostics and target identification.

Biophysics company Peptone is developing Oppenheimer, a protein-modeling platform that can transform undruggable intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) into developable drug candidates.