Category: Cambridge Massachusetts

Novartis, Bristol Myers join $72M funding for startup’s cancer radiotherapy R&D

Aktis Oncology, BioPharma, biopharma nl, Cambridge Massachusetts, cancer, Daily, Pharma, radiotherapy, Startups, SYN, Top Story / March 18, 2021 March 18, 2021

Aktis Oncology is developing cancer radiation treatments intended to more precise and potent compared to other radiotherapies. The startup is now out of stealth with $72 million in Series A financing.

Bluebird analysis finds gene therapy ‘very unlikely’ to be cause of patient’s cancer

bluebird bio, Cambridge Massachusetts, Clinical Trials, Daily, FDA, gene therapy, News, Nick Leschly, Rare diseases, SYN, Top Story / March 10, 2021 March 10, 2021

Bluebird bio said independent analyses found that the gene therapy inserted its payload at a site not known to cause cancer. Based on the results, the company has asked the FDA for permission to resume all of the clinical trials that were placed on hold in February during the inquiry.

Beam makes $120M bet that GuideTx’s tech brings gene editing beyond the liver

Beam Therapeutics, BioPharma, biopharma nl, Cambridge Massachusetts, Daily, gene editing, gene therapy, Guide Therapeutics, Pharma, SYN, Top Story / February 23, 2021 February 23, 2021

Base-editing biotech Beam Therapeutics engineered an all-stock buyout of Guide Therapeutics, a startup that finds, in vivo, the lipid nanoparticles that can deliver genetic medicines. Beam said GuideTx’s tech helps it address tissue types throughout the body, not just the liver.

Bluebird scrambles to find out if its gene therapy caused cancer in clinical trial

BioPharma, biopharma nl, bluebird bio, Cambridge, Cambridge Massachusetts, gene therapy, Nick Leschly, Pharma, sickle cell disease, SYN, Top Story / February 16, 2021 February 16, 2021

Cancer is a known risk of lentiviral-based gene therapies. Though bluebird says its gene therapy is engineered to avoid that risk, the company is suspending two clinical trials pending the outcome of its inquiry.

KalVista Pharma plans pivotal test after HAE drug posts positive Phase 2 data

BioPharma, biopharma nl, Cambridge Massachusetts, Daily, hereditary angioedema, KalVista Pharmaceuticals, Pharma, rare disease, SYN, Top Story / February 9, 2021 February 9, 2021

One year after losing Merck as a partner, KalVista reports mid-stage clinical data for a pill that could offer an alternative to injectable drugs for a rare, potentially life-threatening disease. KalVista plans to meet with the FDA about proceeding to a Phase 3 study.

Startup focused on B-cell therapies launched with $52M in Series A

Alta Partners, Atlas Venture, Be Biopharma, BioPharma, biopharma nl, Boston, Cambridge Massachusetts, Daily, Longwood Fund, News, RA Capital Management, Seattle Children's, Startups, SYN, Takeda Ventures, Top Story / October 25, 2020 October 25, 2020

Massachusetts-based Be Biopharma will use the proceeds to build a team as it seeks to develop B-cell therapies for a variety of diseases.

Glympse Bio raises more than $46M in Series B round for biosensor technology

ARCH Venture Partners, biopharma nl, Cambridge Massachusetts, Catalio Capital Management, CRV, Daily, Diagnostics, DNS Capital, Gilead Sciences, Glympse Bio, GreatPoint Ventures, LS Polaris Innovation Fund, NASH, New Leaf Venture Partners, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, Section 32, Startups, SYN, Temasek, Top Story, Waterman Ventures / July 15, 2020 July 15, 2020

The company is developing biosensors, initially for NASH, that could be used in place of liver biopsy and have applicability in development of drugs for the disease.