Pharmaceutical Technology Editors

Evotec announced on April 26, 2021 that Bristol Myers Squibb has exercised its option to extend their 2018 strategic drug discovery and development partnership in the field of targeted protein degradation.

The collaboration employs Evotec’s PanOmics platform, which combines throughput proteomics, high throughput transcriptomics, and cell imaging with PanHunter, a data analysis platform, Evotec said in a company press release. Since launching the partnership, the companies have established a pipeline of novel first-in-class targeted protein degradation projects, two of which have transitioned into lead optimization.

“Targeted protein degradation is an emerging new therapeutic modality with enormous potential to reach not only proven drug targets through a novel mechanism of action, but also traditionally undruggable targets and thus discover and develop first-in-class, disease-modifying therapeutics,” said Cord Dohrmann, chief scientific officer of Evotec, in the press release. “The success of our collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb to date has led to Bristol Myers Squibb’s decision to expand and extend this collaboration. We are honored and extremely proud to collaborate with the industry-leading company in the field of protein homeostasis and are very much looking forward to continue our efforts at an accelerated pace.”

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Since launching the partnership, Evotec and Bristol Myers Squibb have established a pipeline of novel first-in-class targeted protein degradation projects, two of which have transitioned into lead optimization. 

Evotec and Bristol Myers Squibb to Extend Their Targeted Protein Degradation Partnership

The Drug, Chemical & Associated Technologies Association (DCAT) announced on April 22, 2021 that its annual bio/pharmaceutical development and manufacturing business event, DCAT Week, will take place virtually from July 12–16, 2021, with the in-person even postponed to March 20–24, 2022 in New York City.

According to a company announcement, the virtual event will feature one program per day and will conclude with a scientific keynote address by 2020 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, Jennifer Doudna, PhD.

DCAT’s annual bio/pharmaceutical development and manufacturing business event, DCAT Week, will take place virtually from July 12–16, 2021, with the in-person even postponed to March 20–24, 2022 in New York City. 

DCAT Week to be Held Virtually; In-Person Event Postponed 

Johnson & Johnson announced on April 23, 2021 that vaccinations with its single-shot COVID-19 vaccine will resume for all adults aged 18 years and older in the US following a decision from United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and FDA.

The decision comes from the US CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices following the evaluation of data showing a rare adverse event involving blood clots in combination with low platelet counts (thrombosis with thrombocytopenia) within approximately one to two weeks following vaccination, Johnson & Johnson said in a company press release. The company has updated the vaccine’s emergency use authorization fact sheets for vaccination providers, recipients, and caregivers to include information about the diagnosis and treatment of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia.

“As the global pandemic continues to devastate communities around the world, we believe a single-shot, easily transportable COVID-19 vaccine with demonstrated protection against multiple variants can help protect the health and safety of people everywhere,” said Paul Stoffels, chief scientific officer of Johnson & Johnson. “We will collaborate with health authorities around the world to educate healthcare professionals and the public to ensure this very rare event can be identified early and treated effectively.”

The decision comes from the US CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices following the evaluation of data showing a rare adverse event involving blood clots in combination with low platelet counts within approximately one to two weeks following vaccination.

J&J COVID-19 Vaccinations to Resume in the US

The Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has concluded that there is a possible link to rare cases of blood clots with low blood platelets with Janssen’s COVID-19 vaccine, it was revealed in an April 20, 2021 press release.

As a result of its findings, PRAC has recommended that a warning be placed in the product information of Janssen’s COVID-19 vaccine about the potential side effect and specified that the events are listed as very rare. All currently available evidence were taken into consideration by PRAC before it made any conclusions. Evidence considered included eight reports from the US of serious cases of unusual blood clots associated with low levels of blood platelets.

PRAC confirmed that the blood clots that have occurred, have mostly been at unusual sites, such as the brain and the abdomen, along with low levels of blood platelets and sometimes bleeding. Similar cases have been seen with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, Vaxzevria.

EMA has established that the benefits of Janssen’s COVID-19 vaccine continue to outweigh the risks, and as is the case with all vaccines, it will continue to monitor the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine and will provide the public with all the latest information.

EMA's PRAC has concluded that there is a possible link to rare cases of blood clots with low blood platelets with Janssen’s COVID-19 vaccine.

EMA’s PRAC Recommends Warning on Very Rare Side Effects of Janssen’s COVID-19 Vaccine

Phico Therapeutics, a biotechnology company based in Cambridge, UK, has been awarded up to $18.2 million in grant funding from the Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacterial Biopharmaceutical Accelerator (CARB-X) partnership to advance its lead antibacterial therapy.

SASPject PT3.9 is Phico’s lead product that has been developed for the intravenous treatment of hospital infections due to the bacterium 

. The funding from CARB-X will be used to progress the product through clinical trials, with $5.3 million of the funding available immediately and the rest ($12.9 million) being made available once key project milestones are met.

“To receive funding from CARB-X is important validation for our SASPject technology platform and its potential in fighting bacterial resistance,” said Heather Fairhead, Phico founder and CEO, in an April 19, 2021 press release. “It has been awarded at the end of a thorough due diligence process which reinforces the credibility of the company and our team—I am delighted to now look forward to progressing our lead product to clinical trials and developing a product pipeline that will advance the science of antibacterial therapy and in time, save millions of lives around the world.”

“Phico’s innovative approach delivers the antibiotic effect of SASPs by using engineered bacteriophages to precisely target 

 infections in the lungs,” added Erin Duffy, R&D chief of CARB-X, in the press release. “This approach has the potential to target bacteria without damaging other cells, and without contributing to the rise of resistance. If successful, this new intravenous drug could transform the way patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia are treated in hospitals, and save lives.”

Phico Therapeutics has been awarded up to $18.2 million in grant funding from the CARB-X partnership to advance its lead antibacterial therapy.

UK Biotech Receives Millions to Advance Antibacterial Therapy to Clinical Trials

Adaptate Biotherapeutics, developer of antibody-based therapeutics for modulation of gamma delta T-cells, has raised a further $18 million in equity investment during a Series A2 funding round. The fundraising was announced in an April 19, 2021 press release.

With the latest investment, the company has raised a total of $34 million since its inception in 2019. The new funds will be used to accelerate the progression of the company’s lead therapeutic antibody program to the clinic and to expand the internal product pipeline. Additionally, the funds will be used to expand the company, including further recruitment and increased laboratory and office space.

“The funding is a great vote of confidence from our existing investors and testimony to the hard work and rapid progress we have made in the novel field of gamma delta T cell targeting antibodies,” said Natalie Mount, CEO of Adaptate Biotherapeutics, in the press release. “We are excited to continue this growth path and to progress our unique therapeutic antibodies towards clinical trials where we look forward to them making an impact on the treatments available to cancer patients.”

Tim Haines, chairman and managing partner, Abingworth—an existing investor—added, in the press release, “We have been impressed with the potential of Adaptate’s therapeutic antibody technology and the significant progress to date. We are delighted to invest further, to enable the team to accelerate its very promising portfolio towards the clinic.”

“Takeda’s ongoing investment in Adaptate aligns closely with our pursuit of potentially life-changing treatments for cancer patients through novel immuno-oncology approaches,” commented Loic Vincent, head, Oncology Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda, in the press release. “We look forward to continuing to work together on the potential of gamma delta T cell targeted therapies to achieve this goal.”

Adaptate Biotherapeutics has raised a further $18 million in equity investment during a Series A2 funding round.