Immunology

Experts see allogeneic CAR-Ts as less likely to carry potential risks of T-cell malignancies, and an opportunity for differentiation against the crowded autologous CD19-directed CAR-T space.

Less than two years after its $101m series A round, Seismic’s machine-learning powered IMPACT platform for biologics drug discovery yielded two clinical trial-ready assets worthy of a $121m series B.

CAR-T therapy-associated T-cell malignancies that the US FDA is investigating could make the treatments less attractive in autoimmune diseases than in oncology, but patients in both settings already accept some cancer risk with other available medicines.

Hopes are that the impact of the US FDA’s investigation into a small number of T-cell malignancies associated with CAR-T therapies will be small since the benefit/risk profile still looks sound.

The company wants to focus efforts with the TYK2/JAK1 inhibitor in orphan rheumatology indications like dermatomyositis where current treatment options are inadequate.

Novartis pioneered CAR-Ts for leukemia and lymphoma, and inspired by pioneering physician Georg Schett, it also hopes to be first in the race to revolutionize autoimmune disease treatment with the therapies, and has unveiled the first clinical data for its candidate.

Using a 'de-risked business model' of targeting established drug categories with next-generation antibodies, Apogee is looking to take on Lilly’s lebrikizumab and Sanofi’s Dupixent.

The company announced a reverse merger with Homology Medicines that will take the company public while also regaining full rights from Amgen to bempikibart for atopic dermatitis and alopecia areata.

After streamlining its R&D strategy in the summer, Bayer’s rewritten pact with Recursion Pharmaceuticals looks like a vote of confidence in its AI-enabled drug discovery platform.

The Japanese pharma company has bet big on its TYK2 inhibitor, but it must demonstrate competitive safety and efficacy if it is to challenge Bristol Myers Squibb’s first-to-market Sotyktu.

Sonelokimab follows a mid-stage slam-dunk in hidradenitis suppurativa with a rather more equivocal result in a different immune condition in the ARGO study.