Get the Daily Brief
Latest Biotech News
Solve Therapeutics raises $120M — ADC push lands Merck support
Solve Therapeutics closed a $120 million financing to advance its antibody‑drug conjugate (ADC) portfolio for solid tumors, citing backing from strategic pharma investors including Merck. The...
Artios closes $115M Series D — DNA damage repair programs advance
DNA damage response specialist Artios Ltd. raised $115 million in an oversubscribed Series D round to advance its first‑in‑class DDR programs after delivering encouraging Phase 1/IIa data for its...
Sofinnova closes €650M fund... extends early‑stage life‑science capital
Sofinnova Partners closed its Capital XI fund at €650 million (about $750 million), surpassing target and committing more capital to early‑stage biotech and medtech companies. Firm partners said...
Stem cell transplant restores hand function in monkeys... major translational step
A Nature Biotechnology report described extensive restoration of forelimb function in rhesus monkeys after transplanting human embryonic stem cell‑derived spinal cord neural stem cells...
Fecal exfoliome sequencing (Foli‑seq) — noninvasive gut transcriptomics for IBD
Columbia University researchers published a method called Foli‑seq (fecal exfoliome sequencing) in Nature Biotechnology that amplifies host transcripts from exfoliated gut cells in stool to...
Roche’s Axelios 1 previews fast cancer genomics — early data promising
Roche showcased early-access data from its new Axelios 1 sequencing‑by‑expansion (SBX) nanopore platform at AMP, with comparisons to Illumina NovaSeq that showed high concordance for tumor‑normal...
Thermo Fisher touts next‑day CGP on Genexus — Oncomine assay trimmed to 24‑hour TAT
Thermo Fisher presented multicenter validation data for its Oncomine Comprehensive Assay Plus on the automated Ion Torrent Genexus system at AMP, arguing the amplicon‑based CGP can deliver results...
J&J buys Halda for $3.05B – adds anti‑resistance RIPTAC platform
Johnson & Johnson agreed to acquire Halda Therapeutics for $3.05 billion in cash to secure Halda’s regulated induced proximity targeting chimera (RIPTAC) platform and lead candidate HLD‑0915....
Zanidatamab phase 3 win: Zymeworks and Jazz push HER2 standard
Zymeworks and Jazz Pharmaceuticals announced positive topline results from the Phase 3 HERIZON‑GEA‑01 trial evaluating zanidatamab (Ziihera) in first‑line HER2‑positive locally advanced or...
Merck to buy Cidara for $9.2B: bets on long‑acting influenza prevention
Merck announced an agreement to acquire Cidara Therapeutics for roughly $9.2 billion to add CD388, a long‑acting antiviral designed for seasonal and pandemic influenza prevention. CD388 couples a...
Sofinnova closes €650M fund – fresh capital for early‑stage biotech
Sofinnova Partners closed its Capital XI flagship fund at €650 million (about $750 million), exceeding its initial target and earmarked for early‑stage biopharma and medtech investments. The firm...
Artios raises $115M – DNA damage repair programs get cash
Artios Pharma closed an oversubscribed $115 million Series D to accelerate its DNA damage response (DDR) portfolio after delivering positive Phase I/IIa signals for lead programs. The financing...
Solve nets $120M to refine ADC linkers – Merck among backers
Solve Therapeutics closed a $120 million financing to advance its antibody‑drug conjugate (ADC) platform focused on novel linkers aimed at improving therapeutic index and stability. The company,...
Stem cells restore primate forelimb function: major step for spinal repair
Two Nature Biotechnology papers report that transplantation of human embryonic stem cell‑derived spinal cord neural stem cells (H9‑scNSCs) restored forelimb function in rhesus monkeys with spinal...
Pig kidney survives 61 days — multi‑omics map immune rejection
Researchers published two Nature papers detailing a 61‑day survival of a genetically modified pig kidney transplanted into a brain‑dead human recipient. The studies provided a multiomics and...
Foli‑seq: fecal exfoliome sequencing enables noninvasive IBD monitoring
Researchers introduced exfoliome sequencing (Foli‑seq), a targeted amplicon approach to profile host mRNA from exfoliated gut cells in feces. The method—validated in Nature Biotechnology—captures...
Roche’s Axelios 1 shows speed and concordance in cancer genomics trials
Roche presented early data on its Axelios 1 sequencing‑by‑expansion (SBX) nanopore platform at the AMP meeting, showing high concordance with Illumina NovaSeq in tumor‑normal whole‑genome...
Merck to buy Cidara for $9.2B – adds Phase III long‑acting flu antiviral
Merck agreed to acquire Cidara Therapeutics for approximately $9.2 billion to add CD388, a Phase III long‑acting influenza antiviral, to its portfolio. The deal follows positive Phase IIb NAVIGATE...
J&J pays $3.05B for Halda... gains RIPTAC prostate program
Johnson & Johnson agreed to acquire Halda Therapeutics for $3.05 billion in cash to secure Halda’s regulated induced proximity targeting chimera (RIPTAC) platform and lead candidate HLD‑0915 for...
Stem cell grafts restore monkey hand function – milestone for spinal repair
Two Nature Biotechnology papers report that transplanting human embryonic stem cell–derived spinal cord neural stem cells restored forelimb and hand function in rhesus monkeys with spinal cord...