Tagged News

Regeneron to Acquire 23andMe for $256 Million, Expanding Genetics-Driven Drug Discovery Capabilities

9 days ago

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals has won the bankruptcy auction for 23andMe's assets with a $256 million bid, aiming to maintain the consumer genetics service while enhancing its drug discovery platform.
The acquisition includes 23andMe's Personal Genome Service, Total Health, Research Services, and Biobank assets, but excludes the Lemonaid Health business.
Regeneron has committed to prioritizing privacy and ethical use of customer data, working with a court-appointed Customer Privacy Ombudsman to ensure compliance with existing policies.

11 days ago

BlueSphere Bio has appointed Alan Korman, Ph.D., a veteran immunotherapy researcher with over 30 years of experience, as Chief Scientific Officer to advance its T cell-based therapy pipeline.
Dr. Korman, who has served on BlueSphere's board since 2020, previously led groundbreaking immune checkpoint inhibitor research at Bristol-Myers Squibb and Medarex, directing the preclinical development of Yervoy and Opdivo.
The appointment strengthens BlueSphere's clinical programs, which include BSB-1001 for leukemias and the upcoming TCX-102 program targeting mutant NPM-1 in AML, with an IND expected in Q2 2025.

14 days ago

Pluto Bio has raised $3.6 million in new funding led by Kickstart, with participation from existing investor Silverton Partners, to scale its AI-powered computational biology platform.
The platform enables scientists to analyze complex biological datasets without coding, supporting critical drug discovery processes including target identification, mechanism of action studies, and precision medicine research.
Funding will accelerate development of AI agents and copilots, expand integrations with R&D tools, and support commercial growth across therapeutic areas.

16 days ago

Researchers at WEHI have identified WEHI-3773, a small molecule that can selectively block cell death by targeting the BAX protein and preventing its recruitment to mitochondria.
The compound works by inhibiting the interaction between voltage-dependent anion channel 2 (VDAC2) and BAX, offering a novel approach to prevent neuronal death in conditions like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.
Published in Science Advances, this discovery represents a potential breakthrough for developing disease-modifying treatments for neurodegenerative conditions that currently have no cure or progression-slowing therapies.
The research builds on decades of cell death research at WEHI and utilized high-throughput screening of over 100,000 chemical compounds through the National Drug Discovery Centre.

a month ago

Flagship Pioneering has appointed Rahul Kakkar, M.D., as CEO-Partner and CEO of Quotient Therapeutics, a company pioneering somatic genomics for drug discovery.
Dr. Kakkar brings nearly 20 years of biotech experience, including leadership roles at companies acquired for billions, such as Pandion Therapeutics (acquired by Merck for $1.85 billion) and Corvidia Therapeutics (acquired by Novo Nordisk for $2.1 billion).
Quotient has developed the world's first industrial platform for discovering novel drug targets through somatic genomics and has established collaboration agreements with Pfizer in cardiovascular and renal diseases.
The leadership transition comes as Quotient advances its pipeline and platform technology, with co-founder Jake Rubens transitioning to a board director role after successfully establishing the company's research operations.

a month ago

X-Chem and Orion Pharma have expanded their strategic collaboration from hit identification to candidate selection, leveraging DNA-encoded library technology and AI-driven approaches for multiple early-stage programs.
The new Technology Access Agreement enables Orion to utilize X-Chem's integrated discovery capabilities, including DEL screening, AI-driven hit triage, and medicinal chemistry support to advance small molecule discovery.
This partnership combines X-Chem's ArtemisAI platform with computational and medicinal chemistry expertise to help partners make informed decisions earlier in the discovery process, reducing risk and improving outcomes.

a month ago

Sapient has launched DynamiQ Insights Engine, an advanced multi-omics and real-world data platform that integrates thousands of protein, metabolite, lipid, and cytokine measures with matched genomic and clinical data.
The platform contains data from over 56,000 samples collected across multiple timepoints from diverse individuals, making it one of the most deeply phenotyped longitudinal datasets available for biomarker discovery and drug development.
DynamiQ's ability to track molecular changes over time alongside clinical outcomes enables researchers to better understand disease subtypes, predict treatment responses, and identify patients most likely to benefit from specific therapies.

a month ago

CN Bio has formed a strategic partnership with Pharmaron to validate and integrate its PhysioMimix organ-on-a-chip technology across drug discovery applications, reducing reliance on animal testing.
The collaboration will initially focus on disease modeling, toxicity testing, and ADME studies, with plans to expand into novel applications addressing unmet needs in pharmaceutical R&D.
This partnership aligns with recent FDA announcements to phase out animal testing requirements for monoclonal antibodies, as the global organ-on-a-chip market is projected to reach $388 million by 2028.

a month ago

Bayer and ConcertAI have entered a multi-year strategic agreement leveraging AI and machine learning to accelerate clinical development in precision oncology.
The partnership utilizes ConcertAI's Translational360™ platform, which integrates data from over 9 million cancer patient records across the U.S., combining clinical, genomic, and imaging information.
This collaboration aims to enhance drug discovery by using multi-modal data and AI to better predict treatment responses, potentially delivering precision oncology treatments to patients faster.