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Tempus AI Acquires Paige to Build World's Largest Oncology Foundation Model

AIPrecision MedicineOncologyDrug Discovery
  • Tempus AI has acquired Paige, an AI company specializing in digital pathology with FDA-cleared cancer detection applications and nearly 7 million digitized pathology slides.
  • The $81.25 million stock acquisition positions Tempus to build the largest oncology foundation model in history by combining datasets and AI capabilities.
  • The strategic move strengthens Tempus' position in the digital pathology market projected to reach $10 billion by 2030, enhancing drug discovery and personalized medicine capabilities.
  • Paige's global dataset from 45 countries and partnership with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center adds significant credibility and diversity to Tempus' AI platform.

AstraZeneca Partners with Philippines to Establish First Pharmaceutical Innovation Hub in PEZA Ecozone

AIOncology
  • The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals Philippines have signed an agreement to create the country's first pharmaceutical innovation hub within the PEZA ecozone network.
  • The hub will serve as a regional center for digital health technology, research and development collaboration, and patient-centered healthcare solutions across ASEAN.
  • The initial project will be an Oncology Innovation Center using artificial intelligence for early cancer detection, modeled after AstraZeneca's pharma hub in the United Kingdom.
  • The partnership aims to make medicines more affordable and accessible while positioning the Philippines as a hub for healthcare-related investments and medical research.

BlossomHill Therapeutics Advances EGFR-Mutant NSCLC Treatment with First-in-Class OMNI-EGFR Inhibitor BH-30643

Targeted TherapyOncology
  • BlossomHill Therapeutics has dosed the first patient in expansion cohorts of the SOLARA Phase 1/2 trial evaluating BH-30643, a first-in-class OMNI-EGFR inhibitor for advanced EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer.
  • BH-30643 demonstrates sub-nanomolar potency against classical and atypical EGFR mutations while maintaining activity against T790M and C797S resistance mutations that commonly limit current therapies.
  • The expansion cohorts will assess objective response rates across diverse EGFR mutation subtypes, including treatment-naive patients, following successful dose escalation that showed favorable pharmacokinetics and preliminary anti-tumor activity.
  • The drug's broad-spectrum approach aims to address multiple EGFR mutations with a single agent while sparing wildtype EGFR and HER2 inhibition for improved tolerability.

A Study of BH-30643 in Subjects With Locally Advanced or Metastatic NSCLC Harboring EGFR and/or HER2 Mutations

NCT06706076RecruitingPhase 1
BlossomHill Therapeutics
Posted 1/9/2025

Kite Acquires Interius BioTherapeutics for $350M to Advance In Vivo CAR-T Platform

CAR-TOncology
  • Kite, a Gilead Company, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Interius BioTherapeutics for $350 million to advance in vivo CAR-T cell therapy development.
  • Interius's innovative platform generates CAR-T cells directly within the patient's body through a single intravenous infusion, eliminating the need for preconditioning chemotherapy and complex cell processing.
  • The acquisition aims to expand access to cell therapies for patients with rapidly progressing diseases who previously could not benefit from traditional CAR-T treatments.
  • The transaction is expected to reduce Gilead's 2025 earnings per share by approximately $0.23-$0.25 and will create a center of excellence in Philadelphia for next-generation in vivo therapies.

Safety of INT2104 in Participants Aged 18 Years and Older Who Have B-cell Cancer That Came Back After Prior Treatment

NCT06539338RecruitingPhase 1
Interius BioTherapeutics Inc.
Posted 10/7/2024

Takeda Pharmaceutical Explores India for Global Clinical Trials to Accelerate Drug Launches

Oncology
  • Japanese drugmaker Takeda Pharmaceutical is exploring conducting global clinical trials in India to accelerate the launch of innovative drugs in the world's most populous nation.
  • The company aims to integrate India's research and development ecosystem into its global pipeline, expanding patient access to therapies in oncology, neuroscience, gastrointestinal health, and inflammation.
  • Takeda plans to launch key cancer drugs over the next two to three years in India, including a lung cancer drug ready to hit the market this year.
  • The company has established an innovation center in Bengaluru, expanding from 500 to 750 employees specializing in AI, data science, engineering, and design to support global digital transformation.

Molecular Partners Appoints Martin Steegmaier as Chief Scientific Officer to Advance DARPin Therapeutics Pipeline

Oncology
  • Molecular Partners has appointed Martin Steegmaier, Ph.D. as Chief Scientific Officer effective October 1, 2025, bringing extensive oncology drug development experience from senior roles at Roche, MorphoSys, Boehringer Ingelberg, and SOTIO Biotech.
  • Steegmaier will lead the research organization and advance the company's pipeline of targeted DARPin therapeutics for cancer patients, including Radio-DARPins and Switch-DARPins for logic-gated immune cell activation.
  • The appointment strengthens Molecular Partners' leadership team as the clinical-stage biotech company continues developing its proprietary DARPin platform for medical challenges that other drug modalities cannot readily address.
  • Steegmaier previously served as CSO at SOTIO Biotech and Head of Research at MorphoSys, with particular expertise in antibody-based therapeutics in immuno-oncology and hematology-oncology.

Xoma Royalty Acquires Mural Oncology for $35.2-38.8M in Latest Biotech Liquidation Deal

Oncology
  • Xoma Royalty Corp. agreed to acquire Mural Oncology for $2.035-2.240 per share, valuing the deal at $35.2-38.8 million depending on closing cash balance.
  • The acquisition follows Mural's discontinuation of lead IL-2 therapy nemvaleukin alfa after failed Artistry-6 and 7 trials, leading to 90% workforce reduction in April.
  • Xoma will wind down Mural's operations as part of a growing trend where investment firms acquire struggling biotechs trading below cash value for liquidation.
  • The deal represents Xoma's fourth oncology acquisition this year, following purchases of Turnstone Biologics, Lava Therapeutics, and HilleVax.

NHS Approves Breakthrough Bladder Cancer Treatment That Doubles Survival Rates

Drug ApprovalOncology
  • The NHS has approved enfortumab vedotin combined with pembrolizumab for bladder cancer patients, marking one of the most significant advances in decades for this difficult-to-treat disease.
  • Clinical trials demonstrated the combination therapy nearly doubles survival time from 1.5 years to over 2.5 years compared to standard chemotherapy for metastatic bladder cancer.
  • Approximately 1,250 patients annually in England will be eligible for this treatment, which also showed superior response rates with 30% achieving undetectable cancer levels versus 12.5% with chemotherapy.
  • The dual-mechanism approach targets cancer cells directly while simultaneously boosting immune system recognition, offering patients better outcomes with fewer side effects.

Perioperative Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) Plus Cystectomy or Perioperative Pembrolizumab Plus Enfortumab Vedotin Plus Cystectomy Versus Cystectomy Alone in Participants Who Are Cisplatin-ineligible or Decline Cisplatin With Muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer (MK-3475-905/KEYNOTE-905/EV-303)

NCT03924895Active, Not RecruitingPhase 3
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
Posted 7/24/2019

Enfortumab Vedotin and Pembrolizumab vs. Chemotherapy Alone in Untreated Locally Advanced or Metastatic Urothelial Cancer

NCT04223856Active, Not RecruitingPhase 3
Astellas Pharma Global Development, Inc.
Posted 3/30/2020

Tivic Health Advances Entolimod Development with Two FDA Investigational New Drug Applications

Oncology
  • Tivic Health received two investigational new drug applications from Statera Biopharma for its lead candidate Entolimod, covering acute radiation syndrome and advanced cancer treatments.
  • The INDs enable Tivic to formally engage with the FDA regarding Entolimod's regulatory pathway and pursue clinical trials in neutropenia and lymphocyte exhaustion.
  • Entolimod is a novel TLR5 agonist that has demonstrated robust survival benefits in animal models and received Fast Track designation for acute radiation syndrome treatment.
  • The company maintains near-term focus on acute radiation syndrome while exploring Entolimod's anti-tumor activity potential in advanced cancer applications.

Dana-Farber Researchers Launch Phase 1 Trial of Novel Cyclin Inhibitor for Small Cell Lung Cancer

OncologyPrecision Medicine
  • Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers have developed a first-in-class direct cyclin inhibitor that selectively kills cancer cells with disabled G1/S checkpoints, showing 100-1000 fold greater sensitivity in cancer cells compared to normal cells.
  • The novel drug class targets cyclins A and B through a two-step mechanism that causes DNA damage and mitotic cell death specifically in cancers with elevated E2F activity, including small cell lung cancer and triple negative breast cancer.
  • A nationwide phase 1 clinical trial testing compound CID-078 is now open for patients with small cell lung cancer, triple negative breast cancer, and other cancers, marking the first clinical application of direct cyclin inhibition.
  • Preclinical studies demonstrated that patient-derived xenografts of small cell lung cancer stopped growing when treated with the drug, providing strong mechanistic evidence published in Nature to support human testing.

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