ASTELLAS PHARMA

Sutro Biopharma, in collaboration with Merck, dosed the first patient in a Phase 1 study for a novel cytokine derivative therapeutic targeting cancer, triggering a $10 million payment to Sutro. This milestone highlights the synergy between Merck's immuno-oncology expertise and Sutro's biologics engineering capabilities.

Biotech has shifted from single-technology focus to a portfolio model, where a central team manages multiple companies across technologies and diseases. This model, exemplified by BridgeBio and Roivant Sciences, leverages expertise in various areas, raising $6 billion by 2020. It offers diversified investment, simplified governance, and attracts top talent, despite risks of systemic failure and inefficiencies. The model is reshaping biotech R&D, offering alternatives to traditional funding and increasing competition for assets and talent.

The article covers key drug discovery patents from August 2023 to November 2024, highlighting innovations like Amgen’s 15-PGDH inhibitors, brain-penetrant CD38 inhibitors, and next-generation CRM1 inhibitors. It also mentions PIP4K2C inhibitors, POLRMT inhibitors, and MAPT pre-mRNA splicing modulators for cancer and tauopathy treatments. The Drug Hunter team curated over 200 significant patents monthly, providing detailed annotations for each to streamline the review process.