BASE10 Collaboration; Advaxis Public offerings; Takeda’s CABOMETYX Japan approval; TheraPharm Acquisition

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BASE10 Collaboration; Advaxis Public offerings; Takeda’s CABOMETYX Japan approval; TheraPharm Acquisition

Dec 01, 2020

BASE10 Collaborates with DNA Link for COVID-19 Antibody Test Research

US-based BASE10 Genetics and Korean firm DNA Link announced a collaboration on a research project to appraise the usability of the DNA Link’s antibody test, AccuFind COVID-19 IgG, in a healthcare setting.

Currently, most antibody tests available in the market need the samples to be sent to the lab for further analysis, which adds to the time as well as cost. Thus, a test that can be done at the point of care and quickly provide the information to clinicians to move with the treatments will prove beneficial in many ways. 

The research is an important step towards evaluating and expanding access to antibody testing. The situation COVID-19 has put the whole world into has piqued the interest of the Pharma industry in antibody testing. In the scenario, DNA Link’s AccuFind has the potential to perform well in laboratory settings. It will be further investigated outside the laboratory settings to judge its efficiency as several factors may influence its functioning.

Advaxis Announces Closing of $9.2 Million Public Offering

A clinical-stage biotechnology company, Advaxis announced the closure of an underwritten public offering of 26,666,666 shares of common stock and warrants to purchase up to 13,333,333 shares of common stock, along with an additional 3,999,999 shares of common stock and 1,999,999 warrants pursuant to the full exercise of the underwriters’ option.

Everything combined was sold at a public offering price of $0.30 per share for total gross proceeds of approximately $9.2 million before underwriting commissions and estimated expenses. The primary underwriter or lead coordinator in the offering was A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners.

The net proceeds will help the company to fund its R&D and expand its operations. The company is also going to make investments in its ADXS-HOT program, acquire or invest in other businesses, products, and technologies.

Takeda Receives Approval for CABOMETYX (cabozantinib) Tablets in Japan 

Takeda has received approval from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare to develop and commercialize CABOMETYX for the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). 

The approval is based on the results of the two clinical trials CELESTIAL (XL184-309), a global, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind phase 3 clinical trial, and Cabozantinib-2003, a phase 2 clinical trial conducted in Japan in patients with advanced HCC who had received prior systemic therapy. 

Cabozantinib is Exelixis’ lead oncology medicine, which the company out-licensed to Takeda a few years back to handle commercialization and further clinical development in Japan. CABOMETYX  is already approved in the U.S. and the EU for the treatment of patients with HCC who have been previously treated with sorafenib.  

Telix Pharmaceuticals Acquires TheraPharm GmbH 

Telix Pharmaceuticals signs an acquisition deal with Scintec Diagnostics GmbH (‘Scintec’) to acquire TheraPharm GmbH (‘TheraPharm’). TheraPharm, established in 2009, is a Swiss-German biotechnology company specializing in developing innovative diagnostic and therapeutic solutions in the field of hematology.

Through the deal, Telix will get its hands on TheraPharm’s vast portfolio of patents, technologies, production systems, clinical data, and know-how in relation to the use of Molecularly Targeted Radiation (MTR) in hematology and immunology. 

TheraPharm’s antibody MTR technology, which works against CD66, a cell surface target highly expressed by neutrophils. The technology seems to offer a wide range of applications in the diagnosis and treatment of hematologic diseases (e.g., blood cancers), lymphoproliferative disorders, and immune-mediated diseases (e.g. lupus, and multiple sclerosis). 

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