Ligand

Ligand Holds Investor and Analyst Day; Provides Update on Portfolio Progress and Recent Transactions; Introduces 2024 Guidance

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, December 12, 2023
Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical, Health, Webcast, EBITDA, Investment, Element, EPS, Business model, Travers Smith, GAAP, Forecasting, PDUFA, Biopsy, Commercial property, Generic drug, Boston, Ligand

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ: LGND) hosted an Investor and Analyst Day in New York City earlier today.

Key Points: 
  • Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ: LGND) hosted an Investor and Analyst Day in New York City earlier today.
  • Investment Process: Management provided an overview of Ligand’s investment criteria and due diligence process to source assets with superior risk-reward profiles.
  • Recent Transactions: Management discussed the recent soticlestat and TZIELD (teplizumab) royalty acquisitions, which closed in Q4 2023.
  • Captisol Technology Platform: Management shared that Captisol continues to enable product approvals for Ligand partners, with five possible approvals anticipated in 2024.

Merck Announces Findings from Phase 2 KeyVibe-002 Trial Evaluating an Investigational Coformulation of Vibostolimab and Pembrolizumab in Previously Treated Patients with Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, December 7, 2023
Biotechnology, Health, Pharmaceutical, Clinical Trials, Oncology, MSD, Data, Arm, Trae tha Truth, CD112, Safety, NYSE, Cancer, Ligand, Progression-free survival, Incidence, Merck & Co., ESMO, Patient, PFS, Weakness, DOR, Pembrolizumab, Neutropenia, Lung cancer, ORR, Melanoma, CD155, Diarrhea, Anemia, TIGIT, Immunotherapy, Neoplasm, OS, Docetaxel, MRK, NSCLC, Pharmaceutical industry, Vaccine, Merck

Vibostolimab/pembrolizumab alone did not show an improvement in median PFS compared to docetaxel alone (2.7 months vs. 3.2 months; HR=1.40 [95% CI, 0.96-2.02]; p=0.9622).

Key Points: 
  • Vibostolimab/pembrolizumab alone did not show an improvement in median PFS compared to docetaxel alone (2.7 months vs. 3.2 months; HR=1.40 [95% CI, 0.96-2.02]; p=0.9622).
  • Vibostolimab/pembrolizumab plus docetaxel improved OS compared with docetaxel alone, though these results did not reach statistical significance (HR=0.76 [95% CI, 0.50-1.15]).
  • The safety profile of vibostolimab/pembrolizumab was consistent with that observed for vibostolimab and pembrolizumab in previously reported studies, with no new safety signals observed.
  • Ongoing Phase 3 studies in lung cancer include KeyVibe-003 , KeyVibe-006 , KeyVibe-007 and KeyVibe-008 , as well as KeyVibe-010 in melanoma.

Avilar Therapeutics Receives U.S. Patent for Novel Extracellular Protein Degraders

Retrieved on: 
Monday, November 27, 2023
Biotechnology, Health, Science, Pharmaceutical, Research, ATAC, Creativity, Therapy, Asialoglycoprotein receptor, Protein, ATACS, Patent, Immunoglobulin G, Ligand

Avilar Therapeutics , a biopharmaceutical company focused on extracellular protein degradation, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued U.S. Patent 11,819,551 on November 21, 2023.

Key Points: 
  • Avilar Therapeutics , a biopharmaceutical company focused on extracellular protein degradation, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued U.S. Patent 11,819,551 on November 21, 2023.
  • The issued patent provides broad protection for Avilar’s first wave of extracellular proteins degraders called ATACs (ASGPR Targeting Chimeras) with therapeutic applications in a wide range of human diseases.
  • “This patent underscores the creativity and expertise of Avilar scientists, who conceived and developed new and improved ASGPR ligand chemistry.
  • The resulting novel ligands provide the backbone for Avilar’s ATAC extracellular degraders and offer advantages versus previous approaches, including our ability to achieve high levels of protein degradation using lower molecular weight monovalent compounds.”
    Avilar has successfully demonstrated in vivo proof-of-concept for ATACs as potent degraders of extracellular proteins.

Breaking the Barrier: TheWell Bioscience Launches VitroGel-Based Cell Invasion Assay Kits to Help Researchers Explore More Types of Migration and Invasion Studies Faster and Easier

Retrieved on: 
Monday, December 18, 2023
Cell, Medicine, Wound healing, Metastasis, Chemokine, Embryo, ECM, Ligand, Medical imaging, Coke (fuel)

Using the xeno-free VitroGel® hydrogels, these new kits revolutionize how researchers study cell migration and invasion, offering unprecedented accuracy, efficiency, and reliability for cell migration assays.

Key Points: 
  • Using the xeno-free VitroGel® hydrogels, these new kits revolutionize how researchers study cell migration and invasion, offering unprecedented accuracy, efficiency, and reliability for cell migration assays.
  • The VitroGel-Based Cell Invasion Assay Kits protocol can be completed within 30 minutes compared to hours with an assay kit using an animal-based extracellular matrix (ECM).
  • Start with the "ready-to-use" VitroGel® Cell Invasion Assay Kit (which includes our VitroGel® Hydrogel Matrix ) for traditional cell invasion assay studies.
  • In addition, all the VitroGel-Based Cell Invasion Assay Kits can be adapted for laboratory automation for high-throughput assay analysis.

Bispecific Antibodies: Structural Design, Production and Purification Strategies, Upcoming Webinar Hosted by Xtalks

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, November 22, 2023
Bispecific monoclonal antibody, Research, Antigen, Toxicity, Knob, GenScript Biotech, Epitope, Infection, Therapy, Cancer, Monoclonal antibody, Autoimmunity, Coagulopathy, Ligand, Vaccine

TORONTO, Nov. 22, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Discover this groundbreaking webinar delving into the strategic approaches of bispecific antibody (BsAb) design, production and purification. BsAbs have become increasingly of interest by enabling new therapeutic applications for a variety of indications, including cancer, chronic inflammatory diseases, autoimmunity, neurodegeneration, bleeding disorders and infections. Currently, there are 12 bispecific antibodies approved worldwide.

Key Points: 
  • Attendees will learn the key considerations of bispecific antibody structural design and analysis of general design strategies.
  • The featured speaker will discuss production strategies and by-product purification plans for bispecific antibodies with different structures.
  • TORONTO, Nov. 22, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Discover this groundbreaking webinar delving into the strategic approaches of bispecific antibody (BsAb) design, production and purification.
  • Join this webinar to gain insights into the diverse applications, design considerations and production strategies of bispecific antibodies.

Incheon National University Researchers Push the Limits of Gas Sensing Technology

Retrieved on: 
Friday, November 10, 2023
NO2, Absorption, Jeonbuk National University, Air pollution, Risk, Nitrogen dioxide, Chemical engineering, Zwitterion, Health, Chemical substance, Semiconductor, Food safety, OSC, Bronchitis, Asthma, Incheon National University, Ligand, Electronics

GWANGJU, South Korea, Nov. 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The world has become increasingly industrialized over the past few centuries, bringing all sorts of technology and conveniences to the masses. However, workers in industrial environments are often at the risk of exposure to many dangerous gases, such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Inhaling this gas can lead to serious respiratory diseases like asthma and bronchitis, and severely compromise the health of industrial workers. Constant monitoring of NO2 levels is thus needed to ensure a safe workplace.

Key Points: 
  • To help with this, many types of selective gas sensors have been developed using different organic and inorganic materials.
  • Some of them, such as gas chromatography sensors or electrochemical gas sensors, are highly sophisticated, yet expensive and bulky.
  • It was carried out in collaboration with researchers from Jeonbuk National University, including Professor Min Kim.
  • They incorporated a CsPbBr3 perovskite into a conductive polymer matrix to enhance its gas sensing performance while maintaining sensing speed.

Ovid Therapeutics Reports Third Quarter 2023 Financial Results and Corporate Updates

Retrieved on: 
Friday, November 3, 2023
Graviton, MB, KCC2, Element, Research, ROCK2, IND, TMS, Seizure, Neuron, IV, Dravet syndrome, Ligand Pharmaceuticals, SAD, Lennox–Gastaut syndrome, Development, Epilepsy, In vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy, MRS, Transcranial magnetic stimulation, EEG, Status epilepticus, Hemangioma, Pharmaceutical industry, Takeda, Ligand

The remaining 13% interest in these potential future milestone payments and royalties was acquired by Ligand in October 2023.

Key Points: 
  • The remaining 13% interest in these potential future milestone payments and royalties was acquired by Ligand in October 2023.
  • General and administrative expenses were $6.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023, as compared to $7.6 million for the same period in 2022.
  • The decrease reflects the impact of headcount reductions conducted as part of organizational changes made in the first half of 2023.
  • Total operating expenses were $12.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023, as compared to $12.8 million for the same period last year.

INmune Bio Inc. Patent Claims Covering INB16 Cell Line and INKmune™ Therapeutic Composition given Favorable Patentability Opinion by International Search Authority

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, October 31, 2023
Patient, IND, PSA, Patent, Leukemia, Progression-free survival, Biomarker, Art, Ligand, World Intellectual Property Organization, CD15, Invention, CELL, Hematological Cancer Research Investment and Education Act, Patent Cooperation Treaty, Cell, EPO, Administration, China International Search and Rescue Team, Disease, ATCC (company), NK, Cancer, WIPO, CT, Blood, TME, General counsel, CD2, Immunosuppression, Hypoxia, Insurance, Vaccine, Pharmaceutical industry

Boca Raton, Florida, Oct. 31, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --  INmune Bio, Inc. (NASDAQ: INMB) (the “Company”), a clinical-stage immunology company focused on developing treatments that harness the patient’s innate immune system to fight disease, announced an update regarding the company’s patent covering its proprietary cell line, “INB16”, as well as the therapeutic composition comprising replication-incompetent INB16 cells known as “INKmune™” and methods of treating cancer by administering INKmune™, with a goal of achieving in vivo priming of natural killer (NK) cells to enhance the ability of a patient’s own NK-cells to effect cancer surveillance, recognition, and killing.

Key Points: 
  • INmune Bio receives International Search Report and Written Opinion communicating possession of novelty, inventive step, and industrial applicability in all claims pending in an international patent application covering, among other things, its proprietary cell line, INB16, and the INKmune™ therapeutic composition.
  • The application discloses and claims the novel INB16 cell line on deposit with the American Type Culture Collection, as well as compositions comprising replication incompetent INB16 cells (“INKmune™”) and methods of treating cancer in patients by administering INKmune™.
  • “Patents covering novel cell lines are somewhat rare in practice and form a very small number of total patents issued,” said Joshua Schoonover, Esq., in-house General Counsel for the Company.
  • INB16 is a tumor cell line which is relatively insensitive to killing by natural killer (NK) cells from healthy donors and from patients.

Ligand Acquires Royalty on Sanofi’s TZIELD® for $20 Million

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, November 1, 2023
Health, FDA, Diabetes, General Health, Clinical Trials, Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology, Ageing, Food, Breakthrough therapy, Acquisition, Regulation of food and dietary supplements by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Pleasure, Sanofi, T1D, Therapy, Invention, Patient, Pharmaceutical industry, Ligand

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ: LGND) today announced that it has acquired Tolerance Therapeutics, Inc. (“Tolerance Therapeutics”) for $20 million in cash.

Key Points: 
  • Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ: LGND) today announced that it has acquired Tolerance Therapeutics, Inc. (“Tolerance Therapeutics”) for $20 million in cash.
  • Tolerance Therapeutics is a holding company, owned by the inventors of TZIELD (teplizumab-mzwv), that is owed a royalty of less than 1% on worldwide net sales.
  • The transaction will be immediately accretive to Ligand’s royalty revenue.
  • The high-quality team at Ligand was a pleasure to work with and partner with on this transaction.”
    Locust Walk Partners served as exclusive financial advisor to Tolerance Therapeutics.

Avilar Therapeutics to Present New Data for ATAC Extracellular Protein Degraders at Targeted Protein Degradation Summit

Retrieved on: 
Monday, October 30, 2023
Health, Clinical Trials, Research, Pharmaceutical, Science, Biotechnology, Ligand, Behavior, Chimera, Protein, Pharmacokinetics, ATAC, Immunoglobulin G, Recycling, N-Acetylgalactosamine, Therapy, Asialoglycoprotein receptor, Copper

Avilar Therapeutics , a biopharmaceutical company focused on extracellular protein degradation, today announced it will present new preclinical data from its ATAC (ASGPR Targeting Chimera) degrader platform at the sixth annual Targeted Protein Degradation Summit being held in Boston on October 30 – November 2, 2023.

Key Points: 
  • Avilar Therapeutics , a biopharmaceutical company focused on extracellular protein degradation, today announced it will present new preclinical data from its ATAC (ASGPR Targeting Chimera) degrader platform at the sixth annual Targeted Protein Degradation Summit being held in Boston on October 30 – November 2, 2023.
  • ATACs are bifunctional molecules comprising one of Avilar’s novel ligands to the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) conjugated to another ligand that binds to a disease-causing extracellular protein.
  • These properties enable normal ASGPR release and recycling after ATAC internalization within the early endosome, and further elucidate the ATAC mechanism to harness the natural ASGPR pathway for degradation of extracellular protein targets.
  • New in vivo data will also be presented that robustly characterize the relationship between ATAC pharmacokinetics, binding properties of the ATAC ligands to ASGPR and target protein IgG, and ASGPR-mediated degradation.