Weekly Quick Hits (Philly) – Week of September 4, 2023
The Innovation Space announced 11 new startups to its Science Inc. Accelerator Program, Imvax closed on a $23 million financing round and more. Read on for our weekly roundup of this week’s Philadelphia life science news.
By Mark Terry | September 8, 2023
Funding, Awards and Collaborations
Helius Medical Technologies Compliant with All Applicable Nasdaq Listing Criteria
Newtown, Pa.-based Helius Medical Technologies announced that on August 31, 2023, it had received formal notice from the Listing Qualifications staff of The Nasdaq Stock Market indicating that the company had full compliance with the minimum bid price requirement. The company otherwise satisfied all other applicable criteria for continued listing.
The Innovation Space Announces 11 New Startups to Science Inc. Accelerator Program
The Innovation Space (Wilmington, Del.) announced it had accepted 11 companies for its Fall 2023 Science Inc. Accelerator Program. Eligible participating startups also have the chance to apply for an additional $200,000 in support via the First Fund investment program. The Fall 2023 cohort includes: Cyta Therapeutics, Edullis Therapeutics, EndoShunt, Foogly, Graftable, Margik, NKA Bio, PriZm, RecurX, Serentrix, and Sindri Materials
Imvax: Closed on a $23 Million Financing Round and Appointed Stephen Webster to Board
Philadelphia-based Imvax closed on a $23 million financing round, with plans to use the funds to support its ongoing Phase IIb trial of IGV-001 in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma. The company also appointed Stephen Webster to the board, while David W. Andrews, MD, has stepped down from the board but remains as Imvax’s Chief Medical Officer.
In the Clinic
Carisma Announced Latest Data from Phase I Trial in Metastatic HER2 Cancers
Carisma Therapeutics (Philadelphia) presented findings from its Phase I trial of CT-0508, a human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) targeted CAR-M (CAR-macrophage) for advanced/metastatic HER2 overexpressing cancers. The data was presented at the 8th Annual CAR-TCR Summit.
Janssen Presented 15 Posters Regarding Depression, Schizophrenia and Major Depressive Disorder
The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson presented 15 posters at the Psych Congress 2023. The posters included clinical and real-world data, such as final results from the SUSTAIN-3 open-label, long-term extension trial of Spravato for adults with treatment-resistant depression up to 6.5 years, an analysis of Invega Hafyera for up to three years in clinically stable adults with schizophrenia, and two analyses of real-world, patient-reported outcomes on the prevalence of anhedonia for adults with major depression disorder.
Tris Pharma Presented Data on Limited Abuse Potential of Pain Therapy Cebranopadol
Tris Pharma (Monmouth Junction, NJ) presented new data from a human abuse potential (HAP) study of cebranopadol (TRN-228) suggesting the compound has significantly lower abuse potential compared to both schedule II and schedule IV opioids. The drug is the first and only dual nociception/orphanin FQ peptide receptor and MOP receptor agonist analgesic in clinical development for moderate to severe pain as well as opioid use disorder.
Janssen’s Phase III MARIPOSA-2 Study in Lung Cancer Hits the Mark
The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson announced positive topline results from the three-arm Phase III MARIPOSA-2 study of Rybrevant (amivantamab-vmjw) with and without Lazertinib combined with chemotherapy (carboplatin and pemetrexed) compared to chemotherapy alone. The study enrolled patients with locally advanced or metastatic EGFR exon 19 deletions or L858R substitution non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after disease progression on or after Osimertinib. The trial hit its dual primary endpoint, demonstrating a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) compared to chemotherapy alone in both experimental treatment arms.
Verismo Doses 1st Patient in Advanced Cancers Trial
Verismo Therapeutics (Philadelphia) dosed the first patient in its STAR-101 study of SynKIR-110 in people with advanced ovarian cancer, mesothelioma, and cholangiocarcinoma. STAR-101 is a Phase I trial and the SynKIR-110 product is made up of autologous T cells transduced with a mesothelin-targeted KIR-CAR.
New Products
Colorcon Launches New Titanium Dioxide Free Coating for Pharma Tablets
Colorcon (Harleysville, Pa.) launched a new Opadry film coating to address the moisture management needs for pharmaceutical tablets. The coating does not use titanium dioxide, which Titanium dioxide use is uncertain in Europe.
Braeburn’s Brixadi Now Available in US for Moderate to Severe Opioid Use Disorder
Braeburn (Plymouth Meeting, Pa.) announced that Brixadi (buprenorphine) extended-release injection for subcutaneous use, a new weekly and monthly drug for moderate to severe opioid use disorder (OUD) in patients who have initiated treatment with a single dose of a transmucosal buprenorphine product or who are already being treated with buprenorphine is now available in the U.S. Patients currently receiving oral buprenorphine-containing products can be switched directly to Brixadi Weekly or Brixadi Monthly.
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Mark Terry is a freelance writer, editor, novelist and ghostwriter. He holds a degree in microbiology & public health and spent 18 years in infectious disease research and clinical and research genetics prior to his transition to a writing career. His areas of expertise include biotechnology, pharma, clinical diagnostics, and medical practice management. He has written literally thousands of articles, as well as market research reports, white papers, more than 20 books, and many other written materials. He currently lives in Michigan with his family.
