Plus, news about NeuroBo, Vico Therapeutics, Takeda, Checkpoint Therapeutics, CombiGene, Spark Therapeutics, ANI, Alimera Sciences and OSE Immunotherapeutics:
Entrada Therapeutics raises $100M from stock sale to develop Duchenne drugs: The company released healthy volunteer data on its exon skipping treatment and subsequently announced a $100 million stock sale. Investors include Janus Henderson Investors and several unnamed groups including a US-based healthcare-focused investor. The company is planning two separate Phase 2 trials for its exon 44 and exon 45 skipping treatments. — Lei Lei Wu
eFFECTOR winds down activities, lays off staffers: The California biotech said Monday it is seeking “strategic alternatives” for its programs and will voluntarily delist from the Nasdaq. The company’s shares $EFTR were down 74% when the market opened on Monday. Its lead cancer drug failed a Phase 2 study in April. — Ayisha Sharma & Max Gelman
NeuroBo gets up to $70 million private placement: The company will receive $20 million from the initial raise and another $50 million if all the warrants are exercised. The funding will be used to develop a compound called DA-1726 to treat obesity. — Max Gelman
Vico Therapeutics’ $60M Series B: The Dutch neuroscience biotech’s funding round was co-led by Ackermans & van Haaren, Droia Ventures, EQT Life Sciences and Kurma Partners. The company plans to use the money to fund an experimental treatment for spinocerebellar ataxia and Huntington’s disease that’s currently in a Phase 1/2a study. — Lei Lei Wu
Takeda’s mezagitamab passes Ph2b test: The IgG1 monoclonal antibody improved platelet response through 16 weeks versus placebo in a trial of patients with chronic or persistent primary immune thrombocytopenia, an autoimmune disorder. Takeda plans to start a Phase 3 study of mezagitamab in the second half of the year. — Ayisha Sharma
Checkpoint Therapeutics details BLA resubmission for cosibelimab: The biotech said it’s aligned with the FDA, and that means it can refile the anti-PD-L1 drug in the middle of the year for certain patients with squamous cell carcinoma. Cosibelimab received a complete response letter in December after the FDA highlighted issues at a third-party manufacturer. — Ayisha Sharma
CombiGene inks licensing agreement with Roche’s Spark Therapeutics: The deal, which features no upfront payments, “secures critical rights” to facilitate CombiGene’s work to find a partner for its epilepsy candidate, CGO1. Spark is eligible for low single-digit percentage royalties. In October, the Roche-owned biotech terminated a 2021 global licensing deal for CGO1. — Ayisha Sharma
ANI Pharmaceuticals plans to buy eye drug company for $381M upfront: ANI Pharmaceuticals agreed to acquire Alimera Sciences and its two eye products Iluvien and Yutiq. ANI will pay $5.50 per share plus a contingent value right of $0.50 based on 2026 and 2027 revenue targets. The news sent Alimera’s stock $ALIM up over 75% on Monday morning, above the $5.50 share value. — Lei Lei Wu
OSE Immunotherapeutics inks deal with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: The deal will see revenue split between the two entities for a CAR-T therapy for IL-7R expressing cancers. MSK will handle development and commercialization while sharing revenue with OSE. — Max Gelman
Editor’s note: An earlier version of the headline incorrectly described the status of Entrada’s stock sale. The company raised $100 million.