#30 - A biotech bounce back, multi-million dollar deals and the Trump effect
The coffee break biotech roundup, by SomX.
Welcome to this week's Biotech Dodo, where optimism is in the air and innovation is on the rise!
Industry analysts are buzzing with excitement, forecasting a vibrant biotech landscape for 2025…
This week: KeyMed Biosciences and InnoCare Pharma have inked a lucrative deal with Prolium Bioscience, Chinese biotech powerhouse YolTech Therapeutics launches a pioneering in vivo gene editing trial, and Donald Trump has made the bold decision to cancel his predecessor Joe Biden’s Executive Order on AI.
While in London, industry leaders are gathering to discuss the "Trump effect" on UK biotech and what this means for the sector’s future.
We certainly live in interesting times!
Dodo
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🧪 KeyMed partners with US-based biotech Prolium in bispecific antibody deal (Pharmaceutical Technology): RTW Investments just dropped a bombshell: launching Prolium Bioscience with a $520 million bet on a Chinese cancer-fighting superstart. The reason? ICP-B02, a cutting-edge bispecific antibody that redirects and activates T-cells to attack tumour cells. The CD20×CD3 dynamo is showing great potential against non-Hodgkin lymphoma, with early trials hinting at positive signs for both IV and subcutaneous delivery.
Our take: The size of this deal reflects a high-stakes bet on bridging East and West in the race for the next big breakthrough. While the potential is enormous, let's not pop the champagne just yet. This dream team faces a gauntlet of challenges: navigating complex FDA and EMA regulations for Chinese-origin drugs, and proving ICP-B02's clinical efficacy and commercial viability in a competitive global market.
🧠 Is biotech M&A about to be revived? (Investors’ Chronicle): The biotech sector, still reeling from the 2022 valuation slump, shows signs of life as Big Pharma goes bargain hunting at JP Morgan. Johnson & Johnson's $14bn acquisition of Intra Cellular Therapies headlines a $20bn deal-making spree – signalling a potential trough in valuations – and pharmaceutical giants are seizing the opportunity to bolster their pipelines with non-obesity products.
Our take: The biotech sector's rollercoaster continues. Gone are the days of blank checks and unicorn valuations – the industry's hangover from the 2020-2021 funding binge is real! – instead, we're witnessing a potential pivot point as cash-rich pharma giants eye discounted assets like kids in a candy store. Increased selectivity from investors signal that companies are placing more emphasis on areas of high unmet need and patient impact, such as oncology and CNS – about time too, the obesity market is feeling pretty saturated!
🐉 Chinese biotech says it will start first in vivo beta-thalassemia trial (STAT): Hold onto your lab coats! Chinese biotech YolTech Therapeutics just fired the starting gun in the race for a game-changing sickle cell cure. Their secret weapon? An IV-infusion gene therapy that could make Vertex's Casgevy look like yesterday's news. While US heavyweights Editas and Beam play catch-up, YolTech's YOLT-204 is charging into clinical trials. This isn't just about bragging rights – it's a potential lifeline for millions of sickle cell patients worldwide.
Our take: We're witnessing a seismic shift in the gene therapy landscape! YolTech Therapeutics' groundbreaking sickle cell treatment isn't just a medical breakthrough; it's a wake-up call for the entire industry. This Chinese upstart has just leapfrogged Western giants, proving that innovation knows no borders. It's a stark reminder that in the fast-paced world of gene therapy, today's underdogs can become tomorrow's top dogs overnight.
💰 Why it’s time to invest in biotech again (Trustnet): Forget crypto and AI – biotech is staging a jaw-dropping comeback in 2025! With the Russell 2000 Biotech Index still a whopping 50% below its 2021 peak, savvy investors are eyeing a golden opportunity. Why the buzz? Big Pharma is desperately hunting for the next blockbuster, and a treasure trove of undervalued gems is ripe for the picking
Our take: There’s lots fuelling the biotech boom – not least diseases of ageing and a flurry of novel innovations such as GLP-1s, cancer diagnostics, and AI advances. Coupled with promising M&A activity, it feels like some investors are about to be very happy! But it's not all smooth sailing: geopolitical storms, regulatory headwinds, and the spectre of inflation threaten to rock the boat. Buckle up!
And finally…
🇻🇮Trump cancels Biden executive order on AI safety (Fierce Biotech): Newly inaugurated President Trump has scrapped Biden's AI safeguards on day one. The sweeping executive order that aimed to tame AI's wild west in healthcare and biotech is now history. As the dust settles, the future of NIST's AI Safety Institute hangs in the balance, leaving the industry to wonder: will AI innovation surge, or will we face a new frontier of unchecked risks?
Our take: Trump's axing of Biden's AI safety order just hit the reset button on US tech policy. With critical safeguards for healthcare and biotech AI now in limbo, industry giants and startups alike face a wild west of possibilities – and pitfalls. As global rivals race ahead with AI rulebooks, America's hands-off approach is risky: while it could indeed spark a new era of innovation, we may just see the US left in the dust in the AI arms race.
Tune in
💡 Biotech Branding 101: How to Craft a Memorable Brand Name
Forget alphabet soup and bland corporate speak, Allison Satterfield helps biotech companies transform complex science into irresistible brand stories. Her secret? Crafting narratives that captivate, and brand identities that turn heads faster than a CRISPR breakthrough.
🔬 Expanding the Drug Developer’s Chemical Universe
Glasgow-born startup Chemify is turning the pharma world on its head. By blending AI, robotics and digital wizardry, Chemify's ‘Chemputation’ technology is unlocking a vast universe of unexplored compounds, promising to supercharge drug discovery and slash development timelines
🤖 How IT Leaders Drive Business Success
Ganesh Iyer, CIO of Harmony Biosciences, shares his journey from sales to spearheading transformative ERP implementations and AI-driven innovations – offering a masterclass in aligning technology with business success.
Apply ✍️
🧑🔬 Biostatistician, Medpace: Are you an analytical mastermind who can turn complex clinical data into life-changing medical insights? Medpace is hunting for its next statistical superstar.
🥼Associate In Vitro Pharmacologist, Eli Lilly: Passionate about cell culture? Join a team in Boston, at the forefront of Obesity research and weight management therapeutics.
RSVP 📆
🔎 29-30.01 | Festival of Genomics & Biodata | London, UK: From genomics to AI-powered drug discovery, the 10th annual Festival of Genomics & Biodata promises a cutting-edge showcase of life sciences innovation, offering something for every researcher in its biggest edition yet.
🔎 29-30.01 | 28th European Pharma and Biotech Project, Program and Portfolio Management Conference | London, UK: Explore the expanding world of genomics and biodata, from multi-omics to AI, as industry leaders connect to tackle healthcare’s biggest challenges.
🍽️ 30.01 | BIA Gala Dinner 2025 | London, UK: Celebrate life sciences at the Roundhouse with fine dining, networking, fundraising, and live music alongside 760+ industry leaders and innovators.
🇺🇲30.01 | The Trump effect: how will Nasdaq's response impact UK biotech? | London, UK: As Donald Trump reclaims the Oval Office, the biotech sector holds its breath: Will his "America First" agenda fuel a market rally or slam the brakes on the nascent recovery in UK biotech financing?
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