#51 - Genetic wins and ChatGPT biology
The coffee break biotech roundup, by SomX.
Good morning, biotech fighters!
This week, cell engineering meets corporate chess: J&J’s dual-targeting CAR-T shows a flawless 100% response in early-stage lymphoma, Lilly wagers up to $1.3 billion on gene-editing startup Verve, Anne Wojcicki swoops in to reclaim a beleaguered 23andMe, and a landmark UK leukaemia trial shows a chemo-free combo outperforming standard of care. Rounding things off, Basecamp Research is building the “ChatGPT of biology” – though skeptics say biological context still trumps sheer data volume.
Until the next knockout,
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🧑⚕️ J&J ties early-stage lymphoma CAR-T to 100% response rate in 10 patients (Fierce Biotech): What a headline! Johnson & Johnson’s new dual-targeting CAR-T therapy is making waves in blood cancer treatment. In an early trial for relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma, the therapy delivered a 100% objective response rate (ORR) – and a 80% complete response rate (CR) – in patients with just one prior treatment, and 92% ORR (75% CR) in patients who had received two or more previous therapies.
Our take: Johnson & Johnson’s dual-targeting CAR-T therapy, JNJ-4496, is poised to shake up the landscape for relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma – significantly outperforming Gilead’s Yescarta, which shows 65% CR as a second-line therapy and 36% CR as third-line therapy. What distinguishes J&J’s approach is the simultaneous targeting of CD19 and CD20, two key proteins on lymphoma cells, which could help overcome resistance that limits single-antigen CAR-T therapies.
🤑 Lilly to buy gene-editing partner Verve for up to $1.3 billion in cardiac care push (Reuters): Eli Lilly has snapped up gene-editing startup Verve Therapeutics, in a bid to diversify beyond its blockbuster diabetes and obesity drugs. The deal gives Lilly access to Verve’s cutting-edge therapies, which aim to permanently lower cholesterol with a single treatment – potentially transforming cardiovascular care from lifelong pills to a one-and-done solution. Naturally, Verve shareholders have received a hefty premium from the news!
Our take: Well well well, it seems like the “single treatment” era is well and truly upon us! Using a base editing technique that causes one-time changes to DNA, gene therapies could replace everything we thought we know about treating chronic diseases. By paying a substantial premium for Verve, Lilly is betting big on a new standard of care for the millions at risk of cardiovascular diseases.
🏆 Anne Wojcicki wins back 23andMe, this time as a nonprofit (STAT NEWS): Anne Wojcicki, co-founder and former CEO of 23andMe, has pulled off the most dramatic comeback since Lazarus – topping Regeneron’s bid for 23andMe’s assets, with a whopping $305 million cheque! The deal, which follows a turbulent period of bankruptcy, mass layoffs, and data privacy concerns, will see 23andMe reborn as a nonprofit under Wojcicki’s leadership. With new commitments to privacy and a fresh mission, the company is set for an unexpected second act, this time focused on public benefit rather than profit.
Our take: In a week which has also seen the DNA testing firm fined £2.3m for a 2023 UK data breach – and 27 US states sue them to block the sale of personal genetic data without customer consent – time will tell if this is $305 M well spent! Anne Wojcicki may no longer need to woo shareholders, but she’ll have a bigger challenge convincing users that their data is safe with the company, as the threat of selling off user’s genomic data looms.
💊 UK-wide drug trial hailed as a ‘milestone’ in leukaemia treatment (The Guardian): The major trial, led by researchers in Leeds, has found that a chemo-free combo of two targeted drugs (ibrutinib and venetoclax) can dramatically outperform standard chemotherapy for adults with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). After five years, 94% of patients on the drug duo were alive with no disease progression, in stark contrast to just 58% on chemo. Industry experts say this could revolutionise treatment of CLL and other blood cancers.
Our take: The results of the FLAIR trial mark a significant moment in the fight against CLL - the most common form of leukaemia in adults. For decades, chemotherapy has been the standard of care: effective, but often accompanied by unpleasant and debilitating side effects. This new research shows that a combination of ibrutinib and venetoclax not only outperforms chemotherapy, but is also better tolerated –offering real hope to patients and clinicians alike.
And finally…
🤖 Biotech firm aims to create ‘ChatGPT of biology’ – will it work? (New Scientist): A British biotech, Basecamp Research, has uncovered over 1 million previously unknown microbial species and nearly 10 billion new genes by sampling extreme environments worldwide – an incredible tenfold expansion of the known genetic universe. Their goal? To train a “ChatGPT of biology” that could answer questions about life itself. Critics warn that without more context about these mysterious microbes, even this massive trove may fall short of revolutionising drug discovery.
Our take: The success of previous generative biology models has shown that AI can improve our understanding of proteins when paired with well-annotated data. Yet, as experts note, even the most sophisticated models struggle when faced with sequences from poorly characterised branches of the tree of life. Basecamp’s data may represent the largest biological protein sequence database ever assembled, but their next challenge – to connect genetic data with functional, ecological, and chemical context – is a big one!
Tune in 🎧
👫 Alex Telford on AI, drug discovery, digital twins, and the most interesting questions in biotech: This thought-provoking episode explores what the most interesting questions in biotech are, and whether it is even possible to answer them…
😷 Dr. Howard Fillit & Mark Roithmayr of ADDF on alzheimer’s innovation: Learn more about the rise of biomarkers and digital diagnostics, and how ADDF’s venture philanthropy approach bridges the “valley of death” in biotech.
🧠 Brainstorming to defeat antimicrobial resistance - Dr. Anita Shukla: Take a deep dive into the critical issue of antibiotic resistance and the innovative engineering solutions being explored to combat it.
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🇫🇷 23-24.06 | 28th European Biotechnology Congress | Paris, France: Two days of keynotes, posters and partnering that unite researchers, clinicians and industry to share the latest biotech science and its real-world applications.
🇺🇲 24-25.06 | Festival of Genomics & Biodata Boston 2025 | Boston, USA: A free, two-day festival drawing genomics and data leaders for seven talk tracks, 170+ speakers and case-study-rich sessions across pharma, biotech, research and healthcare.
🇯🇵 9-11.07 | BioPharma Expo Tokyo | Tokyo, Japan: Asia’s flagship bio-manufacturing expo spanning R&D, engineering and CDMO/CMO services for the pharma and cosmetics sectors.
🇬🇧 10.07 | Digital Technology and AI – The Future for Pharmacy and Medicines Usage | London, UK: A one-day forum uniting NHS pharmacists and technicians to explore AI-driven prescribing, decision support and medicines optimisation across primary and secondary care.
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