#56 - Spud-tacular developments & starchy standoffs
The coffee break biotech roundup, by SomX.
Hello, my fellow potato lovers!
This week’s roundup serves up a hearty helping of carb-fuelled news: disease-resistant potatoes promise to boost global food security, AstraZeneca makes a multibillion-dollar pivot in response to tariff threats, Sanofi’s scoop up vaccine biotech Vicebio, the UK gov scraps a major antimicrobial resistance fund, Alkermes reports strong Phase 2 results in narcolepsy, and Sarepta’s gene therapy has hit turbulence after FDA pressure.
Keep your eyes peeled until next week.
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🥔 Dutch biotech Solynta gets €20 million backing for highly disease-resistant potato varieties (Potato News Today): Solynta just secured major venture debt financing from the European Investment Bank to fast-track its pioneering “true potato seeds” (TPS) technology. This hybrid breeding tech, distinctly non-GMO, enables rapid development of potato varieties that boast strong resistance to devastating diseases, and better resilience to climate change. Unlike bulky tubers that spoil easily, these tiny disease-free seeds also reduce transport and storage hassles. An agricultural upgrade for farmers worldwide, especially in vulnerable regions.
Our take: By moving away from traditional tuber propagation to lightweight, disease-free hybrid seeds, this technology addresses one of the most intractable problems in agriculture: how to breed disease-resistant, climate-resilient potatoes quickly and affordably, without relying on genetic modification. But this breeding method is about more than just spuds; it sows the seeds of global food security and greener, more sustainable farming.
🤑 AstraZeneca to invest $50bn in US by 2030 amid Trump tariff threats (The Guardian): In a high-stakes countermove to Trump’s looming 200% tariffs on imported drugs, AstraZeneca has pledged a massive multibillion-dollar investment, to expand drug and cell manufacturing stateside and hit its revenue targets of $80 billion by 2023 (and 50% of sales from the US). This is the latest example of pharmaceutical giants launching a costly charm offensive to cosy up to the White House, in a bid to shield themselves from future trade storms and tariffs.
Our take: AstraZeneca’s recent move is a power play forced by escalating trade threats. AZ’s CEO Pascal Soriot is doubling down on the US, aiming to fortify supply chains and tap into the world’s largest pharma market. But peel back the commercial optimism and you’ll find a strategic geopolitical chess move about preemptively insulating supply chains, securing US market access, and preserving pricing power.
💉 Sanofi to acquire next-generation vaccine biotech Vicebio for US$1.6 billion (Vice Bio): Sanofi is gaining Vicebio's proprietary Molecular Clamp tech, which locks viral proteins in their natural shape for ultra-stable, fully liquid, multivalent vaccines. This promises easier vaccine storage (no pesky freezing) and could change immunisation logistics worldwide, especially for vulnerable, hard-to-reach populations. Vicebio’s lead candidate, VXB-241, is a bivalent vaccine targeting two respiratory viruses that hit older adults and the immunocompromised hardest.
Our take: The Molecular Clamp technology keeps viral proteins in their natural shape – critical for triggering the right immune response – while allowing for fully liquid, shelf-stable formulations. No cold chain and no compromise on potency, which has operational consequences. Liquid, multivalent vaccines that don’t need freezing or storing at cool temperatures could dramatically reduce distribution costs and open up access in fragile health systems.
🦠 Fleming Fund closure threatens global efforts to fight antimicrobial resistance (Chemistry World): The UK government’s decision to scrap the £265 million Fleming Fund, a flagship program launched in 2015 to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in low- and middle-income countries, is raising alarm among global health experts. The Fund played a critical role in strengthening AMR surveillance, data sharing, and stewardship across 25 countries in Africa and Asia, regions expected to bear the brunt of AMR-related deaths by 2050.
Our take: The UK government’s decision to close the Fleming Fund raises important questions about the future of the UK’s role in global health. The decision, made to fund defence spending, signals a retreat from global leadership on AMR – just as G7 and WHO efforts call for renewed private-public coordination. Let’s not forget that AMR is a truly global health crisis that knows no borders, threatening millions of lives worldwide.
😴 Alkermes reports phase 2 narcolepsy win, advancing challenge to Takeda's blockbuster dream (Fierce Biotech): Alkermes’ alixorexton is a once-daily oral orexin-2 receptor agonist targeting narcolepsy type 1. The Vibrance-1 study demonstrated statistically significant improvements in wakefulness, along with meaningful relief from excessive daytime sleepiness, fatigue, and cognitive fog. Even better, the drug proved safe and well-tolerated – sidestepping the safety issues that tripped up competitors such as Centessa Pharmaceuticals and Jazz Pharmaceuticals.
Our take: Looks like with this new drug, there’ll be no more sleepwalking through life! Alkermes’ oral formulation has a more practical advantage over narcolepsy therapies which require more frequent dosing. As the company advances, its ability to differentiate alixorexton through dosing convenience, robust efficacy across symptom domains, and a clean safety profile will be critical in maintaining its lead over competitors like Takeda.
And finally…
🚫 Sarepta stops Elevidys shipments after standoff with FDA (BioPharmaDive): Sarepta Therapeutics has paused all US shipments of its Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene therapy Elevidys, following pressure from the FDA. Safety fears initially surged after two Duchenne patient’s died of acute liver failure following treatment with the gene therapy. However a third death appears to have sealed the deal, due to Sarepta’s decision not to immediately disclose it publicly.
Our take: Sarepta Therapeutics’ recent standoff with the FDA over Elevidys shipments lays bare deep cracks in the fragile trust between biotech companies and regulators, with patient safety hanging in the balance. The tragedy of three patient deaths – notably two linked directly to Elevidys and another connected to a different gene therapy in muscular dystrophy – should have sparked an immediate and unified response grounded in transparency and caution. Instead, what unfolded was a troubling dance of denial and delay that only intensified the crisis.
Tune in 🎧
♂️The Search for a new approach to male contraception: Male contraception has long lagged. Next Life Sciences aims to shake things up with Plan A, an innovative injectable hydrogel that blocks sperm by creating a barrier in the vas deferens.
🧠 Non-traditional leadership and knowledge sharing: The new edge in biotech: Jon Chee and Aaron Edwards discuss how unconventional career paths, smart use of tools like Notion and social media, and fostering authentic communities fuel innovation and success in biotech startups.
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🧫 29-31.07 | Designer Biology 2025 Conference | Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK: Join emerging and established scientists in bioengineering, synthetic biology, and biomaterials to discuss diverse applications, from protein engineering to the creation of functionalised materials.
🇵🇱 29–31.07 | BioTech 2025: International Conference on Biotech Innovation | Krakow, Poland: Biotechnology experts, scholars, entrepreneurs, and policymakers gather to discuss the latest advancements and applications of biotechnology across various industries.
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