#59 - Cell-ebrate good times, come on!
The coffee break biotech roundup, by SomX.
Greetings cell innovators!
This week, prepare to be amazed: AI models are now digitally simulating living cells, Puerto Rico is morphing into a biotech innovation hub, a new Alzheimer's treatment offers hope without dangerous bleed risk, Prasad's shock FDA return is making waves with biotech share prices, and Bayer and Kumquat Biosciences are teaming up for a cancer collaboration.
Until the next cell cycle,
Dodo
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Discover 🔍
🤑 Biotech startup Tahoe Therapeutics raised $30 million to build AI models of living cells (Forbes): The holy grail of biology – simulating a living cell – has been out of reach due to scarce, high‑quality data. But Tahoe Therapeutics thinks it’s cracked the problem. This year, in a “Mars landing moment” for single‑cell data, the startup dropped Tahoe‑100M, a massive dataset of 100 million datapoints mapping how cancer cells from many patient types respond to 1,000+ molecules.
Our take: Tahoe Therapeutics’ ambitious push addresses a critical bottleneck: the scarcity of high-quality data needed to train accurate virtual cell models. Their foundational dataset has already doubled prediction accuracy in external models, signalling a major leap forward in simulating complex cellular responses. Their next goal? Building a dataset with over a billion single-cell datapoints. Not too shabby!
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico’s ongoing journey from manufacturing hub to innovation enterprise (PharmaVoice): Puerto Rico has long been Big Pharma’s US stronghold, with giants like J&J, Amgen, and BMS exporting $50B+ in life sciences products annually. Now, with increasing tariffs for India and China, the island is seizing the moment as a biotech innovation magnet – with affordable infrastructure, deep pharma expertise, and lucrative tax incentives (up to 50% R&D credits) aiming to tempt more drugmaking industry to its shores.
Our take: Puerto Rico's transformation into a vibrant biotech innovation enterprise is both timely and strategic. As global supply chains face disruptions, Puerto Rico is a compelling alternative. Companies like CytoImmune Therapeutics and Ceria Therapeutics – which focus on advanced biotechnologies such as cell and gene therapies – have already moved ,and are embracing next-gen treatments and clinical trials. Who will be the next to follow?
🧠 Denali antibody clears amyloid plaques without dangerous brain bleeds in Alzheimer's mouse model (Fierce Pharma): Ever since Biogen and Eisai’s controversial Aduhelm debut in 2021, anti-amyloid drugs for Alzheimer’s have been overshadowed by a dangerous side effect known as ARIA, or brain bleeding. Now, Denali Therapeutics says it may have solved this conundrum. Their new antibody crosses the blood-brain barrier by hitching a ride on transferrin receptors, nature’s iron delivery system, and wipes out amyloid plaques in mice without signs of vessel leakage.
Our take: Denali Therapeutics may have cracked two of the biggest hurdles in Alzheimer’s drug development: getting antibodies deep into the brain and avoiding the dangerous brain bleeds that have plagued past treatments. If it works in humans, this isn’t just a step forward for Alzheimer’s; it’s a potential platform for delivering a whole new class of targeted brain therapies.
⏪ Prasad’s shock FDA return reignites regulatory uncertainty (Pharmaceutical Technology): In a dramatic twist, Vinay Prasad resigned as head of the FDA’s Centre for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) on July 29 amid heated political backlash and social media attacks over his handling of Sarepta’s Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene therapy. But just two weeks later – at the FDA’s request – he’s back in charge, with Commissioner Marty Makary seemingly willing to weather political storms for his ally.
Our take: Prasad’s regulatory style, demanding rigorous evidence over surrogate endpoints for accelerated approvals, ruffled feathers, and injected volatility –especially in the cell and gene therapy sector. His departure briefly buoyed biotech stocks, but his return sent shares tumbling again. Experts speculate Prasad may now temper his approach and pursue change more incrementally, but his presence remains politically charged.
And finally…
🦀 Bayer, Kumquat target KRAS variant in up-to-$1.3B+ cancer collaboration (GEN): The dynamic duo aims to co‑develop Kumquat’s KRAS G12D inhibitor, a first‑in‑class precision oncology candidate now cleared by the FDA to enter human trials. The deal, made up of upfront, milestone, and royalty payments, targets one of the toughest mutations in cancer. KRAS mutations are linked to ~37% of pancreatic, 13% of colorectal, and 4% of lung cancers, all with limited treatment options and poor survival rates.
Our take: The KRAS G12D race is heating up, with AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, and others joining the race. The scarcity of G12D clinical programs is no longer about lack of interest but hard lessons in delivery, selectivity, and the tumour microenvironment. Kumquat’s platform may solve these challenges, which is maybe why Bayer jumped in early, betting big on its potential to outpace rivals.
Tune in 🎧
🧬 How and why the UK is betting on whole genome sequencing for every newborn: Neil Ward of PacBio considers the UK’s decision to sequence every newborn's DNA, and the questions this raises over privacy, consent and cost.
💊 Preventing opioids from countering the benefits of cancer immunotherapies: Glycyx Therapeutics is developing axelopran, an experimental drug designed to block the negative effects of opioids on the immune system – without interfering with their pain-relieving properties.
⌛ Glyphosate 10 years after IARC: Glyphosate's classification as a probable human carcinogen by IARC faces critique from Dr. Robert Tarone, who highlights flaws in the evaluation process and challenges the evidence linking glyphosate to cancer.
💉 mRNA vs MAHA: This episode explores RFK Jr.'s decision to cut mRNA vaccine contracts at HHD – a move that signals a dramatic departure from the Trump administration's initiatives, and ignites a broader discussion about the future of mRNA technology and public health.
Apply ✍️
🧪 Synthetic Chemist, Quotient Sciences: Are you a regulatory guru with a penchant for procedure? In this role you’ll manage synthesis projects ensuring compliance with IRR17 and GMP guidelines.
🧫 Quality Control Sterility Microbiologist, oxfordbiom: Want to be the gatekeeper of product safety? Test raw materials, monitor environments, check sterility, and track stability to ensure only top-quality, regulation-ready products make it to release.
🧑🔬 Principal Scientist I Analytical Development & Validation, Immunocore: Ready to shape analytical strategy? Lead ICH-compliant assay validation, develop advanced biophysical methods, and deliver data and regulatory docs that power Immunocore’s drug pipeline.
RSVP 📆
🧑🔬 18-21.08 | The Bioprocessing Summit | Boston, USA: A global community of thought leaders and innovators will gather to discuss cutting-edge research, share insights, and tackle challenges across bioprocess R&D, scale-up, quality and analytics.
💂🏻♂️20–21.08 | 15th International Conference on Biotechnology | London, UK: Researchers and industry leaders will explore breakthroughs ranging from genetic and tissue engineering to nanobiotechnology and pharma innovation.
🥐 31–23.08 | 11th International Conference on Bioengineering and Biotechnology | Paris, France: This hybrid gathering offers in-person and reduced-fee virtual attendance, enabling global bioengineers and biotechnologists to present, discuss and network.
We’re SomX – a communications and creative agency trusted by biotech, pharma and healthtech pioneers. We craft strategy, content, PR and design that translate complex biology into compelling stories and investor‑ready excitement. Get in touch to amplify your science beyond the lab bench.