Arcutis scoops up Ducentis and its lead asset DS-234, UC San Diego receives $150M earmarked for stem cell, regenerative medicine research and Arsenal and ILiAD reel in new funds.
Arcutis Biotherapeutics is buying Ducentis BioTherapeutics, UC San Diego receives a $150M gift earmarked for stem cell, regenerative medicine research and Arsenal and ILiAD reel in new funds.
Arcutis Scoops Up Ducentis for $30M
Commercial-stage immune-dermatology company Arcutis announced it is buying the privately held, preclinical biotech Ducentis. The agreement will see Arcutis hand over $16 million in cash and around $14 million in stocks in order to acquire Ducentis’ outstanding shares.
The buyout will give Arcutis access to Ducentis’ lead asset DS-234, a highly selective fusion protein that binds to the CD200 receptor. This action allows DS-234 to suppress the activity of inflammatory cells and, in turn, restore immune homeostasis. The CD200 receptor is a known therapeutic target for atopic dermatitis. In preclinical studies, Ducentis’ fusion candidate has already compared favorably against a clinically validated antibody targeting the receptor.
Ducentis CSO Dr. Rebecca Ashfield will join Arcutis as a consultant to facilitate knowledge transfer and the integration of ongoing projects. She will also take charge of future operations related to DS-234.
UC San Diego’s “Largest Single Gift” Earmarked for Stem Cell, Regenerative Medicine Research
After receiving a $150 million donation from businessman and philanthropist T. Denny Sandford, the University of California, San Diego, announced Tuesday it would use these funds to boost its stem cell and regenerative medicine research.
The stem cell studies, in particular, will be conducted aboard the International Space Station, allowing researchers to better understand the impacts of aging on stem cells and how this may prompt cells to become cancerous. Space-related research could yield better therapies not just for cancers but for diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, as well.
Sanford also donated $100 million in 2013, allowing UCSD to establish the Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center. His donations enabled UCSD to create the T. Denny Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion in 2019.
Arsenal’s Programmable Cell Therapies Win $220M in Series B
Arsenal Biosciences closed its Series B round of financing Tuesday and reported earnings of $220 million. The privately held company will use these proceeds to bolster research into its programmable cell therapies and deepen its pipeline of solid tumor candidates across a wide range of cancers. Arsenal gained new investors during the oversubscribed funding round, including Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Hitachi Ventures and Emerson Collective Investments.
Alongside its Series B round, the California-based company is preparing to initiate clinical studies for AB-1015, its lead candidate for ovarian cancer. Arsenal aims to clear an Investigational New Drug application and dose the first AB-1015 patient later this year.
Arsenal also welcomes Valentin (Vali) Barsan, M.D., attending pediatric oncologist at the Stanford University School of Medicine and an investor for SoftBank Investment Advisers, into its board of directors.
Class D Funding Pumps $42M into ILiAD’s Pertussis Shot
The company announced Tuesday that its recent Class D round of financing earned iLiAD Biotechnologies $42.8 million in proceeds. Family office hedge fund Knott Partners led the Class D round.
The New York biotech is channeling almost all of these funds into BPZE1, its next-generation pertussis vaccine candidate, establishing and improving the manufacturing process for BPZE1, as well as supporting its research and development.
In particular, the earnings will allow LiAD to proceed with a Phase IIb human challenge study to assess if BPZE1 can prevent the nasopharyngeal colonization of Bordetella pertussis.
To date, more than $100 million have already gone into the research and development of BPZE1. The candidate has cleared four human clinical studies and has been granted the FDA’s Fast Track designation.
ILiAD also plans on using its earnings to power its current operations.
