Biopharma Speed Dating: Hillstar Bio, Merck, Jiangsu Hengrui, Sanofi, Kraig Biocraft, UNITY
A quick look at some of today’s top biopharma stories
Hillstar Bio Launches with $67M Series A
Hillstar Bio launched in Boston after a successful $67 million Series A financing round. The round was led by a syndicate of investors from the U.S., EU and Asia, including Droia Ventures, Frazier Life Sciences, Novo Holdings, LifeArc Ventures, and Hummingbird Biosciences. Hillstar plans to use the fund to advance its TRBV9 program through proof-of-concept in axial spondyloarthritis and a broader pipeline. The company’s tech platform targets and depletes pathogenic immune cells with the possibility of resetting the immune system.
Merck Inks Licensing Deal with Jiangsu Hengrui for Lipoprotein Inhibitor
Merck signed a licensing deal for HRS-5346 with Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceutical Co. The drug is an oral small molecule lipoprotein(a) inhibitor being studied in a Phase II trial in China. Merck picked up rights to develop and commercialize the drug globally outside of Greater China. Merck paid Hengrui Pharma $200 million upfront. Hengrui will be eligible for up to $1.77 billion in various milestones as well as royalties on net sales.
FDA Accepts Sanofi’s Tolebrutinib for Priority Review for MS
The U.S. FDA accepted Paris-based Sanofi’s regulatory submission for tolebrutinib for non-relapsing secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (nrSPMS) and to slow disability accumulation independent of relapse activity in adult patients. The PDUFA date is September 28, 2025. The regulatory submissions are supported by data from the Phase III HERCULES, GEMINI 1 and GEMINI 2 studies.
Kraig Biocraft Sets World Record for Largest Spider Silk Gene Insert
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories (Ann Arbor, MI) announced it had successfully engineered the largest known spider silk gene insert into silkworm, almost doubling the previous record. The goal is to create next-generation spider silk fibers with better strength, flexibility, and performance potential. The company focuses on creating high-performance and technical fibers, such as spider silk, that have a wide range of military, industrial, and consumer applications, including ballistic protection and technical textiles.
UNITY Biotechnology Announces Topline Data from Phase IIb Diabetic Macular Edema Trial
UNITY Biotechnology (South San Francisco) announced results from the Phase IIb ASPIRE trial of intravitreal UBX1325 in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) who had poor vision despite previous anti-VEGF treatment. The drug improved visual acuity of over 5 letters from baseline at weeks 24 and 36 and had non-inferiority to aflibercept at 9 out of 10 time points through 36 weeks, except for the average of weeks 20 and 24. UBX1325 is a potent small molecule inhibitor of BCL-xL, a member of the BCL-2 family of apoptosis regulating proteins.