The biotech bi-weekly: novel therapeutic platforms to target obesity, environmentally friendly pesticide and the first AI lab assistant
In this edition, multiple partnerships bring together novel therapeutic platforms to tackle obesity, PCR-based diagnostics take center stage, an environmentally friendly pesticide secures an agri-biotech company its Series A funding and we introduce the world’s first AI lab assistant…
Products
A new assay and software for assessing how drugs impact lung function
Newcells Biotech (Newcastle, UK), a drug discovery partner that develops in vitro models and assay services for drug candidate screens, has released two complementary products with which to assess the beating of airway cilia. Utilizing the company’s small airway epithelial cell model, the new lung ciliary beat frequency analysis captures high-definition videos of the cilia in vitro.
The corresponding CiliaBeat software then analyses the videos to create datasets that can give an insight into the impact of a candidate drug on cilia function and mucus clearance, helping inform lead selection, toxicology, safety assessment and many more aspects of respiratory drug development.
Research-use-only diagnostics for mpox
As mpox continues to spread in Africa, Seegene (Seoul, South Korea) – a PCR molecular diagnostics company – will release a research-use-only PCR assay named Novaplex™ MPXV/OPXV plus Assay that can identify drivers of mpox, including non-variola Orthopoxvirus (OPXV) and mpox virus (MPXV), with the ability to distinguish between MPXV Clade I and 2.
The company has also released the Novaplex™ HSV-1&2/VZV/MPXV Assay to detect herpes simplex virus (HSV) Types 1 and 2, varicella-zoster virus (VZV) and MPXV. Both products released will comply with the target product profiles issued by the WHO.
The first AI-powered lab assistant?
Sapio Sciences (MD, USA), a lab informatics platform, has released an AI-powered lab assistant named ELaiN as a component of the platform’s services, which enables the use of conversational text or vocal prompts to ask the platform to conduct tasks that previously would have required code-, mouse- or menu-driven instructions.
Examples of the service’s capabilities include helping a medicinal chemist synthesize a new compound, or assisting a researcher design a complex experiment including complicated plate layouts.
What’s happening in the world of bioengineering?
Here, we outline the recent bioengineering feats that have contributed to our understanding of the human body as well as the importance of safe data-centric research.
Partnerships
Investment helps adjustable gene therapy platform for weight loss advance to Phase 1 clinical trials
Remedium Bio (MA, USA) is a biotechnology company developing a gene-therapy delivery platform named Prometheus™, which enables post-treatment dose adjustment administered by a single subcutaneous injection. The platform offers an alternative to the multiple injections required for many protein-based therapeutics, creating opportunities for cost saving and reducing issues such as post-injection concentration spikes, in favor of more consistent, long-term protein expression.
The company has recently secured an investment from the venture capital firm Lifespan Vision Ventures (CT, USA) to help develop the lead candidate, RMD-1202, which utilizes Prometheus™ to deliver a GLP-1 receptor agonist for the purpose of inducing weight loss. Having been shown to exert greater glycemic control and an improved insulin response when compared to daily GLP-1 injections, alongside a potential improvement in the safety and tolerability profiles in preclinical examinations, the company now wants to advance to Phase 1 Clinical trials.
Long non-coding RNA targeting platform captures the attention of Eli Lilly’s obesity drug development efforts
HAYA Therapeutics (Lausanne, Switzerland), a biotechnology company that has developed an RNA-guided regulatory genome-targeting therapeutic platform, has announced a partnership with Eli Lilly (IN, USA) to utilize its platform for the discovery of novel therapeutics for the treatment of obesity and metabolic conditions.
HAYA’s platform enables the targeting of tissue-, disease- and cell-specific long non-coding RNA by therapeutic candidates in order to modulate pathogenic cell states. The partnership could see HAYA receive a total of US$1 billion if specific pre-clinical, clinical and commercial milestones are met.
Environmentally friendly peptide-based pesticide attracts funding for UK agri-biotech company
Having developed nature-inspired pesticides that utilize naturally occurring proteins uniquely targeted to specific insect tissues, SOLASTA Bio (Glasgow, UK) has the capacity to tailor their pesticides to prevent insects laying eggs, suppress their appetite or eradicate them completely, without harming untargeted organisms.
With promising performance results that demonstrate parity with traditional pesticides, the company has completed its Series A funding round worth USD $14m
Variety is the splice of life: how biodiversity is transforming biotech
In this interview, Phoebe Oldach, the Head of the Global Research Team at Basecamp Research, discusses how Basecamp Research is turning to nature to help build a more representative protein database that will not only help address the pollution problem, but other global challenges as well.
People and publications
New grant opportunity for PCR diagnostic development projects
Seegene has launched the ‘Nature Awards MDx Impact Grants’, which awards grants of up to US$600,000 to successful applicants from around the world with proposals for novel PCR-based diagnostics for infectious diseases. Successful applicants can also expect access to Seegene’s syndromic PCR technology.
AI-forward biotech company appoints new Chair
Closed Loop Medicine (London, UK), a biotech company using AI, machine learning and personalized dosing to enhance drug development, has appointed a new Chair of their Board of Directors. Luba Greenwood is the Managing Partner of Binney Street Capital, a venture fund she founded, and comes with experience in a series of leadership roles in the business side of pharmaceutical and biotech companies.