Reports + Research
Rakuten Aspyrian Raises $150 Million to Advance Photoimmunotherapy
The Series C round was led by Rakuten’s CEO, Hiroshi Mikitani, who has personally provided funding in the past. The company has raised approximately $238 million to date. The proceeds from the financing will be used to fund a phase 3 trial in head and neck cancer and the company’s photoimmunotherapy platform. The platform combines a biologic with laser activation to target hard-to-treat cancers.
UC San Diego to Test Novel Drug Combo to Treat Breast Cancer
UC San Diego researchers have started a phase 1b clinical trial to test cirmtuzumab, a novel monoclonal antibody, in combination with standard chemotherapy to treat metastatic breast cancer. Researchers will also be evaluating the combo treatment in locally advanced breast cancer that cannot be surgically removed. Cirmtuzumab was developed at UC San Diego with support from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) and the CIRM-funded Alpha Clinic at UC San Diego. CIRM is hoping to bring a ballot initiative to California voters in 2020 to continue funding.
Scripps Research Scientists Develop Inexpensive Urine Test for River Blindness
River blindness is caused by an infection of parasitic worms and affects millions of people in Africa and Latin America. If left untreated, people with the disease will slowly go blind. An inexpensive test, coupled with smart phone apps, could help public health officials and doctors to track outbreaks in real time and treat current infections. Currently, health officials rely mainly on mass administration of the drug Ivermectin to suppress and eventually eliminate transmission. But without a means to evaluate whether an infection is ongoing, it’s hard to tell if their efforts are working.
Molecular Assemblies Advances Novel Technology for DNA Data Storage
Molecular Assemblies announced last week a milestone in using enzymatic DNA synthesis to store and retrieve information. The world is quickly producing more data than can possibly be stored with conventional methods, and storing data in DNA offers a “limitless vault in a near sizeless space.” The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that Molecular Assemblies’ “storage and retrieval process will be needed to make the enzyme-based system feasible for large-scale use.”
Read + Listen
POW! Podcast of the Week
Everyone has it, but they key is knowing about it. That it is implicit bias, and one episode from Shankar Vedantam’s podcast, The Hidden Brain, delves into our own unconscious to bring bias to the conscious.
Events
It’s Happening Here
September 13
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati will be holding a two-hour seminar on IP for Entrepreneurs: Basics of Patent Law on September 13 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Biocom.
September 14
Life Science Career Exploration for Veterans will take place September 14 at The Alexandria.
Client disclosure: Molecular Assemblies, Scripps Research
Tags: Biotech, Biotech Briefing, Blogs, Breast Cancer, Medical Research, Medicine, Scripps, UCSD
