GenEdit, Inc., a developer of genetic medicines that leverage its NanoGalaxy® platform for tissue-selective delivery, today announced a multiyear collaboration and license agreement with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group. The companies will employ GenEdit’s NanoGalaxy platform to discover and develop novel nanoparticles to deliver Genentech’s nucleic acid-based medicines for treatment of autoimmune disease.
Under the terms of the agreement, GenEdit will collaborate with Genentech to discover and develop hydrophilic nanoparticles (HNPs) that can be used to develop nucleic acid-based medicines for autoimmune indications. Genentech will be responsible for preclinical, clinical, and regulatory development as well as commercialization of products resulting from the use of GenEdit’s nanoparticles.
GenEdit will receive an upfront payment of $15 million and is eligible to receive up to $629 million in near-term, preclinical and clinical development, commercial, and net sales milestone payments over the course of the collaboration as well as tiered royalties on global net sales for resulting products.
WhileNovo Nordisk’s blockbuster obesity portfolio continues to rake in cash, the Danish pharma is looking to target a novel mechanism of action controlling appetite and body weight under a potential 235 million euros ($255 million) collaboration and license deal with Swiss biotech EraCal TherapeuticsannouncedTuesday.
Under the agreement, Novo Nordisk has obtained all exclusive rights to develop and commercialize EraCal’s oral small molecule asset to control appetite and body weight with an eye toward treating obesity. In return, EraCal will receive upfront, development, and commercial milestones of the asset for potentially $255 million and royalties on sales once the product hits the market.
“This is an important agreement for EraCal Therapeutics as it showcases the team’s capabilities to identify new mechanisms of action and to discover and develop small molecules to target these biological pathways,” EraCal CEO Josua Jordi said in a statement. “We consider Novo Nordisk the ideal partner to bring this program to patients and are excited to join forces to lead innovation.”
EraCal and Novo Nordisk have been working together since 2022. The two companies entered a research collaboration to find drug targets for food intake regulation and other metabolic phenotypes. The partnership called for both companies to investigate new molecules that can act against obesity. These included zebrafish larvae, which EraCal billed as an “emerging” drug discovery platform to find new targets.
“EraCal Therapeutics brings a unique drug discovery approach for obesity and other metabolic diseases,” Bei Zhang, therapeutic area head of diabetes, obesity, and MASH at Novo Nordisk, said in a statement. “We look forward to working with the EraCal team to realize the value of their platform and discover innovative medicines for people living with obesity.”
While the Danish pharma has seen blockbuster success in the obesity field with weight-loss therapy Wegovy (semaglutide), that has not stopped Novo Nordisk from searching for other drug targets for the condition. In 2021, Novo partnered with Seattle-based Lumen Biosciences to find R&D targets within obesity.
Novo’s search for additional targets comes as it is staring down competition in the obesity space as Eli Lilly is on its heels with its own recently approved weight-loss drug Zepbound and other large pharma companies kicking off major trials and R&D efforts to get into the lucrative market.
Obtained clarity from U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on next steps to advance ONS-5010
NORSE EIGHT expected to commence in the first quarter of CY2024, enabling potential resubmission of the ONS-5010 Biologics License Application (BLA) by the end of CY2024
Private placements to top tier institutional investors and insiders include up to $65 million in common stock and up to an additional $107 million upon cash exercise of warrants, subject to closing conditions
Aggregate financing, subject to achievement of milestones, is expected to be sufficient to take ONS-5010 through potential FDA approval and fund commercial launch
The U.S. border patrol made 2.5 million migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border in fiscal year 2023, an all-time high.
Congressional budget justification FY2022 and FY2023 (numbers in the thousands) for Refugee and Entrant Assistance, The Administration of Children and Families (ACF).
White House officials were cited in a New York Times piece describing that it's"only a matter of time" before American troops are killed in Iraq or Syria as Iran-linked militant groups continue launching rockets and drones on US bases and positions. The report begins with this: "Another day, another barrage of rockets and another spark that American officials fear could set off a wildfire of violence across the Middle East"—and then transitions to the following astounding andfrank admission:
The latest attack on American troops in the region over the weekend resulted in no deaths, but President Biden and his advisers worry that it is only a matter of time. Whenever a report of a strike arrives at the White House Situation Room, officials wonder whether this will be the one that forces a more decisive retaliation and results in a broader regional war.
The report goes on the suggest that Iran could be hit hard in a direct US response in the scenario of American troops being killed. This would of course raise the likelihood of broader regional war, and an expanse of US intervention in the Middle East.
Speaking of the internal Biden administration debate, the Times report says, "They (admin officials) do not want to let such attacks go without a response, but on the other hand do not want to go so far that the conflict would escalate into a full-fledged war, particularly by striking Iran directly." However, "They privately say they may have no choice, however, if American troops are killed."
And then this surprise emphasis: "That is a red line that has not been crossed, but if the Iranian-backed militias ever have a day of better aim or better luck, it easily could be."
As of last weekend, international reports tallied that already at least 140 attacks have been launched on US troops in Iraq and Syria since the start of Israel's Gaza offensive. Further this has included "nearly 70 U.S. personnel wounded, some of them suffering traumatic brain injuries"—but the majority of cases are considered minor.
On the question of whether the White House might give the order to attack Iran directly, this is anything but clear give it would be unprecedented. So far both sides have been fighting via proxy, for example in the context of the Syria war.
The US might instead choose to continue conducting airstrikes or major missile attacks on either locations in Iraq or Syria, targeting 'pro-Iranian groups', such as the Iraqi popular mobilization units.
Regardless, as the developing crisis in the Red Sea demonstrates, at this point a mere tit-for-tat slow escalation scenario is unlikely to deter the ongoing attacks on US positions in Syria and Iraq. However, a tiny minority of Congressmen have pointed out that the problem won't exist at all in Iraq and Syria if Washington brings the troops home.
H&M pulled an ad for school uniforms that featured two young schoolgirls with the tag line “make those heads turn” after being accused of “promoting pedophilia.”
The promo shows two young girls who appear to be no older than 12 years of age wearing matching school uniforms that consist of white shirts, dark gray pinafores and pink book bags.
The girls are wearing the uniforms while posing against the backdrop of what appears to be a school bus decked out in pink decor.
“Make those heads turn in H&M’s Back to School fashion,” the ad reads.
H&M was blasted on social media for sexualizing the girls, leading the company to yank the ad over the weekend.
“This ad has been removed,” the company wrote on its official X account.
“We are deeply sorry for the offense this has caused and will look into how we present campaigns going forward.”
Melinda Tankard Reist, an Australian media commentator who opines on feminism, called out the retailer after noticing the ad on Facebook.
“What is your intention with this sponsored Facebook ad?” Tankard Reist wrote on her X social media account.
H&M, the Swedish clothing retailer, was accused of “promoting pedophilia” with the ad featuring two young girls.REUTERS
“Little schoolgirls generally don’t want to ‘turn heads’,” the author added.
Tankard Reist urged H&M to “have a word to your marketing team and come up with something that doesn’t draw attention to prepubescent girls already struggling to thrive in a culture that values ‘lookism’ as an aspirational goal.”
Others on social media agreed with the author. One X commenter accused H&M of “promoting pedophilia.”
“This is absolutely creepy. Take it down,” another X user wrote.
H&M said it removed the ad after backlash.H&M
Another commenter on X wrote: “Stop objectifying and sexualizing little girls, these models look no more than SIX YEARS OLD. Take it down.”
