Immunology

France’s Provepharm Life Solutions, which finds new uses for known mature molecules, in particular antidotes and surgical dyes, by improving their efficacy and maximizing their therapeutic potential, has fresh funds to expand its portfolio.

Analysts who felt Sanofi paid way over the odds when splashing out $3.7bn to buy Principia last year will be feeling justified in that stance after one of the oral BTK inhibitors acquired, rilzabrutinib, proved to be no more effective than placebo in a Phase III trial.

Sanofi’s $1.9bn cash purchase of Kadmon surprised many analysts, coming as a bolt-on for the French pharma’s general medicines transplant portfolio rather than its specialty care pipeline, but the overall view was that it made sense.

With a CD8-targeting IL-2 mutein as its lead program, the start-up is developing cis-targeted immunotherapies that selectively target two molecules on the same immune cell for improved efficacy and safety.

Pfizer, AbbVie and Lilly will face new safety restrictions on Xeljanz, Rinvoq and Olumiant. Indication expansion remains uncertain, while first-line use appears out of the question.

Only top-line data were released by Pfizer, and the safety of abrocitinib, like other JAK inhibitors, could remain an issue.

EQRx has raised at least $750m since it launched in January 2020 and will have $2bn to fund its ongoing development of low-cost drugs after merging with a special purpose acquisition corporation.

The company will determine whether a single administration of autologous regulatory T-cells (T_regs) can reset and restore immune tolerance in autoimmune, inflammatory and neuroinflammatory diseases.

Fears that US regulators would take issue with AstraZeneca's decision to change the endpoints of a second pivotal trial for anifrolumab were unfounded and the first-in-class type I interferon inhibitor is the first new treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus in more than 10 years.

The psoriasis market is a tough one for bimekizumab to crack but UCB head of immunology Emmanuel Caeymaex believes the clinical package and investment in promotion will see the IL-17A and IL-17F inhibitor topple its rivals.

Sanofi’s sales grew strongly in the second quarter, driven by the immunologic Dupixent and its vaccines business, with the company also reporting success in a further potential indication for the product, chronic spontaneous urticaria. The big pharma has raised its EPS guidance for the year.

The company plans an intensive review to determine the path forward for SER-287. A similar deep dive led to the successful revival of its C. difficile drug, SER-109, which it plans to submit for approval.