Biotech’s double standard on biogenerics
(UPDATED: See below.)
Yesterday, the WSJ Health Blog cited a WSJ story as evidence that “biogenerics” — that is, generic versions of biotech drugs, which currently don’t exist — need to be treated with caution. Unfortunately, that post missed a much more important point about biogenerics: The double standard that the biotech industry holds when it comes to determining whether different batches of biotech drugs are equivalent or not. The subject is still widely misunderstood, thanks in… Continue Reading
Ceregene: Catching an updraft in gene therapy
(UPDATED: See below.)
Ceregene, a San Diego biotech at work on a gene therapy for Parkinson’s disease, has so far raised $28 million in a third funding round and last week struck a development partnership with Genzyme that resulted in a $25 million up-front payment and potential payments of another $125 million plus royalties.
Those are some surprisingly large numbers for gene therapy, the experimental practice of inserting new genes into the human body in hopes that their… Continue Reading
Applied Genetic Technologies gets $2M for gene therapy
Applied Genetic Technologies, an Alachua, Fla., gene-therapy developer, received a $2 million milestone payment from Genzyme.
The two companies are jointly developing a gene therapy for treating a form of blindness called age-related macular degeneration. The treatment uses an adeno-associated virus designed to deliver a gene to eye cells that, when activated, will disrupt a protein called VEGF that stimulates the growth of leaky blood vessels that contribute directly to blindness.
The milestone payment covered the… Continue Reading
Amicus Therapeutics aims for potentially disruptive $92M IPO
Amicus Therapeutics, a Cranbury, N.J., developer of drugs to treat rare genetic diseases, said it plans to raise as much as $92 million in an IPO — money that would fund its pursuit of new drugs for rare genetic diseases, a strategy could be disruptive for both medicine and the biotechnology landscape.
According to its SEC filing, Amicus plans to offer up to 5.75 million shares at a price of $14 to $16. The company’s market… Continue Reading