Bits In Bio Weekly - November 19th 2024
Updates From and Around the Bits in Bio Community
📢 Highlights
Boltz-1 To bring AlphaFold-Level Biomolecular Modeling to the Masses
Forbion’s €2 Billion Fund Redefines Biotech Investment in Europe
BioNTech and Its Partners Put >$3 Billion in Bispecific Oncology Innovations
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Boltz-1 : Democratizing Biomolecular Interaction Modeling
The efforts in biomolecular prediction models continue as MIT researchers have released this week boltz-1, a new open-source model said to achieve AlphaFold3-level accuracy in predicting the 3D structures of biomolecular complexes. The model integrates pocket-conditioning for binding site predictions and computational efficiency with robust cropping strategies for structural data. The model and code have been released with an MIT License, and can be freely used for both academic and commercial purposes.
Europe’s Biotech Industry Gets Boost with Record €2 Billion Fund
The marquee finance group, Forbion, has secured over €2 billion for its Growth Opportunities and Ventures funds, making it the largest biotech-focused fundraise in Europe to date. The capital will support approximately 30 companies, targeting both late-stage clinical programs and early-stage biotech innovations. Forbion’s strategic investments aim to address unmet medical needs, including oncology and rare diseases, while strengthening Europe’s competitive edge in life sciences. Notably, past Forbion-backed companies have achieved successful exits, positioning the firm as a leading investor in biotech growth, leading some to compare them to the like of Arch Venture Partners and other Boston area titans.
Behind the Deal: Merck and BioNTech Double Down on the Immuno-Oncology Arms Race
Last week, Merck and BioNTech made large investments in PD-(L)1xVEGF bispecific antibodies, responding to escalating competition in immuno-oncology. Merck committed $588 million upfront with an additional $2.7 billion long term, to acquire global rights to LaNova Medicines’ LM-299, a bispecific antibody targeting PD-1 and VEGF, which promises to solve resistance mechanisms in existing therapies like Keytruda. Merck’s outlay, reflects the high stakes involved: Keytruda generated $25 billion in 2023 but faces biosimilar threats and emerging competition. Simultaneously, BioNTech acquired Biotheus for $800 million, securing full control over BNT327, a PD-L1xVEGF bispecific. This acquisition enables BioNTech to advance BNT327 as a potential new standard of care across multiple cancers. The gold rush in the market was further unleashed in September by the news that Akeso and Summit Therapeutics prospect ivonescimab had beaten Merck & Co.’s Keytruda.Collectively, These deals show how innovation is needed sustain competitive positions in oncology. Merck’s defensive strategy protects its dominant position, while BioNTech’s acquisition signals bold ambitions to challenge the status quo. The immuno-oncology market is lucrative due to its rapid growth off the back of increasing cancer incidence, expanding indications, and high unmet medical needs for resistant tumors. For investors, the evolving immuno-oncology landscape promises high risks but potentially massive rewards.
$70M Venture Fund Aims to Back Innovative Cancer Biotechs
The well known prominent VC firm, Jupiter, has announced the creation of a $70 million fund to support startups focused on oncology innovation. The fund aims to identify and nurture biotechs with promising early-stage cancer therapies, particularly in immuno-oncology and precision medicine. By leveraging its deep industry connections, Jupiter plans to provide both financial backing and operational expertise to accelerate clinical milestones. This initiative comes amid rising investment in oncology, which continues to dominate biopharma pipelines globally, with over 40% of all drugs in development targeting cancer treatments.
atbody™ Platform Brings Novel ADCs Closer to Clinical Reality
Belgium-based atbTherapeutics has unveiled its innovative atbody™ platform, which combines antibodies with potent cytotoxic payloads for highly targeted cancer therapy. The platform enhances antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) by improving their specificity and reducing off-target effects. The company’s preclinical pipeline focuses on hematologic malignancies and solid tumors, with lead candidates expected to enter clinical trials by 2025. With the ADC market projected to surpass $20 billion annually by 2027, atb Therapeutics is well-positioned to address significant therapeutic gaps in oncology.
New Funding to Drive TRexBio’s Immune-Modulating Therapies
TRexBio has secured $84 million in Series B funding to advance its pipeline of immune-modulation therapies targeting tissue-specific regulatory T cells (Tregs). These therapies aim to treat chronic inflammatory diseases by suppressing immune responses in affected tissues without inducing systemic immunosuppression. Lead programs are expected to enter clinical trials in 2024, with indications including rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. The funding will also support platform advancements, further enabling precision immunology approaches for difficult-to-treat conditions.
Leading Weight Loss Biotech, Metsera, bolstered with $215M Series B
Metsera has raised $215 million in Series B funding following promising Phase 1 data for its lead obesity treatment, which targets novel metabolic pathways to enhance weight loss. The therapy demonstrated significant weight reduction without the adverse side effects associated with traditional treatments. The funding will accelerate late-stage clinical trials and expand Metsera’s pipeline to address related metabolic disorders. With obesity rates affecting over 40% of adults in the U.S., Metsera aims to address this growing global health challenge through innovative therapeutics.
Trogenix’s Precision Gene Therapy Platform Enters Spotlight
Scotland-based Trogenix has emerged from stealth mode with a precision gene therapy platform aimed at targeting oncogenic mutations with unmatched specificity. The platform employs CRISPR-based editing to develop therapies for cancers like glioblastoma and triple-negative breast cancer. Early preclinical studies show promising efficacy, with plans to initiate Phase 1 trials by 2025. The technology’s ability to address genetic drivers of aggressive cancers positions Trogenix as a pioneer in next-generation oncology therapeutics.
NVIDIA Pushes Boundaries in Computational Biology with BioNeMo
AI hardware and cloud service titan NVIDIA has re-launched BioNeMo as an open-source framework, retaining its design intention for accelerating AI-driven applications in digital biology. The platform supports tasks like protein folding, molecular simulations, and generative AI modeling for drug discovery, leveraging NVIDIA’s high-performance supercomputing capabilities. Early adopters include top biopharma companies and academic institutions using BioNeMo to address challenges in biologics discovery and large-scale molecular research. With the global biopharma industry increasingly relying on AI, BioNeMo offers a scalable solution for computational biology advancements.
$745M Agreement Expands Novartis’s Radiopharmaceutical Portfolio
Novartis has signed a $745 million licensing agreement with Ratio Therapeutics to expand its radiopharmaceutical pipeline. The deal focuses on Ratio’s lead alpha-emitting radiotherapeutic candidate, targeting specific cancer types with high precision. This acquisition builds on Novartis’s existing success with Lutathera and Pluvicto, which have established its dominance in the radiopharmaceutical market. The transaction underscores Novartis’s commitment to advancing targeted cancer therapies with breakthrough modalities.
Arc Institute’s Evo Science Tackles Mutation-Driven Challenges
THe Bay Area based nonprofit, Arc Institute has launched the Evo Science initiative to study adaptive evolution in real time using a combination of experimental and computational methods. Current projects focus on understanding antibiotic resistance mechanisms in bacteria and tracking adaptive mutations in cancer cells. The program integrates synthetic biology and machine learning to reveal new insights into complex biological systems. By bridging experimental and computational approaches, Evo Science aims to accelerate discoveries in drug resistance and mutation-driven diseases.
Sanofi and Healx Partner on Rare Disease AI Innovation
A leader amongst big pharma in data hygiene and , Sanofi has partnered with Healx to utilize AI for the identification of novel treatments for rare diseases. Healx’s proprietary platform combines multi-omics data with deep learning to predict potential indications for existing drug candidates. The partnership will initially target several rare disease indications, with plans to expand into other underserved areas. Though details on the deal have been very limited, we can trust that the collaboration highlights the growing role of AI in uncovering solutions for diseases with limited therapeutic options.
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