LUXEMBOURG — Eurofins Technologies announces the launch of its GSD NovaType II, its upgraded RT-PCR kit for the identification of mutations associated with SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern.

Idera Pharmaceuticals’ TLR9 agonist has failed to improve on Yervoy in a phase 3 melanoma trial. The miss on the objective response rate endpoint sent shares in Idera down 55%, but the biotech is yet to give up on the drug.

Medigene’s chief medical officer and chief development officer, Kai Pinkernell, M.D., is bidding the immuno-oncology biotech adieu. His departure comes two months after the company culled a blood cancer program and six months after it revealed it would cut its staff by about 25%.

Tumors need a variety of nutrients to grow, so it stands to reason that starving them of this sustenance could be a viable strategy for treating several types of cancer. Researchers at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute described two such strategies this week, one aimed at melanoma and the other at pancreatic cancer.

When biopharma companies out-license programs, they’re usually kissing them goodbye—unless, of course, their partner bails on the deal and hands them back the rights. In the same vein, GlaxoSmithKline is farming out a pair of early-stage assets to its partner Boston Pharmaceuticals to develop through proof of concept—except, if the programs wind up back at the British drugmaker, it will be a success.

After being encouraged by some early readouts, Gilead Sciences and Novo Nordisk are doubling down on their fatty liver R&D pact by kick-starting a midstage nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) combo trial later this year.

It’s that time when the company bought out by a parent files the saga with the SEC, and with Amgen and Five Prime Therapeutics, we found out Amgen was not the only interested party.

A small clinical trial has found no pattern of improvements in lung function in cystic fibrosis patients who received Translate Bio’s mRNA prospect MRT5005. The setback, which sent the biotech’s stock down 24%, was softened somewhat by evidence that repeated inhaled doses of mRNA are safe.

A pair of former bluebird bio executives are reuniting at Be Biopharma, a biotech developing B-cell therapies that launched last October. Joanne Smith-Farrell, Ph.D., is Be Bio’s new CEO, while Rick Morgan, Ph.D., takes the post of chief scientific officer.

Artificial intelligence (AI) drug design company Valence Discovery has entered into a drug discovery partnership with Repare Therapeutics, a collaboration driven toward the purpose of discovering and optimizing precision oncology treatment candidates.