In this week’s edition of InnovationRx, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment confirmed a human infection of avian flu in a dairy worker who had mild symptoms. This marks the fourth avian flu infection in cattle, but there have been no cases of human-to-human transmission. As a response to the outbreak, Moderna secured $176 million in federal funding to develop mRNA vaccines against H5N1, while GSK acquired mRNA vaccine candidates from CureVac in a deal worth up to $1.5 billion. These vaccines may be crucial if avian flu adapts to humans, as the current stockpile is only enough for 10 million doses.
Kanvas Biosciences, a biotech startup, raised $12.5 million in funding to research bacteria that could help fight cancer. The company aims to develop therapies that use microorganisms found in a patient’s microbiome to improve cancer treatments. By exploring specific interactions between bacteria and immune cells, Kanvas hopes to offer safer and more effective solutions for patients who do not respond well to current immunotherapies. The company plans to use the funding to advance its first drug candidate into clinical trials.
In pipeline and deal updates, K Health, a digital health company, raised $50 million to further develop its AI-powered chatbot for primary care patients. Beacon Therapeutics secured a $170 million Series B round to conduct clinical trials for gene therapies targeting retinal diseases. Holoclara received $16 million in funding to develop therapies derived from worm secretions for allergies and autoimmune disorders, while N-Power Medicine raised $72 million to improve patient care during clinical trials. Walmart sold its virtual care business MeMD to healthtech startup Fabric, and Walgreens Boots Alliance is looking to reduce its investment in medical clinic operator VillageMD.
The FDA recently approved Eli Lilly’s Alzheimer’s drug donanemab after years of delays. The drug was found to reduce the risk of disease progression by up to 39% in clinical trials. In other healthcare news, the Supreme Court will review the FDA’s restrictions on flavored e-cigarette products, a study found no major birth defects in babies born to mothers vaccinated with Pfizer or Moderna Covid vaccines, and researchers discovered an increased risk of a rare form of blindness in individuals using Ozempic or Wegovy. President Biden is proposing new standards to protect workers from extreme heat as temperatures continue to rise.
In related news across Forbes, applications to historically Black colleges are on the rise, top nuclear experts and ex-CIA officials are joining a high school graduate’s fusion startup, and Elon Musk proposed a solution to Tesla’s child labor concerns. Other articles of interest include a report on the varying responses to Ozempic for weight loss, research on the decline of cancer risk in old age, and an analysis of how the Supreme Court is affecting U.S. healthcare agencies.
