Leap Therapeutics, an immuno-oncology company, recently reversed merge with Macrocure to become a publicly traded company, and received an investment of $10MM from current investors in order to advance two antibodies – DKN-01, a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting the Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) protein on cancer cells, and TRX518, a humanized GITR agonist that augments T-cell responses against tumors. Continue reading
A Dutch biotechnology company called arGENX raised $54 MM in an IPO (initial public offering) yesterday to advance its antibody pipeline. Its lead product, ARGX-110 is in late Phase 1 studies for hematologic malignancies. It is an immune checkpoint control modulator that acts on the CD70/CD27 axis, which is part of the TNFR superfamily, not the CD28/B7 superfamliy of co-stimulatory molecules. Continue reading