Biologic Drugs in Development

Teva Pharmaceuticals has entered a global licensing agreement with Polpharma Biologics for exclusive commercialization rights to a proposed biosimilar of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), the CD20-targeted monoclonal antibody used to treat relapsing and primary progressive multiple sclerosis.

FT839, Fate Therapeutics' off-the-shelf, iPSC-derived CAR T-cell candidate co-targeting CD19 and CD38, has received FDA IND clearance and will advance into a phase 1/2 basket trial designed to treat multiple autoimmune diseases without conditioning chemotherapy.

Chemomab Therapeutics and Scipher Medicine will merge to advance nebokitug, a first-in-class anti-CCL24 monoclonal antibody, into a precision medicine Phase 2 trial in rheumatoid arthritis guided by Scipher's PrismRA test and AI Network Medicine platform.

As part of BioPharm International's continuing coverage from the BIO International Convention 2026, Sara Jane Demy, CEO of Demy-Colton, discusses how artificial intelligence, global collaboration, and renewed investment could help improve drug development success rates and accelerate innovation.

As part of BioPharm International's continuing coverage from the BIO International Convention 2026, Sara Jane Demy discusses signs of renewed investment activity and why inclusive scientific leadership remains essential to advancing drug development.

Vaccinex will present new biomarker data from the Phase 1b/2 SIGNAL-AD trial of pepinemab — a humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibody targeting Semaphorin 4D — at AAIC 2026 in London on July 13, showing that SEMA4D blockade regulates glial biomarkers associated with disease progression in early Alzheimer's disease, while outlining plans for an enlarged Phase 2b SIGNAL-AD2 study.

The FDA has approved an expanded indication for Wilate (von Willebrand Factor/Coagulation Factor VIII Complex, Human) to include routine prophylaxis in children younger than 6 years with von Willebrand disease — the first FDA-approved option for this age group — based on phase 3 WIL-33 trial data showing significantly reduced bleeding episodes in young pediatric patients.

The FDA has granted accelerated approval to Trutakna, a recombinant fusion protein that simultaneously inhibits BAFF and APRIL, for adults with primary IgA nephropathy at risk for disease progression — marking the first approval of a dual BAFF/APRIL inhibitor in the US and a significant advance in the growing wave of targeted biologics for this immune-mediated kidney disease.

Kenai Therapeutics has completed enrollment in the Phase 1b/2a REPLACE trial of RNDP-001, an allogeneic iPSC-derived dopaminergic neuron replacement therapy for idiopathic Parkinson's disease, with safety and preliminary efficacy data expected in 2027 — representing a significant step toward a potential disease-modifying cell therapy for a condition affecting more than 10 million people worldwide.

LTZ Therapeutics has received FDA IND clearance for LTZ-232, a first-in-class bispecific antibody designed to activate tumor-associated macrophages to phagocytose EpCAM-positive colorectal cancer cells — a novel myeloid-engaging approach aimed at overcoming the immunologically cold tumor microenvironment that has historically limited immunotherapy in this setting.

Biocytogen and Whitehawk Therapeutics have announced a global collaboration combining Biocytogen's RenLite bispecific antibody discovery platform with Whitehawk's CPT113-based ADC linker-payload technology to generate bispecific ADC candidates with differentiated tumor-targeting profiles — with Whitehawk targeting new ADC INDs within 12 to 24 months.

The European Commission has approved Tepkinly in combination with lenalidomide and rituximab for adults with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma after at least two prior systemic therapies, based on Phase 3 EPCORE FL-1 data showing a 79% reduction in risk of disease progression or death — marking the first bispecific antibody-based combination regimen approved in Europe for this indication.

Three-year follow-up data from Agenus' Phase 2 trial of botensilimab plus balstilimab in refractory microsatellite-stable metastatic colorectal cancer show a 33% overall survival rate at three years — with evidence of a plateau on the Kaplan-Meier curve beyond two years — representing an unprecedented durability signal in a tumor type historically resistant to immune checkpoint therapy.

CNS monoclonal antibody therapies demand rigorous screening and monitoring to ensure patient safety in MS, NMOSD, and Alzheimer disease.

92Bio, Inc. has dosed the first patient in a Phase 1 trial of NTB-928, a fully human bispecific T-cell engager targeting FOLR1 and CD3, designed to selectively kill FOLR1-overexpressing ovarian cancer cells while sparing normal tissue — addressing a key limitation of prior FOLR1-directed therapies in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.

BIO 2026 highlighted biotech's resurgence through M&A dealmaking, CDMO diversification, and renewed investor confidence in biopharma development.

Speaking at BIO 2026, Kasper Øland, Samsung Biologics' vice president of sales execution, emphasizes how complex molecules now exceed 55% of the company’s pipeline as biotechs demand faster, more flexible CDMO partnerships.

FDA reported that the PRECISION-T trial showed 78% chronic GVHD-free survival at 1 year versus 38.4% with standard transplant and granted the approval to Orca Biosystems, making the therapy the first Treg cell–based therapy in blood cancers.

At BIO International Convention 2026, Sara-Jane Demy discusses improving biotech investment, renewed NIH support for emerging companies, and why capital access remains one of the industry's biggest priorities.

The European Investment Bank-backed investment establishes a new single-use GMP facility with which Icosagen can support complex protein therapeutics from early discovery through phase 1/2 clinical manufacturing.

The FDA has accepted Sarepta's supplemental New Drug Applications seeking to convert casimersen (Amondys 45) and golodirsen (Vyondys 53) from accelerated to traditional approval in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, with a PDUFA target action date of February 28, 2027, backed by ESSENCE confirmatory trial data and years of real-world evidence.

The FDA has granted priority review to Genentech's sBLA for Enspryng (satralizumab), an IL-6 receptor-targeting monoclonal antibody, as a potential first at-home subcutaneous treatment for thyroid eye disease, based on Phase III SatraGO data showing significant proptosis reduction, with an FDA decision expected by October 15, 2026.

ADC Therapeutics has completed enrollment of 100 patients in the Phase 1b LOTIS-7 trial evaluating loncastuximab tesirine-lpyl plus the bispecific antibody glofitamab in relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, with full data expected in Q4 2026 following earlier results showing an 89.8% overall response rate.

From his presentation at BIO 2026, Infinimune CEO Dr Wyatt McDonnell makes the case for how human-derived antibodies and human-trained AI models eliminate species translation failure and compress time to IND.

52-abstract package includes first reported real-world at-home subcutaneous administration data and phase 2 combination findings with anti-tau antibody.