Ofev’s expanded use; Arkin Bio-Ventures II launch; USD 125 M for COVID-19 treatment

Boehringer Ingelheim’s Ofev (nintedanib) has received FDA recommendation for the treatment of chronic fibrosing interstitial lung diseases (ILD) with a progressive phenotype

Interstitial Lung Disease – ILD – a group of a large number of lung disorders resulting in scarring or fibrosis of lungs, caused by conditions such as autoimmune ILD, hypersensitivity pneumonitis and idiopathic nonspecific interstitial pneumonia. Referred to a group of more than 100 lung disorders, chronic fibrosing Interstitial lung disease is characterized by inflammation and lung scarring, making it hard for lungs to receive enough oxygen.  

The first-ever drug Ofev is an oral treatment, already approved for the patients suffering from Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and extended for systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD). Moreover, the drug is under trials for treating different forms of cancers such as non-small cell lung cancer, ovarian cancer, and colorectal cancer.

The company, besides hosting a number of trials to test its product, is also partnering with other pharma companies to target fibrotic diseases.  Recently, Boehringer has acquired with Enleofen’s preclinical interleukin-11 (IL-11) platform to develop first-in-class therapies for a spectrum of fibrotic diseases.

Arkin Holdings has launched Arkin Bio-Ventures II – a new Life science investment fund, raising USD 140 Million

The fund is supported by Arkin Holdings itself, along with two of the largest institutional investors comprising Migdal and Phoenix Group.

An Israel-based Life Science investment company, Arkin plans to support pharma and biotech companies developing therapies that have high unmet needs. However, the major focus of the investment company would be in advancing gene therapy, RNA/DNA-based therapy, and targeted therapies for a variety of indications. 

The company is planning to invest in pharma companies based in Israel and the US.

The individual contribution of each of the trust is USD 50 M each for the Gates Foundation and the Wellcome Trust, whereas for the Mastercard Impact Fund it is USD 25 Million. 

The initiative COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator – is aiming to kickstart the process of development of drugs to target SARS-CoV-2, and is a part of USD 100 M commitment by the Gates Foundation announced in February 2020.

The initial aim of the conjoint initiative would be to test already present antiviral drugs, compounds from J&J, Calibr, the drug research division of the Scripps Institute, and other biopharma companies, which are around 20,000-30,000 in number. The testing and screening would be undertaken by the Rega Institute in Belgium. 

In addition to this, the funds would be utilized in scaling up the manufacturing process of the drugs.