On July 9, 2026 Alchemab Therapeutics reported to have extended its series A financing with a £25 million (USD $34m) investment from the British Business Bank – the Bank’s largest investment in a life sciences company to date. The funding will enable the company to build its clinical pipeline and grow its proprietary unique antibody dataset to more than a billion sequences.

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Alchemab is discovering and developing first-in-class drugs from its unique Resiliome platform which uses complex AI derived algorithms to identify naturally occurring antibodies present in humans with unusual resistance to a range of hard-to-treat diseases.

This investment builds on the success of the company’s first asset, ATLX-1282 – a first-in-class antibody therapeutic in clinical development for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) which was licensed to Eli Lilly and has provided robust validation of the potential of the Resiliome platform approach.

The additional funding brings Alchemab’s total Series A investment to date to £109 million and will enable the company to enhance its antibody database from 500 million to a billion antibody sequences and advance additional clinical candidates into development

Dr Jane Osbourn, CEO and Co-Founder of Alchemab, said "We are delighted that British Business Bank has recognised the importance of enabling Alchemab to grow and thrive here in the UK. This investment provides further validation of the sustainable, long-term potential of our drug discovery platform and will enable us to further accelerate our pipeline of first-in-class antibody therapeutics for conditions with significant unmet need."

Dame Kate Bingham, Managing Partner at SV Health Investors and Chair of Alchemab’s board of directors, said, "The UK life sciences sector has the expertise, creativity and commercial potential to build globally significant biotech companies, and Alchemab is determined to be one of them. This investment by the British Business Bank demonstrates the importance of providing capital to allow innovative biotechs to scale here, and we are proud to be building the company’s future in the UK."

Charlotte Lawrence, Managing Director of Direct Equity at British Business Bank said, "Alchemab sits at the cutting edge of UK scientific capability, integrating deep sequencing and lab-based validation to harness the body’s natural defences against disease. This landmark £25m investment demonstrates our commitment to providing the long-term capital necessary for the UK’s most innovative biotech firms to advance complex pipelines in the UK."

Dr Carmine Circelli, Senior Investment Director, Life Sciences at British Business Bank said, "Alchemab is yet another example of the UK’s strength in leveraging technology in life sciences. By combining one of the world’s largest proprietary antibody datasets with advanced AI, the company has developed a powerful platform with the potential to unlock new treatments. Our investment will help convert promising results into high value medical discoveries."

(Press release, Alchemab Therapeutics, JUL 9, 2026, View Source [SID1234669121])

On July 8, 2026 MAIA Biotechnology, Inc. (NYSE American: MAIA) ("MAIA", the "Company"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing targeted immunotherapies for cancer, reported positive initial efficacy data from its Phase 2 THIO-101 clinical trial expansion, Part C, evaluating its lead candidate, ateganosine, a dual mechanism of action drug incorporating telomere targeting and immunogenicity, as a third-line (3L) therapy for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

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Initial data from the THIO-101 Part C 3L studies1 show a disease control rate (DCR) of 90.5% (19 out of 21 patients) in the efficacy evaluable population who had at least one tumor scan after starting treatment. Patients are treated with ateganosine followed by cemiplimab (Libtayo) in cycles of 21 days. Current chemotherapy treatments deliver an approximate 25-35% disease control rate.2

"The initial efficacy data from the Part C studies are consistent with the encouraging efficacy signals we previously reported for Parts A and B of THIO-101, including an 88% disease control rate in third-line NSCLC patients. This measure of efficacy is close to triple the reported outcome for standard-of-care chemotherapy treatment," said Vlad Vitoc, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of MAIA Biotechnology. "Importantly, patients enrolled in Part C of our trial represent a more heavily pre-treated population, with all patients having previously received docetaxel in addition to demonstrating resistance to both immunotherapy and other chemotherapies."

MAIA recently announced that it has completed international enrollment in Part C of the Phase 2 THIO-101 expansion trial. Treatment with ateganosine followed by cemiplimab has shown an acceptable safety profile to date in a heavily pre-treated population.

About Ateganosine
Ateganosine (THIO, 6-thio-dG or 6-thio-2’-deoxyguanosine) is a first-in-class investigational telomere-targeting agent currently in clinical development to evaluate its activity in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Telomeres, along with the enzyme telomerase, play a fundamental role in the survival of cancer cells and their resistance to current therapies. The modified nucleotide 6-thio-2’-deoxyguanosine induces telomerase-dependent telomeric DNA modification, DNA damage responses, and selective cancer cell death. Ateganosine-damaged telomeric fragments accumulate in cytosolic micronuclei and activates both innate (cGAS/STING) and adaptive (T-cell) immune responses. The sequential treatment of ateganosine followed by PD-(L)1 inhibitors resulted in profound and persistent tumor regression in advanced, in vivo cancer models by induction of cancer type–specific immune memory. Ateganosine is presently developed as a second or later line of treatment for NSCLC for patients that have progressed beyond the standard-of-care regimen of existing checkpoint inhibitors.

About THIO-101 Phase 2 Clinical Trial
THIO-101 is a multicenter, open-label, dose finding Phase 2 clinical trial. It is the first trial designed to evaluate ateganosine’s anti-tumor activity when followed by PD-(L)1 inhibition. The trial is testing the hypothesis that low doses of ateganosine administered prior to cemiplimab (Libtayo) will enhance and prolong immune response in patients with advanced NSCLC who previously did not respond or developed resistance and progressed after first-line treatment regimen containing another checkpoint inhibitor. The trial design has two primary objectives: (1) to evaluate the safety and tolerability of ateganosine administered as an anticancer compound and a priming immune activator (2) to assess the clinical efficacy of ateganosine using Overall Response Rate (ORR) as the primary clinical endpoint. The expansion of the study will assess overall response rates (ORR) in advanced NSCLC patients receiving third line (3L) therapy who were resistant to previous checkpoint inhibitor treatments (CPI) and chemotherapy. Treatment with ateganosine followed by cemiplimab (Libtayo) has shown an acceptable safety profile to date in a heavily pre-treated population. For more information on this Phase II trial, please visit ClinicalTrials.gov using the identifier NCT05208944.

(Press release, MAIA Biotechnology, JUL 8, 2026, View Source [SID1234669115])

On July 8, 2026 Allotera Therapeutics, Inc. (formerly Wugen, Inc.), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing allogeneic, off-the-shelf cell therapies for hematological malignancies, reported the successful closing of a $35 million financing round comprising equity and venture debt. The company also introduced its new name, Allotera Therapeutics, reflecting its sharpened focus on advancing off-the-shelf CAR-T cell therapies for patients with T-cell cancers.

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The financing brings Allotera’s total capital raised to $150 million, building on the company’s $115 million Series C announced in late 2025. Proceeds will primarily support the ongoing global pivotal T-RRex clinical trial of Soficabtagene Geleucel, also known as Sofi-cel, in relapsed or refractory T-ALL/T-LBL, as well as advance platform capabilities, operational scale-up, and continued team growth.

"Allotera reflects who we are becoming as a company: a pivotal-stage cell therapy company focused on bringing off-the-shelf CAR-T therapies to patients with T-cell cancers," said Kumar Srinivasan, Ph.D., M.B.A., Chief Executive Officer of Allotera Therapeutics. "With Sofi-cel advancing in T-RRex, a global pivotal study, this financing strengthens our ability to execute across clinical development, manufacturing, and patient-community engagement as we work to address diseases where treatment options remain limited."

T-cell cancers are among the most difficult settings for CAR-T therapy development because many therapeutic targets are also present on the T cells used to manufacture the therapy. Allotera is developing Sofi-cel as an allogeneic, healthy donor-derived CAR-T cell therapy intended to address these challenges and provide an off-the-shelf treatment approach for patients with aggressive T-cell malignancies.

The Series C was led by Fidelity Management & Research Company, with participation from all existing investors. The current extension includes additional participation from Lightchain Capital and BioGenerator, as well as new investors, including Blood Cancer United’s Therapy Acceleration Program (TAP) and others. The venture debt was provided by Banc of California.

In connection with the financing, Allotera has also entered into a strategic partnership with Blood Cancer United, through which TAP will provide ongoing access to its scientific and drug development expertise, facilitate engagement with key opinion leaders, and connect Allotera to critical resources, including clinical trial support, patient education, and community engagement capabilities.

"Our partnership with Blood Cancer United reflects an important part of Allotera’s next chapter," said Srinivasan. "As we advance Sofi-cel through pivotal development, we are committed not only to building the clinical and manufacturing capabilities needed to bring off-the-shelf cell therapies forward, but also to engaging with the communities most affected by these diseases."

About Soficabtagene Geleucel (Sofi-cel)

Sofi-cel is an allogeneic, off-the-shelf, CD7-targeted CAR-T cell therapy being developed for T-cell cancers. Allotera uses CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to delete CD7 and the T-cell receptor alpha constant (TRAC) genes, an approach intended to prevent CAR-T cell fratricide and mitigate the risk of graft-versus-host disease.

Sofi-cel is manufactured in the United States using healthy donor-derived T cells, which is intended to avoid malignant cell contamination that can occur in the autologous CAR-T setting. Sofi-cel is currently being evaluated in a global pivotal clinical trial for relapsed or refractory T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma. More information on the pivotal trial is available at ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT06514794.

Sofi-cel has received Breakthrough Therapy, Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT), Fast Track, Orphan Drug, and Rare Pediatric Disease designations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of relapsed or refractory T-ALL/T-LBL, as well as Priority Medicines, or PRIME, designation in the European Union. RMAT and PRIME designations provide increased agency support to expedite the development and review of promising therapies for patients with medical need. Sofi-cel was also selected to participate in the FDA’s Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls Development and Readiness Pilot Program.

(Press release, Allotera Therapeutics, JUL 8, 2026, View Source [SID1234669114])

On July 8, 2026 GE HealthCare and Mayo Clinic reported the MI-BET (Molecular Imaging Biomarker-Based End of Therapy Trial) research collaboration, a novel theranostics study designed to explore a more personalized approach to radioligand therapy (RLT) for patients with advanced prostate cancer. This collaboration is a direct result of the 2023 Strategic Radiology Research Alliance between Mayo Clinic and GE HealthCare, aimed at transforming the experience of patients and clinicians in the practice of radiology and the delivery of novel therapies.

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Radioligand therapy is an emerging treatment approach within theranostics that combines targeted radiopharmaceutical diagnostics and therapies, allowing clinicians to identify and treat cancer with greater precision. Today, many patients receiving RLT follow a standardized preset number of treatment cycles. MI-BET is designed to evaluate whether imaging- and biomarker-informed insights can support a more personalized approach to each patient’s care. In this case, treatment may be adapted via a pause in RLT treatment. The decision to apply this pause is directly determined from the individual patient’s disease response over time.

"This collaboration is an example of how Mayo Clinic leads in discovery by integrating novel technologies into our practice and accelerating innovation across research and clinical care to advance the future of medicine," says Andrew Danielsen, chief business development officer at Mayo Clinic. "By bringing together complementary expertise and capabilities, we can enable our world-class researchers and physicians to develop new insights, expand treatment possibilities, and ultimately provide the best outcomes for our patients globally."

The MI-BET study will use GE HealthCare’s StarGuide SPECT/CT technology alongside MIM Software’s MIM LesionID Pro to track how tumors are responding to treatment throughout therapy. By integrating imaging data with clinical outcomes and blood-based biomarkers, the Mayo Clinic research team is exploring these combined insights, which may help inform treatment decisions and potentially support the development of predictive markers for patient response. Predictive marker insights could enable researchers and clinicians to anticipate how patients will respond before or early in treatment, further enabling physicians to make adaptive treatment decisions.

"Personalizing therapy is both a scientific pursuit and an opportunity to expand patient access," says Geoffrey Johnson, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Radiopharmaceutical Trial Team at Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center. "Theranostics, and studies such as MI-BET, give us an important opportunity to rethink how and when we treat cancer. By evaluating response earlier in their treatment, we can generate data to drive approaches that could help reduce unnecessary therapy while expanding access to care for wider populations."

This effort supports a broader goal of expanding access to advanced theranostic care so that scientific advances can benefit a wide range of patients. The study is designed to encourage broad participation through patient outreach, collaboration with community and advocacy organizations, and the use of approaches such as telemedicine that may help reduce barriers to enrollment and engagement.

Beyond evaluating treatment duration, MI-BET also seeks to contribute to the broader evolution of theranostics by exploring new imaging biomarkers and data-driven approaches designed to support clinical decision-making. These efforts reflect a growing shift in oncology toward more adaptive, patient-specific care models.

"Making theranostics truly adaptive and personalized requires strong clinical evidence and a deeper understanding of how patients respond to therapy," says Sergio Calvo, global general manager, Theranostics, at GE HealthCare. "Through our collaboration with Mayo Clinic, we are exploring how imaging and data-driven insights can help inform more individualized treatment decisions, support the broader adoption of these approaches and contribute to the continued growth of precision care in oncology."

MI-BET research and activities will be based at Mayo Clinic’s campus in Rochester, Minnesota, leveraging both organizations’ strengths in clinical practice, research and product development. Additionally, Mayo Clinic is the first U.S. site to investigate the benefits that could be achieved with GE HealthCare’s next-generation SPECT/CT StarGuide GX* technology. This includes exploring the potential for reduction in scan time and increasing the precision in tumor assessments.

(Press release, GE Healthcare, JUL 8, 2026, View Source [SID1234669113])

On July 8, 2026 Immunome, Inc. (Nasdaq: IMNM), a biotechnology company committed to developing first-in-class and best-in-class targeted cancer therapies, reported the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA or the Agency) has accepted its New Drug Application (NDA) for varegacestat, an investigational, oral, once-daily gamma secretase inhibitor (GSI), for the treatment of adults with desmoid tumors. The FDA assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action date of April 28, 2027.

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"The FDA’s acceptance of our NDA for varegacestat is an important milestone for Immunome and for patients living with desmoid tumors," said Clay Siegall, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Immunome. "We believe varegacestat has the potential to provide an important oral treatment option, supported by robust clinical data across all key efficacy endpoints. We look forward to working closely with the FDA throughout the review."

RINGSIDE Phase 3 Trial Results

The NDA is based on results from the Phase 3 RINGSIDE trial evaluating varegacestat in patients with progressing desmoid tumors. Key findings include:

The registrational trial met its primary endpoint of improving progression-free survival vs. placebo, with a statistically significant and clinically meaningful 84% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death (hazard ratio = 0.16, p<0.0001).
The trial also met all key secondary endpoints, including achieving an objective response rate of 56% vs. 9% with placebo (p<0.0001), as assessed by blinded independent central review.
Varegacestat demonstrated statistically significant improvement in worst pain intensity at week 12, with a clinically significant difference observed as early as the first evaluation at week 4.
In an exploratory analysis, varegacestat showed a median best change in tumor volume of -83% vs. +11% with placebo, as assessed by blinded independent central review.
Varegacestat was generally well tolerated with a manageable safety profile, consistent with the gamma secretase inhibitor class. The most common adverse events for participants in the treatment arm were diarrhea (82%), fatigue (44%), rash (43%), nausea (35%) and cough (34%). Most (95%) events were grade 1 or 2.
The results were presented in an oral abstract session at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting.

About the RINGSIDE Trial

The global, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 RINGSIDE trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04871282) evaluated the efficacy and safety of varegacestat in patients with progressing desmoid tumors. A total of 156 patients were randomized to receive varegacestat 1.2 mg daily or placebo until disease progression or death, representing the largest randomized study in this population. The primary endpoint of the trial was progression-free survival as assessed by blinded independent central review. Statistically controlled secondary endpoints were confirmed ORR using RECIST v1.1 and change in tumor volume at week 24, both determined by blinded independent central review, as well as change in pain intensity at week 12 as determined using a patient-reported outcome instrument. Additional secondary endpoints included duration of response, best reduction in tumor volume, patient-reported outcomes, and safety and tolerability. RINGSIDE includes an open-label extension phase, which is ongoing.

About Desmoid Tumors

Desmoid tumors (also known as aggressive fibromatosis or desmoid-type fibromatosis) are aggressive non-metastatic soft tissue tumors that are prone to recurrence. Approximately 1,000-1,650 people are diagnosed with desmoid tumors each year in the United States, and there are approximately 10,000-11,000 actively managed patients. Those affected face debilitating pain, deformity and, in some cases, life-threatening organ damage. The chronic pain and physical limitations associated with desmoid tumors lead to a high clinical burden and impaired quality of life. Although desmoid tumors are not considered cancerous, they often require systemic treatment to prevent permanent disability and alleviate disease burden.

About Varegacestat

Varegacestat (formerly AL102) is an investigational, oral, once-daily gamma secretase inhibitor. In December 2025, Immunome reported positive topline results for the Phase 3 RINGSIDE trial of varegacestat in adults with progressing desmoid tumors. Immunome’s NDA for varegacestat was accepted by the FDA in July 2026 (PDUFA target action date of April 28, 2027) and the Company plans to submit a Marketing Authorization Application to the European Medicines Agency for varegacestat by the end of 2026.

(Press release, Immunome, JUL 8, 2026, View Source [SID1234669112])