Vaccine cuts rate of HPV infection, precancerous lesions

Researchers have attributed a substantial drop in human papillomavirus (HPV) infections to the HPV vaccine. Now, they are waiting to see if it will have the same impact on the rates of cervical cancer. Just over a decade ago, healthcare professionals introduced a new vaccination that aimed to prevent recurring infections of certain types of HPV. These infections can, if a person does not receive treatment, lead to cervical cancer. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), this form of cancer is the third most common among women. The invention of the Pap smear significantly reduced deaths from cervical cancer in the United States, but the condition is still responsible for around 300,000 deaths worldwide every year. Researchers and healthcare professionals hope that the HPV vaccine will significantly reduce the prevalence of cervical cancer. But it is still too early to determine its potential effectiveness. However, researchers are able to measure the effects of vaccination programs on the prevalence of HPV infection. They can also measure the prevalence of precancerous lesions caused by the virus before and after the implementation of the vaccine.

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Business Wire | October 05, 2023

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PHARMACY MARKET

Iambic Therapeutics Announces Close of Oversubscribed $100 Million Series B Financing to Advance AI-Discovered Therapeutics into Clinical Development

Business Wire | October 10, 2023

Iambic Therapeutics a biotechnology company developing novel therapeutics from its unique generative AI discovery platform, today announced the closing of an oversubscribed $100 million Series B financing co-led by Ascenta Capital and Abingworth, and also including new investors NVIDIA, Illumina Ventures, Gradiant Corporation, and independent board member Bill Rastetter. Existing investors also participated, including Nexus Ventures, Catalio Capital Management, Coatue, FreeFlow, OrbiMed, and Sequoia Capital. 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PHARMACY MARKET

BioMap Establishes a Strategic Collaboration with Sanofi to Co-Develop AI Modules to Accelerate Drug Discovery for Biotherapeutics

Business Wire | October 17, 2023

BioMap announced a groundbreaking strategic collaboration with Sanofi to co-develop cutting-edge AI modules for biotherapeutic drug discovery leveraging BioMap’s AI platform. “As the largest foundational model-based approach within life sciences, we are thrilled to collaborate with Sanofi and leverage the potential of BioMap’s cutting-edge AI engine to help solve complex problems associated with new protein therapies to drive drug discovery,” said BioMap’s Chief Technology Officer, Le Song. “We have built what is essentially a biological map of proteins using data sets from public and private sources to inform our foundational models. Utilizing automation and integrated workflows to enhance the collection of high-quality data, we can catalyze the process of new hit discovery and lead optimization.” Traditional AI methods require vast amounts of labeled data to make accurate predictions. However, in life science, labeled data are often in short supply. BioMap’s foundational models are revolutionizing AI in biology by enabling one large model, trained on ubiquitous unlabeled data, to inform multiple downstream task models. This approach enables superior prediction from limited data in a range of therapeutic areas, including immunology, neurology, oncology, and rare diseases. Leveraging BioMap’s custom-built foundational models and world-leading AI expertise, as well as Sanofi’s proprietary data, computational innovations in protein engineering, and deep biologics development experience, both parties aim to create advanced AI models and protein Large Language Models that will enable biologics design and multiparametric optimization. "By combining Sanofi’s proprietary data sets, digital infrastructure, AI and data science capabilities, and drug development expertise with BioMap’s protein Large Language Models, high-performance computing, and deep understanding of AI, we can optimize the process of discovery and development of breakthrough biotherapeutics,” said Matt Truppo, Global Head of Research Platforms at Sanofi. “Our collaboration with BioMap further underscores Sanofi’s commitment to becoming the first pharma company powered by artificial intelligence at scale.” Under the terms of the agreement, BioMap will receive an upfront cash payment and near-term payments for reaching module development milestones from Sanofi. BioMap will be eligible to receive payments of over $1 billion based on achievement of pre-clinical development, clinical development, regulatory, and commercial milestones. About BioMap Founded in 2020 by Robin Li and Wei Liu, BioMap is a disruptive life science AI company responsible for building xTrimo, the first and largest protein-centric large language model platform. Their technology allows scientists to model life more accurately, from proteins to a system level, and extract novel insights and predictions from limited data. Supported by an international, cross-functional team of over 300 experts, BioMap is solving critical, protein-related drug development problems and charting a course to radically improve patients’ lives.

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