Daily Snap - 4. September 2025

Author

Joachim Eeckhout
September 04, 2025

 

Good morning! If you thought we had already dissected COVID-19 from every possible angle, think again. Researchers from Japan have identified a protein particle within the SARS-CoV-2 virus that could lead to more durable and broadly protective COVID-19 vaccines. Unlike the frequently mutating spike protein currently targeted by vaccines, this internal protein, which is part of the virus's protective shell, mutates less and can trigger a strong immune response by activating killer T cells. Published in Nature Communications, the study suggests that targeting this stable protein may reduce the need for frequent boosters and lower the risk of Long COVID. And who knows, maybe one day the only “booster” we’ll be talking about is our morning coffee ☕

Enjoy today’s read!

—Joachim E.

SNIPPETS

What’s happening in biotech today?

📉Survival backslide: Amgen and China-based Zai Lab's stomach cancer candidate bemarituzumab showed diminished overall survival (OS) benefits in the final analysis of the phase 3 Fortitude-101 trial, compared to previous results. Aimed at patients with non-HER2 positive gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer overexpressing FGFR2b, the treatment initially showed statistically significant improvements when combined with chemotherapy. However, the final analysis prompted concerns, with Zai Lab delaying regulatory submissions in China and awaiting results from a separate trial, Fortitude-102, which includes Opdivo. Analysts highlighted safety concerns and the limited commercial potential, calling the updated findings disappointing.

💔Collab canceled: Gilead Sciences' Kite Pharma has terminated its collaboration with Shoreline Biosciences on developing off-the-shelf cell therapies, a deal initially valued at over $2.3 billion. Confirmed by a Gilead spokesperson, the partnership ended in Q1 2025 following earlier signs of instability, including Shoreline-related layoffs in January. Originally launched in June 2021, the agreement aimed to engineer natural killer cells targeting CARs in blood cancers, with future potential to include macrophage therapies. Despite this setback, Gilead remains active in the cell therapy space, recently acquiring CAR-T developer Interius BioTherapeutics for $350 million to advance its in vivo platform through Kite.

🌊 Stock splat: Wave Life Sciences' shares dropped sharply following updated results from a clinical trial of its RNA editing therapy, WVE-006, for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD). The therapy successfully prompted production of the missing AAT protein in patients, confirming the drug's intended mechanism, but protein levels achieved with higher or repeated dosing were only modestly improved over initial results and fell short of investor expectations. All dosing regimens met regulatory thresholds for potential approval, with no serious side effects reported. Despite this, the limited increase in efficacy led to a 22% stock decline, although analysts emphasized that the results remain clinically meaningful. 

💉Booster bonanza: Valneva has released positive phase 2 data for its Pfizer-partnered Lyme disease vaccine candidate, VLA15, showing strong antibody responses across all age groups after a third booster dose administered at Month 42. The trial involved 560 healthy participants and demonstrated 100% seroconversion rates for all six targeted serotypes, with safety and tolerability consistent across booster doses. These results support the potential for annual boosters ahead of Lyme season, addressing a growing unmet need in the U.S. and Europe, where no Lyme vaccines are currently approved. Two phase 3 trials are nearing completion, with regulatory submissions expected next year.

🎯Triple trials: Treeline Biosciences has initiated first-in-human clinical trials for three cancer therapies, TLN-121, TLN-372, and TLN-254, while securing an additional $200 million in Series A extension funding, bringing its total to $1.1 billion since 2021. Co-founded by biotech veterans Josh Bilenker and Jeff Engelman, Treeline is testing TLN-121, a BCL6 degrader, in lymphoma patients; TLN-372, a KRAS inhibitor, in solid tumors; and TLN-254, an EZH2 inhibitor licensed from Jiangsu Hengrui, in T-cell lymphomas. The company credits its substantial funding for enabling parallel development and strategic program discontinuation, and highlights its discovery platform combining computational and lab-based approaches to identify druggable targets.

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