Daily Snap - 8. October 2025

Author

Joachim Eeckhout
October 08, 2025

Good morning! Even after four decades, Genentech’s antibody technology is still bringing in cash. A California judge just ordered Biogen to pay $124 million in royalties for using the Cabilly patents, a set of monoclonal antibody manufacturing methods developed by Genentech in the early 1980s. The dispute centered on Tysabri, Biogen’s blockbuster multiple sclerosis drug. Although the patents expired in 2018, Biogen sold vials made under the old process as late as 2022, prompting Genentech to demand so-called “tail royalties.” The Cabilly patents were once biotech’s most lucrative IP, generating about $1 billion a year in royalties, including from AbbVie’s Humira. Decades later, they’re still making Genentech — and its lawyers — very happy.

Enjoy today’s read!

—Joachim E. 

SNIPPETS

What’s happening in biotech today?

💪 Muscle boost: GLD Partners has launched Altagenics, a biotech startup focused on developing treatments for muscle-wasting conditions such as sarcopenia and cachexia, with support from Heligenics’ GigaAssay platform. These conditions, marked by progressive muscle loss, remain areas of significant unmet medical need despite interest from major pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer. GigaAssay enables high-throughput measurement of thousands of genetic variants’ molecular functions, aiming to identify novel drug candidates that target the root causes of muscle degradation. Altagenics also sees potential in broader applications like sports medicine and metabolic health.

 🥐 Biotech bakery: Soufflé Therapeutics has emerged from stealth with over $3.5 billion in funding and partnerships (an impressive figure, though likely driven by milestone payments and potential royalties), aiming to revolutionize drug development through targeted nucleic acid therapies such as siRNA. Founded by leading MIT scientists (including Moderna’s co-founder Robert Langer), Soufflé is leveraging proprietary technologies to design cell-specific ligands that deliver potent, safe, and durable treatments directly into target cells. Its initial focus is on skeletal muscle and heart cells to treat diseases like Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD), cardiomyopathies linked to PLN mutations, and metabolic disorders, with clinical trials set to begin in 2026.

🚀 Fast-track: Lexeo Therapeutics announced that the FDA is open to an accelerated approval pathway for its gene therapy LX2006, developed to treat cardiomyopathy in Friedreich’s ataxia patients. The agency indicated it would consider a submission based on pooled data from ongoing studies and an upcoming pivotal trial, potentially reducing trial size and duration. LX2006 aims to restore mitochondrial function in heart tissue, addressing a critical gap left by the only approved therapy, Biogen’s Skyclarys, which does not target cardiac symptoms. The FDA's willingness reflects broader regulatory flexibility under new leadership, with updated guidance supporting faster approvals for rare disease gene therapies.

🧬Rare spinout: GEMMA Biotherapeutics, founded by gene therapy pioneer Dr. James Wilson, has launched Rare Therapeutics (RareTx), a clinical-stage spinout focused on developing gene therapies for ultra-orphan diseases. Its initial pipeline targets severe central nervous system disorders, including GM1 gangliosidosis, Krabbe disease, and metachromatic leukodystrophy. The company plans to operate through global public-private partnerships and regional hubs in Brazil and Abu Dhabi, leveraging GEMMA’s existing infrastructure. RareTx also intends to implement innovative financing and development strategies to improve global accessibility.

💰Series C: TORL BioTherapeutics has raised $96 million in a Series C financing round, bringing its total funding to over $450 million since its founding in 2019. The proceeds will support clinical development of TORL-1-23, a Claudin 6 (CLDN6)-targeted antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) currently in a registrational Phase 2 trial for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC) and Phase 1 trials for other CLDN6-positive cancers. Updated Phase 1 data will be presented at ESMO 2025, highlighting emerging efficacy in multiple advanced solid tumors. TORL plans to initiate a Phase 3 confirmatory study in 2026 and expand development across its oncology pipeline targeting solid and hematologic malignancies.

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