Dec. 16 Quick Takes: Syncona’s Anaveon raising mega-round for IL-2 agonists

Basel-based Anaveon AG plans to bring its selective IL-2 agonist ANV419 into parallel Phase II programs with a CHF110 million ($119 million) series B round led by Forbion. The round will also fund development of follow-on IL-2 programs, and preclinical candidates based on the company’s cytokine engineering expertise. Forbion was joined by founding investor Syncona Ltd. (LSE:SYNC), existing investor Novartis Venture Fund and other new investors Cowen Healthcare Investments, Pfizer Ventures and Pontifax in the round. Jasper Bos of Forbion, Tim Anderson of Cowen and Denis Patrick of Pfizer Ventures will join the Anaveon board of which Syncona’s Martin Murphy is chairman.

Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ:BIIB) said it plans to launch the confirmatory study of its Alzheimer’s therapy Aduhelm aducanumab-avwa (BIIB037), which will be placebo-controlled and include 1,300 patients, in May. That timing is shortly after CMS intends to issue a national coverage determination on amyloid mAbs for Alzheimer’s disease, the outcome of which could influence how quickly Biogen can enroll the trial. For example, coverage under the condition of additional evidence development could either help or hurt trial enrollment, depending on the evidence CMS calls for. If CMS wants a registry trial, patients may prefer that option to a randomized trial where they might receive placebo...