Immunology continues to be one of the most active areas for drug research as the field aims to bring patients new ways to eliminate the antibodies driving autoimmune disease, but in a manner that does not also compromise the immune system. Merida Biosciences, a startup formed by venture capital firm Third Rock Ventures, emerged from stealth Tuesday, .

免疫学仍然是药物研究最活跃的领域之一，该领域旨在为患者提供消除驱动自身免疫疾病抗体的新方法，但同时不损害免疫系统。由风险投资公司Third Rock Ventures创立的初创公司Merida Biosciences于周二走出隐匿模式。

revealing $121 million

揭示了1.21亿美元

in financing and a lead program for a common autoimmune condition that has not had a new approved therapy in decades.

在融资方面，以及一个针对数十年来未有新批准疗法的常见自身免疫性疾病的主导项目。

The lead disease target of Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Merida is Graves’ disease, which develops as antibodies produced by the immune system attack the thyroid gland, a butterfly-shaped gland located at the front of the neck. Thyroid hormone regulates functions such as metabolism and growth. In Graves’ disease, the attack on the gland results in excess thyroid hormone production that speeds up the heart rate and weakens bones among other problems..

总部位于马萨诸塞州剑桥的梅里达公司的主要疾病目标是格雷夫斯病，这种病是由免疫系统产生的抗体攻击甲状腺引起的，甲状腺是位于颈部前方的一个蝴蝶状腺体。甲状腺激素调节着代谢和生长等功能。在格雷夫斯病中，对腺体的攻击导致过量产生甲状腺激素，从而加速心率并削弱骨骼等问题。

Standard Graves’ treatment includes radioactive iodine therapy to shrink the gland, anti-thyroid medications, or beta blockers that block the effect of thyroid hormone on the body. Each of these treatments introduces complication risks elsewhere in the body. Surgical removal of the thyroid gland is another treatment option, but patients need lifelong hormone replacement therapy afterward..

标准的格雷夫斯病治疗包括放射性碘治疗以缩小甲状腺，抗甲状腺药物或阻断甲状腺激素对身体影响的β受体阻滞剂。这些治疗方法都会在身体其他部位引发并发症风险。甲状腺切除术是另一种治疗选择，但患者术后需要终身激素替代疗法。

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Changes in Nurse Staffing Answer Clinician Demands

护士人员配置的变化满足了临床医生的需求

The ongoing nursing shortage facilitates high turnover rates since nurses know they won’t have difficulties finding new jobs. In order to retain and attract staff, it’s in a facility’s best interest to understand what nurses want.

持续的护士短缺导致了较高的人员流动率，因为护士们知道他们不难找到新工作。为了留住和吸引员工，了解护士们的需求对医疗机构来说是最有利的。

By Tomasz Rezik

作者：托马什·雷兹克

Merida is developing drugs designed to selectively bind to Fc receptors, receptors on immune cells that regulate immune responses. The company says its protein engineering platform generates unique Fc therapeutics that selectively bind to their antibody targets. The drugs then lead to the elimination of these antibodies by leveraging built-in mechanisms for clearing antibody complexes, which are molecular structures formed when an antibody binds to its specific target antigen.

梅里达正在开发旨在选择性结合Fc受体的药物，这些受体位于免疫细胞上，负责调节免疫反应。该公司表示，其蛋白质工程平台生成了独特的Fc治疗药物，可选择性结合其抗体靶标。然后，这些药物通过利用清除抗体复合物的内置机制，来消除这些抗体。抗体复合物是当抗体与其特定目标抗原结合时形成的分子结构。

The company says its drugs are designed to eliminate only pathogenic antibodies, sparing healthy components of the immune system. In Graves’ disease, this approach is intended to spare healthy thyroid signaling..

该公司表示，其药物旨在仅消除致病抗体，而保留免疫系统的健康组成部分。在格雷夫斯病中，这种方法旨在保留健康的甲状腺信号传导。

The Merida drugs are biotherapeutics that the startup describes as “antibody-like” in the way they move through the body. For example, these drugs could provide longer-lasting effects that enable less frequent dosing compared to some other therapies. The Graves program is currently undergoing the preclinical research that could support an investigational new drug application.

梅里达药物是这家初创公司描述为“类抗体”的生物治疗药物，因为它们在体内移动的方式。例如，这些药物可以提供更持久的效果，与一些其他疗法相比，能够减少给药频率。格雷夫斯项目目前正在开展可能支持研究性新药申请的临床前研究。

Other disclosed Merida programs are in preclinical development for primary membranous nephropathy, which is a chronic inflammatory kidney disease, and food allergies mediated by immunoglobulin E antibodies..

其他已公开的梅里达计划项目正处于临床前开发阶段，主要用于治疗原发性膜性肾病（一种慢性炎症性肾病）和由免疫球蛋白E抗体介导的食物过敏。

“At the heart of Merida is understanding the mechanisms behind antibody-driven diseases like Graves’ at the molecular level, and leveraging these insights to develop precision therapeutics that have thus far evaded the field,” Merida co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer Dario Gutierrez said in a prepared statement.

“梅里达的核心在于在分子水平上理解像格雷夫斯病这样的抗体驱动疾病的机制，并利用这些见解开发迄今为止领域内尚未实现的精准治疗，”梅里达联合创始人兼首席科学官达里奥·古铁雷斯在一份准备好的声明中说道。

“Our highly differentiated approach has the potential to yield best-in-class treatments by going after the root causes of these devastating diseases.”.

“我们高度差异化的方法有可能通过针对这些毁灭性疾病的根本原因，产生同类最佳的治疗方法。”

Merida’s launch comes as other immunology-focused biotech companies, including startups, make headway with their own selective Fc-receptor targeting drugs. Roivant Sciences subsidiary Immunovant is pursuing various immunological indications with IMVT-1402 and batoclimab. Both drug candidates are monoclonal antibodies.

默里达公司的上市正值其他专注于免疫学的生物技术公司（包括初创公司）在自身选择性Fc受体靶向药物方面取得进展之际。罗ivant科学旗下的Immunovant公司正在通过IMVT-1402和batoclimab追求多种免疫学适应症。这两种候选药物均为单克隆抗体。

The clinical program for IMVT-1402 includes a Phase 2/3 study underway in Graves’. Batoclimab is currently in Phase 2 testing in Graves’. Last September, Immunovant reported preliminary data showing batoclimab achieved a strong response and a lowering of levels of antibodies associated with the disease.

IMVT-1402的临床项目包括一项正在进行的针对格雷夫斯病的2/3期研究。Batoclimab目前正处于格雷夫斯病的二期试验阶段。去年九月，Immunovant报告的初步数据显示，batoclimab取得了显著的疗效，并降低了与该疾病相关的抗体水平。

The study is expected to post additional data this summer..

该研究预计将在今年夏天发布更多数据。

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顶级医美机构管理解决方案

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每一家健康诊所的成功与否取决于其软件的能力。在这里，您可以找到顶级的医疗水疗中心管理解决方案。

By PatientNow

由 PatientNow

Zenas Biopharma is developing bifunctional antibodies for immunology and inflammation indications. Lead program obexelimab is designed to bind to CD19 and Fc gamma receptor IIb, both of them targets expressed on B cells. A Phase 3 test is underway in immunoglobulin G4-related disease,

Zenas生物制药公司正在开发用于免疫学和炎症适应症的双功能抗体。主导项目obexelimab旨在结合CD19和FcγRIIb，这两个靶点都表达在B细胞上。目前，该药物正在进行免疫球蛋白G4相关疾病的III期试验。

supported by a $225 million IPO last September

去年九月，通过首次公开募股（IPO）获得了2.25亿美元的支持

. Meanwhile, startup Nuvig Therapeutics is developing proteins engineered to target Fc receptors. Late last year, the

同时，初创公司Nuvig Therapeutics正在开发针对Fc受体的工程蛋白。去年年底，

Nuvig raised $161 million to support mid-stage clinical development of its lead program

Nuvig筹集了1.61亿美元，以支持其主导项目的中期临床开发。

, a potential treatment for the rare autoimmune condition chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy.

，一种用于治疗罕见自身免疫性疾病慢性炎性脱髓鞘性多发性神经病的潜在疗法。

Merida received seed financing from Third Rock in 2022, when Gutierrez was an entrepreneur in residence at the firm. The Series A financing announced Tuesday was co-led by Bain Capital Life Sciences, BVF Partners, and Third Rock. The other investors in the new round are GV and Perceptive Xontogeny Venture Funds.

梅里达在2022年从Third Rock获得了种子融资，当时古铁雷斯是该公司的驻场企业家。周二宣布的A轮融资由贝恩资本生命科学、BVF Partners和Third Rock共同领投。此轮新投资方还包括GV和Perceptive Xontogeny风险基金。

The startup is led by CEO Adam Townsend, who was most recently chief operating officer at Apellis Pharmaceuticals, a company that develops drugs that address the complement system, a part of the immune system..

这家初创公司由首席执行官亚当·汤森领导，他最近曾担任开发针对免疫系统补体系统的药物的公司Apellis Pharmaceuticals的首席运营官。

Illustration: Sebastian Kaulitzki/Science Photo Library, via Getty Images

插图：塞巴斯蒂安·考利茨基/科学照片图书馆，通过盖蒂图片社