What’s in a reputation? For pharmaceutical and biotech firms, lots. The previous 12 months have seen a spate of firms altering their names to higher replicate their mission, focus and imaginative and prescient. The 12 months kicked off with the largest amongst them when J&J shed the decades-old Janssen title and rechristened its pharmaceutical phase Johnson & Johnson Modern Drugs.
The transfer “higher conveys the connection and our deal with addressing essentially the most complicated illnesses within the areas of oncology, immunology, neuroscience, cardiovascular, pulmonary hypertension, and retina and to develop the potential medicines of tomorrow,” Vanessa Broadhurst, Johnson & Johnson’s government vp, world company affairs, advised PharmaVoice by way of electronic mail earlier this 12 months.
Firms regularly change their names for quite a lot of causes — to extra clearly talk their new focus or to distance themselves from a problematic previous the way in which Purdue Pharma rebranded into Knoa Prescription drugs to rid itself of its Oxycontin stain.
Listed below are 4 notable title adjustments from the final 12 months and why the businesses pivoted.
BeiGene turns into BeOne Medicines
After its 2010 launch, the title BeiGene initially mirrored the corporate’s headquarters in Beijing and its connection to the Chinese language market. However the biopharma has grown its footprint — and world focus — within the years since.
With a blockbuster next-generation BTK inhibitor Brukinsa underneath its belt, the oncology-focused firm is jockeying for a place as a blood most cancers chief with a deep hematology pipeline. It’s additionally creating a number of strong tumor candidates and scored an FDA approval earlier this 12 months for the superior esophageal squamous cell carcinoma drug Tevimbra.
“You don’t wish to be dominated out simply due to your title.”
Invoice Enright
CEO, Barinthus Biotherapeutics
Now, the corporate, which introduced its intention to rebrand in November, is “shifting to a brand new identification that displays our purpose-driven ethos to unite the broader neighborhood towards most cancers,” based on Shreya Jani, senior vp of company affairs.
“BeOne Medicines reaffirms our dedication to develop progressive medicines to get rid of most cancers by partnering with the worldwide neighborhood to function many sufferers as potential,” she advised PharmaVoice by way of electronic mail. “With management in hematology, one of the compelling pipelines, a rising multinational presence and revenues, we’re strongly positioned for continued development and management on this subsequent evolution of our firm.”
Vaccitech turns into Barinthus Biotherapeutics
“You don’t wish to be dominated out simply due to your title,” Barinthus Biotherapeutics CEO Invoice Enright advised PharmaVoice earlier this 12 months. “And that’s what I believed was taking place.”
As Vaccitech, the corporate made world headlines because the co-inventor of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. Between its declare to fame and its title, the corporate portrayed a specialty in vaccines. However the College of Oxford spinout has various therapeutic applications creating antigen-specific immunotherapies that information T cells to struggle illness.
The corporate’s lead asset is a “potential purposeful treatment for hepatitis B” in part 2 trials that mixes its viral vector platform, ChAdOx, and a Modified vaccinia Ankara vector. It’s additionally creating candidates in autoimmune illness and oncology.
For Barinthus, the new title “extra precisely displays the place the corporate goes and the success we’ve had on the therapeutic aspect,” Enright mentioned.
In Arthurian legend, Barinthus was a information who helped King Authur navigate to Avalon to be healed after getting wounded in battle.
“That form of resonated with our U.Okay. roots and the legendary characters of Oxford,” he mentioned. “We’re targeted on guiding the immune system to heal sufferers by stimulating T cells. There are some parallels there that I believe labored rather well for us.”
Cullinan Oncology turns into Cullinan Therapeutics
Cullinan’s title change is delicate, however significant.
Though the corporate nonetheless has clinical-stage oncology candidates within the pipeline, together with zipalertinib, a non-small cell lung most cancers therapy which generated optimistic pivotal part 2b outcomes in September, Cullinan is increasing its focus past most cancers and into the immunology realm.
Specifically, it’s switching the main target of its asset CLN-978 from non-Hodgkin lymphoma to autoimmune illnesses, with systemic lupus erythematosus as a primary indication. The candidate is presently in the IND-enabling part.
“The corporate believes that CLN-978 may supply a novel answer for sufferers and suppliers as a T cell engager designed to ship efficiency with off-the-shelf comfort and subcutaneous dosing,” Cullinan mentioned in a launch final spring.
The title change is a part of that greater strategic plan.
“The company title change to Cullinan Therapeutics displays the corporate’s transformation because it pursues new indications for autoimmune illnesses and continues to advance its clinical-stage oncology pipeline,” the corporate mentioned. “The brand new company title represents each the expanded therapeutic focus space and Cullinan Therapeutics’ imaginative and prescient to evolve to a commercial-stage biotech firm.”
Eliem Therapeutics turns into Climb Bio
After buying Tenet Medicines and its lead asset, the monoclonal antibody budoprutug, Eliem Therapeutics shifted its focus away from neuronal excitability issues to creating an immune-mediated illnesses pipeline. The corporate’s emblem and web site bought a refresh too, together with a slogan that displays its new title, Climb Bio: “Collectively, we are able to attain larger floor.”
“Our new title pays homage to the journey sufferers with autoimmune illnesses should journey and to the work required to develop new therapies with them in thoughts,” Dr. Aoife Brennan, CEO of Climb Bio, mentioned in a assertion saying the title change in October. “We’re devoted to constructing a number one biotechnology firm round budoprutug and advancing essential medicines for sufferers.”
The recent begin comes after the corporate mentioned it deliberate to “discover strategic alternate options” to its neuronal excitability dysfunction pipeline. In November, Climb reported that budoprutug was cleared for part 1 trials in lupus.
