Ruben Sebastian

Biotech investor, operator & BD | Drug development | EIR @MSKCancerCenter | 🦋

[Ruben Sebastian @RubenSebas_]

Servier to acquire Edgewise muscular #dystrophy business for up to $2.65 billion

Includes sevasemten, an oral first-in-class fast skeletal myosin inhibitor. Currently in a pivotal cohort in Becker, and in Ph2 in #Duchenne

Proud holder $EWTX!
https://t.co/fBFvLTOmdz

[Ruben Sebastian @RubenSebas_]

Phase 3 melanoma trial (INTerpath-001) is highly likely to read out positive later this year. This personalized cancer vaccine platform could be the next big thing for $MRK & $MRNA with 9 total Ph2 and Ph3 trials underway across multiple tumor types

[Ruben Sebastian @RubenSebas_]

Personalized neoantigen mRNA vaccine (intismeran autogene) 5 year follow-up in metastatic melanoma reduced recurrence and death by 49% (on top of Keytruda)

#ASCO26 $MRK $MRNA
https://t.co/vQsygYfVA0

[Ruben Sebastian @RubenSebas_]

This is why we do what we do! Foundational research leads to novel medicines for the benefit of our patients. Congrats $RVMD, Brian Wolpin, @EileenMOReilly and everyone involved!

Today is a day to celebrate science, drug development and biotech! #ASCO26

[Ruben Sebastian @RubenSebas_]

Lilly to acquire Ajax for up to $2.3B. Its lead program (AJ1-11095) is a once-daily oral first-in-class type II #JAK2 inhibitor

Great story for the NYC #biotech ecosystem! Kudos to the founding scientists from @MSKCancerCenter, @nyuniversity & Schrodinger
https://t.co/fPg7zNff29

[Ruben Sebastian @RubenSebas_]

Great news from Oruka $ORKA! ORKA-001, half-life extended IL-23p19 mAb, achieved 63.5% PASI 100 at week 16 in a Phase 2a #psoriasis trial
https://t.co/4Y5yD9viG5

[Ruben Sebastian @RubenSebas_]

@ThalesPapaG @CD_AACR Great work @ThalesPapaG, @RayPillaiMD and team!

[Ruben Sebastian @RubenSebas_]

We’re witnessing impressive advances in pancreatic cancer! A pancreatic cancer mRNA vaccine shows a very strong and durable immune response in a Phase 1 trial. New 6-year data are being presented today at #AACR2026 @MSKCancerCenter

https://t.co/Zhnz878xMg

[Ruben Sebastian @RubenSebas_]

Lilly to acquire Kelonia to advance in vivo CAR-T cell therapies for $3.25 billion upfront and up to $7 billion

Kelonia's lead program is an i.v. gene therapy that generates anti-BCMA CAR-T cells in vivo and is currently in Ph1 for r/r multiple myeloma
https://t.co/MyxbsC1sgX

[Ruben Sebastian @RubenSebas_]

What a few days of M&A activity, with good friends involved.
- Today: Merck to acquire Terns (allosteric TKI, leukemia) for $6.7B
- Monday: Gilead to acquire Ouro (BCMA TCE, I&I) for $2.2B
- Last week: Novartis to acquire Synnovation’s SNV4818 (PI3Ki, breast cancer) for $3B

[Ruben Sebastian @RubenSebas_]

Belén Garijo, departing CEO of Merck KGaA, will take the helm at Sanofi as its new CEO starting in April 2026
https://t.co/eEelinHAyi

[Ruben Sebastian @RubenSebas_]

European biotech Agomab files for a Nasdaq IPO.

Will we see a surge of news post #JPM26? 🤔
https://t.co/x7UU6DLhaI

[Ruben Sebastian @RubenSebas_]

Eikon joins the IPO queue after raising over $1B in private funding since 2019 #JPM26

Aktis (now $AKTS) raised $318M in 2026’s first biotech IPO last week. Predictions for 2026 biotech IPOs are in the 30-40 range
https://t.co/4DtF2Vpmxe

[Ruben Sebastian @RubenSebas_]

Another deal coming from $NVS this morning #JPM26

Novartis has entered into a worldwide license agreement with PepLib for an undisclosed peptide-based radioligand therapy asset

$50M upfront + undisclosed milestones/royalties
https://t.co/NCsGY951Fo

[Ruben Sebastian @RubenSebas_]

NVIDIA $NVDA and Lilly $LLY are all-in on AI powered drug discovery #JPM26
https://t.co/JlhRKeryat

[Ruben Sebastian @RubenSebas_]

SciNeuro and Novartis $NVS enter into a licensing and collaboration agreement for next-gen therapeutics to treat #Alzheimers

Amyloid beta targeted antibody program with a proprietary BBB shuttle technology

$165M upfront and up to $1.5B total deal #JPM26
https://t.co/TTBUMa5Ar6

[Ruben Sebastian @RubenSebas_]

AbbVie $ABBV and RemeGen announce exclusive ex China licensing agreement to develop a PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody for advanced solid tumors

$650M upfront and up to $4.95B total deal

#JPM26 news is cautiously warming up
https://t.co/PhPRnBIEMS

[Ruben Sebastian @RubenSebas_]

Tick tock $RVMD #JPM26
https://t.co/9cXmZy9xvi

[Ruben Sebastian @RubenSebas_]

https://t.co/8s4nKMCzKR

[Ruben Sebastian @RubenSebas_]

Thrilled to have contributed to the oversubscribed $67M Series B round of NRG Therapeutics

NRG is pioneering first-in-class therapies targeting #mitochondrial dysfunction for the treatment of devastating #neurodegenerative diseases #ALS and #Parkinsons

https://t.co/n4kwogTIFi

[Ruben Sebastian @RubenSebas_]

NRG Therapeutics is now a clinical-stage company! First participants dosed in the FIH trial of lead candidate NRG5051 developed for #ALS and #Parkinsons

This great news comes with the tailwind of the oversubscribed Series B we backed last summer. #JPM26
https://t.co/3ZpFUhSMJY