Drug Development
A surprising deal from Vertex Pharmaceuticals adds to Big Pharma’s acquisitive streak as Crinetics folds into the cystic fibrosis drugmaker. Meanwhile, IPOs and venture capital raises trend upward, but mostly for derisked companies. Plus, FDA decisions slow only slightly as the hunt for a permanent leader drags on.
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Molecular glue degraders are gaining traction in the clinic as well as funding from Big Pharma, with their potential to treat previously “undruggable” cancers and immunological diseases. Here are five clinical programs worth keeping an eye on.
A recent FDA reversal sparked new hope for patients with Huntington’s disease. Flying under the radar, Skyhawk Therapeutics revealed 12-month functional data from a midstage trial of its own candidate showing improvements on a key disease measurement scale.
Recent approvals for Corcept Therapeutics and Merck have injected momentum into the space, where GSK, Allarity Therapeutics, OSE Immunotherapies and others are advancing their own candidates.
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Annexon’s late-stage Guillain-Barré syndrome trial has hit its primary endpoint and laid the foundation for a filing for approval next year, the company said Tuesday.
BridgeBio’s oral small molecule infigratinib is proceeding with a late-stage study in children with achondroplasia after it improved body proportionality and height in children with dwarfism, the company announced Tuesday.
BMS presented late-stage results on Tuesday at the ASCO annual meeting which showed the combination of Opdivo and Yervoy lowered the risk of death by 21% in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma, compared to two kinase inhibitors.
Structure Therapeutics’ GLP-1 receptor agonist GSBR-1290 achieved mean weight loss of 6.2% in overweight or obese patients. The company’s shares jumped to a six-month high on the news Monday.
Agios Pharmaceuticals’ Pyrukynd met both the primary and secondary endpoints in patients with transfusion-dependent alpha- or beta-thalassemia.
While more programs now involve candidates with different targets, experts say anti-amyloid therapies will remain a primary player in treating the memory-robbing disease.
LSD, ketamine, ibogaine and related treatments are moving forward in clinical trials for substance use disorders, including alcohol use disorder and opioid use disorder.
Regeneron and Sanofi will have to wait until September 2024 for the FDA to decide whether to expand Dupixent’s label to include uncontrolled chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
In addition to missing the mark in overall survival, Gilead reported Thursday a higher number of deaths in the Trodelvy arm of the confirmatory metastatic urothelial cancer study.
Novartis’ Scemblix posted stronger results with fewer discontinuation rates than both its own Gleevec and a stronger second-generation TKI, positioning it for a potential first-line indication in chronic myeloid leukemia.