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Disc Medicine’s leadership tried to express optimism that its rare disease therapy bitopertin can be approved based on a Phase 3 trial set to begin shortly. However, analysts are worried that the protocol was developed with former FDA leaders.
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The FDA’s refusal to review Moderna’s mRNA-based flu vaccine is “part of a disturbing pattern” of moving regulatory goalposts, according to Clay Alspach, executive director of the Alliance for mRNA Medicines. Meanwhile, streamlined communications with regulators in other countries pave the way for rapid uptake of novel modalities.
The current state of political affairs in the U.S. does not bode well for the direction of that turn. The country is at real risk of losing its long-held lead in biotech innovation.
FDA
The FDA’s refusal to review Moderna’s mRNA-based flu vaccine is part of a larger communications crisis unfolding at the agency over the past nine months that has also ensnarled Sarepta, Capricor, uniQure and many more.
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The FDA issued a rare Refusal-to-File letter to Moderna over its mRNA-based influenza vaccine application, in an unusual move that sent the biotech’s shares tumbling.
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After a busy first half of 2024, several companies are expecting key data readouts in the neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disease spaces during the next six months.
Why I advocated on Capitol Hill this month for the renewal of the FDA’s Priority Review Voucher program
Halia Therapeutics, NodThera and Gain Therapeutics target neuroinflammatory processes in hopes of modifying the course of Parkinson’s progression.
The Federal Trade Commission criticized the business practices of pharmacy benefit managers this week, but drugmakers are also at fault for the high costs of medicines.
Akebia Therapeutics on Thursday said it regained full U.S. rights to its chronic kidney disease anemia drug Vafseo, which the biotech has priced at around $15,500 per year.
Immutep shares jumped nearly 20% on Friday after data showed its LAG-3 therapy—plus Keytruda—elicited strong response rates in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients in the front-line setting.
CVS Caremark’s recent decision to take AbbVie’s Humira off its major formularies has caused the blockbuster to lose more market share to biosimilars, according to the latest report from Samsung Bioepis.
The Senate on Thursday unanimously passed a bill aimed at limiting the number of patents drugmakers can introduce and making it easier for generic and biosimilar competitors to enter the market.
Pfizer said Thursday it is pushing ahead with a once-daily, modified-release formulation of its oral GLP-1 obesity therapy danuglipron, with dose optimization studies in the second half of 2024.
Kazia Therapeutics is eyeing an FDA accelerated approval pathway for its investigational glioblastoma drug paxalisib, with Wednesday’s release of secondary overall survival data from a Phase II/III trial.