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Before being discontinued, the P2X7 receptor blocker had cleared a master protocol study in chronic pain, though Eli Lilly said that results were not sufficient for advancement of the Asahi Kasei–partnered asset.
FEATURED STORIES
FDA
Heading into the final quarter of a year that has seen dramatic upheaval at the FDA—from the exodus of numerous senior leaders to unclear policy changes and a safety saga that engulfed the gene therapy space—drug approvals appear roughly on par with recent years.
Therapies from industry leaders BioMarin and Ascendis Pharma supply a key hormone that promotes bone growth. In order to move the field forward, challengers are looking to address the underlying cause of the rare, genetic disease.
New analysis from Jefferies shows that rare disease and cancer drugs granted the status are especially likely to be approved.
Job Trends
While Houston isn’t yet on the same level as major life sciences hubs, it has plenty to offer and room to grow, according to CNS Pharmaceuticals, RadioMedix and Greater Houston Partnership executives.
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Lilly CEO Dave Ricks in Wednesday’s third-quarter earnings call acknowledged that the company is at the mercy of wholesaler stocking decisions.
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Lynkuet is the first FDA-approved therapy that blocks both the neurokinin 1 and neurokinin 3 receptors to treat hot flashes.
ALS
The BioSpace 40 Under 40 winner opens up about his very personal career transformation from wealth management to biotech—and what it’s like to develop a drug for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia as a potential patient himself.
Last month, “historic positive results” from uniQure’s gene therapy snapped the Huntington’s community out of years of failure. As the biotech prepares to submit for FDA approval, BioSpace looks at four more candidates on the near horizon.
Pivotal results from uniQure’s gene therapy for Huntington’s disease have brought new light to patients who have known only disappointment in recent years—but one expert worries that communication of the results is creating “false expectations.”
M&A
The deal, announced early Sunday afternoon, will see Novartis gain access to Avidity’s neuroscience assets, while the San Diego biotech spins out a new company to shepherd its early-stage precision cardiology programs.
The $70 million upfront deal adds to a portfolio of drugs Biogen has been growing in various immunological conditions since 2024.
The cornerstone of the deal is Ixo-vec, an intravitreal gene therapy currently in Phase III development for wet age-related macular degeneration. Eli Lilly made another foray into genetic medicine in June, picking up Verve Therapeutics for up to $1.3 billion.
Of the 25 companies receiving tax incentives in Massachusetts, 23 will add jobs outside of Boston and Cambridge. Medtronic, which is receiving the largest award, will create 220 roles in Billerica. Other recipients include AbbVie, Dyne Therapeutics and Viridian Therapeutics.
FDA
In three draft guidance documents, the FDA has laid out pointers to help companies craft better drug development programs and drug applications.
The discontinued CAR T therapy bbT369 came to Regeneron when the pharma bought all of 2seventy bio’s pipeline assets for $5 million upfront in January 2024.