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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.
Last month, the FDA launched TrialBlazer, intended to streamline the IND path and bring early clinical trials and medical innovation home to the U.S. It’s a start, but new agency leadership must see it through.
FDA
Significant leadership instability at the FDA—compounded by continued workforce attrition—led to a slight slowdown in overall regulatory productivity in the first half of this year, but the agency has been catching up of late.
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Congressional letters sent to the CEOs of Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Merck, BMS and AbbVie this week voicing concerns about the pharmas’ clinical trials in China highlight an ongoing discrepancy in how government and industry think about the rise of the Asian country’s biotech industry.
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Continuing its clinical win streak, AbbVie’s Skyrizi showed signs of superiority against Johnson & Johnson’s Stelara in topline data from a head-to-head Phase III Crohn’s disease study.
Topline data for the company’s CRF1 antagonist crinecerfont showed a significant drop in daily glucocorticoid dose, while maintaining androgen control in adult patients with the genetic disorder.
The agency’s briefing document found Phase III results investigating patisiran’s effects versus placebo were “small, of questionable clinical meaningfulness, and may not be detectable by patients.”
Citing a challenging macro environment, 2seventy bio is launching a sweeping strategic reorganization that will see 40% of its staff laid off and CEO Nick Leschly stepping down.
As the Novartis generics and biosimilars division nears its spin-off, Sandoz has signed a commercialization agreement with Samsung Bioepis, gaining rights to the latter’s Stelara biosimilar.
Following a $540 million IPO in May, Acelyrin’s lead candidate izokibep failed to meet the primary endpoint in a Phase IIb/III study of patients with the chronic inflammatory skin condition.
FDA
The regulator Monday approved the companies’ supplemental Biologics License Applications for their respective mRNA shots formulated to more closely target currently circulating variants.
The collaboration, which includes an upfront payment of $120 million to Immatics, pairs Moderna’s mRNA technology with Immatics’ T-cell receptor platform for cancer treatment.
Following a Phase II review, Novartis has cut the development of a gene therapy candidate for geographic atrophy. In June, the company sold a dry eye disease drug to Bauch + Lomb for $1.75 billion.
The California pharma is building up to its first-ever approval with promising late-stage data for its once-daily investigational acromegaly pill paltusotine, an alternative to the injectable standard of care.