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When Doug Ingram became Sarepta Therapeutics’ CEO in 2017, he didn’t have a connection to muscular dystrophy, but he has developed a fierce passion for the therapeutic area. He will step aside from his role to dedicate more time to his family.
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IPO
LB Pharma needed $350 million to advance a promising schizophrenia candidate at a time when the biotech markets were locked up tight. Fortunately, it wasn’t CEO Heather Turner’s first rodeo.
Rare disease drug developers struggle to survive in a biopharma investment market that prioritizes large patient populations. Initiatives like the Orphan Therapeutics Accelerator are attempting to solve what CEO Craig Martin says is not a science problem, but a math problem.
Eli Lilly’s win in a head-to-head trial drove Novo Nordisk’s market cap to pre-Wegovy levels not long after the victor became the first pharma company to top a $1 trillion valuation. It seems one company can do no right, while the other can do no wrong.
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FDA
Following the FDA’s refusal to review Moderna’s investigational mRNA flu vaccine last week, Commissioner Marty Makary faced questions from the U.S. president about the agency’s handling of vaccines. It’s a clear signal that the tension long brewing at the drug regulator has now gone all the way to the top.
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Under the potential $770.5 million deal announced Tuesday, Autifony Therapeutics is licensing to Jazz Pharmaceuticals two ion channel targets associated with neurological disorders.
When given with chemoradiotherapy, Imfinzi in a late-stage non-small cell lung cancer study did not lead to significant improvements in progression-free survival versus chemoradiotherapy alone.
The Japanese biotechnology and food company has bought into the gene therapy space with its $620 million acquisition of Ohio-based CDMO and clinical-stage biotech Forge Biologics.
In a late-stage trial, treatment with Ipsen and Genfit’s elafibranor led to high rates of biochemical response and the normalization of alkaline phosphatase levels compared with placebo.
Pennsylvania-based Aclaris Therapeutics will stop development of zunsemetinib after it failed to meet the primary endpoint in a Phase II study for rheumatoid arthritis.
The UK-based nanomedicine biotech, previously known as SomaServe, has closed its Series A with some significant biopharma names attached.
At its highest dose level of 608 mg, lepodisiran reduced lipoprotein(a) levels by a median of 94% after 48 weeks.
When given at potentially therapeutic doses, Verve’s base editor led to strong reductions in LDL cholesterol and PCSK9 levels in patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia.
Novo Nordisk posted new data at AHA 2023 showing that its blockbuster weight loss drug could cut the risk of major cardiovascular events—including heart attack—across patient subgroups.
The allogeneic T-cell immunotherapy company is now approaching penny stock territory after its multiple sclerosis drug failed to reach the primary endpoint in a mid-stage study.