South Korean biopharmaceutical firm GNT Pharma Co. Ltd. on Feb. 13 reported positive findings from a domestic phase III trial of its neuroprotectant therapy, nelonemdaz (NEU-2000), for patients with acute ischemic stroke.
Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.’s AVP-786 missed the primary endpoint for a third time in a phase III trial for agitation associated with dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Two previous phase III trials also failed to show statistical significance for AVP-786.
Hong Kong’s Hutchmed (China) Ltd. reported mixed phase III results of fruquintinib as a second-line combination therapy for advanced gastric cancer on Feb. 6, with the oral vascular endothelial growth factor receptor inhibitor hitting just one co-primary endpoint.
Korean bioventure Curacle Co. Ltd. reported positive top-line findings from its U.S.-based phase IIa study of CU06-1004, an oral drug for diabetic macular edema, spurring plans for a bigger phase IIb study in the second half of 2024.
Sciwind Biosciences Co. Ltd.’s oral ecnoglutide (XW-004) produced strong weight loss results after short-term treatments, up to a 6.8% body weight decrease in obese and overweight participants after once-daily dosing for six weeks, according to data from the first four cohorts of the phase I trial.
For full year 2023, clinical trial updates saw a 5.23% increase compared to the corresponding period last year. In December, BioWorld tracked 281 phase I-III clinical trial updates, a decline from the 354 noted in November and 416 reported in October.
Biontech SE and Duality Biologics Co. Ltd. have progressed BNT-323/DB-1303 to pivotal phase III trials, beginning in China in patients with hormone receptor-positive and HER2-low metastatic breast cancer.
Boston-based Praxis Precision Medicines Inc.’s shares rose nearly 25% on Jan. 8 after it announced a pipeline update and licensing deal for its tremor drug, ulixacaltamide (PRAX-944), with Shanghai’s Tenacia Biotechnology Co. Ltd.
Innovent Biologics Inc. said its glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor and glucagon receptor dual agonist, mazdutide, met the primary endpoints and all key secondary endpoints in its first phase III trial in Chinese adults who were overweight or obese. The company plans to submit the first mazdutide NDA for weight management to China's NMPA shortly.
Sciwind Biosciences Co. Ltd.’s injectable glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analog, ecnoglutide (XW-003), achieved positive top-line results in a phase III trial in Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes. A long-acting, cAMP signaling biased GLP-1 analog, ecnoglutide is being developed for treating type 2 diabetes and obesity. GLP-1 receptor agonists are increasingly gaining attention in the obesity therapy area.