Watchers of the Bruton’s kinase (BTK) inhibitor space may be casting renewed skepticism in that direction after Merck KGaA disclosed April 12 that the U.S. FDA placed a partial clinical hold on the sign-up of more patients in work testing evobrutinib in relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) – but BTK efforts in MS continue in various quarters.
In a draft guidance released May 2, the U.S. FDA provided recommendations for sponsors, investigators and other stakeholders for implementation of decentralized clinical trials to advance research in medical devices, drugs and biologics.
Fibrogen Inc. and its co-development partners for roxadustat, Astrazeneca plc and Astellas Pharma Inc., were dealt a major blow May 5 as the oral hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor failed to meet its primary efficacy endpoint in a phase III trial in patients with anemia caused by transfusion-dependent lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).
Moleculight Inc. published a study on the impact of skin pigmentation on the clinical diagnosis of wound infection that could have profound implications for implicit or unconscious racial bias among diagnosticians. The paper in the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities pointed to lack of clinical training and educational resources on diverse skin tones and of diagnostic tools to address unique clinical attributes of patients with darker skin tones.
By the end of this year, it will become apparent whether Morphosys AG has executed one of the biotechnology industry’s boldest pivots in recent years or has instead blown $1.7 billion of investor cash on a dud. The day of reckoning is coming a little sooner than expected for the Planegg, Germany-based firm, as it has completed recruitment in a phase III trial of pelabresib in first-line myelofibrosis ahead of schedule. Top-line data from the study are now expected before year-end, instead of early 2024.
While sorting out a second phase III study design for its cancer therapy and light device with the U.S. FDA, Soligenix Inc. produced positive results from a compatibility study evaluating Hybryte (synthetic hypericin sodium) for treating early stage cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). That data, according to Soligenix, bolster findings from the phase III FLASH study, which used the same combination in treating CTCL. According to Christopher Schaber, Soligenix CEO, the important corporate objectives for the compatibility study were to replicate results seen in the FLASH study.
Blood clots can lead to life-threatening conditions such as deep vein thrombosis, heart attack, pulmonary embolism and stroke. Blood thinners are essential in the treatment and prevention of blood clots but carry a significant risk of bleeding as they target enzymes essential for blood clotting. Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the University of Michigan have developed a new class of blood thinners that can specifically target clots without increasing the risk of bleeding.
In January, a Wall Street analyst predicted the U.S. FDA’s rejection of Eli Lilly and Co.’s application seeking accelerated approval of amyloid beta-targeting Alzheimer’s candidate, donanemab, would be a “mere footnote” in the drug’s development, a forecast confirmed in the wake of positive top-line phase III data showing donanemab significantly slowed cognitive and functional decline in people with early symptomatic disease.
Immunogen Inc. scored a major win in top-line data from the confirmatory phase III trial called Mirasol evaluating the approved antibody-drug conjugate Elahere (mirvetuximab soravtansine-gynx, “mirv”) vs. chemotherapy in patients with folate receptor alpha-positive platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC). The victory led shares of the Waltham, Mass.-based firm to close May 3 at $12.26, a rise of $7.06, or 135%.
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