After disclosing data from the phase II Herald study, Aligos Therapeutics Inc. may sign a partner to help advance ALG-055009, a thyroid hormone receptor (THR) beta agonist, in subjects with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH, formerly nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH).
Positive data from two studies boosted Edgewise Therapeutics Inc.’s market share and elevated analyst enthusiasm for the company and its treatment of obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Top-line data from the phase I and phase II studies of EDG-7500 in treating the genetic disease that results in thickened heart muscles showed the therapy was well-tolerated in healthy volunteers and produced meaningful improvements in those with the disease.
Wall Street apparently wanted more from Prelude Therapeutics Inc.’s phase I data with SMARCA2 enzyme degrader PRT-3789 in cancer, which rolled out Sept. 13 during the recent European Society of Medical Oncology Congress in Barcelona, but hopes are still high for other prospects in the class pushed forward by various developers.
Innovent Biologics Inc. unveiled for the first time safety and efficacy data of IBI-354, an HER2 monoclonal antibody-camptothecin derivative conjugate that shows promising efficacy signals across a range of advanced solid tumors, during the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2024 Congress. An HER2-targeted antibody-drug conjugate developed using Innovent's topoisomerase inhibitor NT3 platform, IBI-354 combines a hydrophilic linker design with a hydrophobic payload to enhance the bystander effect, targeting adjacent antigen-low or negative tumor cells.
Capricor Therapeutics Inc. has expanded its commercialization and distribution deal with Nippon Shinyaku Co. Ltd. to include the EU and the U.K. for deramiocel, Capricor’s lead asset, in treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). In the new agreement, Capricor will receive an up-front payment of $20 million. Capricor will handle development and manufacturing duties for deramiocel while Nippon Shinyaku will be responsible for the sales and distribution.
Scattered investor qualms about Nuvalent Inc.’s largely upbeat data during the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) meeting in Barcelona didn’t stop the firm from pricing an upsized $500 million public offering. The Cambridge, Mass.-based firm is selling 5 million shares of class A common stock at $100 each. The offering is expected to close on Sept. 18, with underwriters holding a 30-day option to purchase up to 750,000 more shares.
As Novo Nordisk A/S and Eli Lilly and Co. go head-to-head in the U.S. and Chinese glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) market for diabetes and obesity, Novo Nordisk is in innovator gear once more with leading studies of GLP-1s in Alzheimer’s disease.
Chinese pharmaceutical and biotech companies are leading development of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists as Novo Nordisk A/S and Eli Lilly and Co. edge closer to launching blockbuster therapies in China. At the heart of the GLP-1 boom is a nationwide obesity problem driven by a confluence of factors, including the rise of a modern, sedentary lifestyle, according to Clarivate. Despite the rising prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes, the gap in obesity therapeutics is “substantial and leaves a solid market opportunity for weight loss drugs,” Karan Verma, principal analyst of healthcare research & data analytics at Clarivate, said.
Immvira Group Co.’s oncolytic herpes simplex virus product, MVR-T3011, showed early efficacy via intravesical administration in patients with high-risk BCG-failure non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.
One of the current challenges of immunotherapy is the hunt for good targets, and the Claudins – a family of roughly two dozen transmembrane proteins – would appear to have a lot going for them. “Some Claudins distribute in a tissue-specific manner, and malignant transformation causes their exposition,” Cinta Hierro told the audience at the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2024 Congress. “Others are rarely expressed in healthy tissue.”