Orsobio Inc., already in the clinic with three candidates, has completed its $60 million series A financing. The company, CEO Mani Subramanian told BioWorld, has taken its time to find the right programs, put them together and only raised capital when it saw the programs had legs. Even the series A is a measured step, as Subramanian called the financing “modest.”
Lumos Pharma Inc.’s novel approach with LUM-201 in pediatric growth hormone deficiency paid off in top-line results, and the company is laying the groundwork for a phase III study next year. Pisit “Duke” Pitukcheewanont, senior vice president of global clinical development and medical affairs for Lumos, told BioWorld that the ability of LUM-201 to generate hormone at the normal range, promoting growth comparable to standard-of-care daily or weekly injections is “groundbreaking.”
Emerging from stealth mode, Rampart Bioscience Inc. pulled down $85 million in series A money for work on DNA-based drugs – a round that was led by Forbion with participation from seed investor Orbimed and new backers RA Capital Management and Healthcap.
“Finally!” Piper Sandler analysts cheered in a research note on Ardelyx Inc., which after spending three years battling the U.S. FDA, secured approval of Xphozah (tenapanor) for treating hyperphosphatemia in adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The company will waste no time getting to market, aiming to have the NHE3 inhibitor available to patients next month, marking the first new treatment class for hyperphosphatemia in 30 years.
Following an unexpected FDA complete response letter (CRL), Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. said it will no longer pursue an expanded indication for Onpattro (patisiran) in the U.S. The RNAi therapeutic was approved in 2018 to treat polyneuropathy of hereditary transthyretin-mediated (ATTR) amyloidosis and seemed well on its way to snagging a second U.S. indication after the FDA’s Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee voted 9-3 in September that the drug’s benefits outweighed its risks as a treatment for cardiomyopathy of ATTR amyloidosis. The FDA disagreed with the committee, saying in the CRL that patisiran’s clinical meaningfulness had not been established in the proposed indication.
In the ultra-rare disease congenital hyperinsulinism, an overproduction of insulin leads to persistent hypoglycemia and can cause neurological complications due to high glucose needs of the brain. About half of children go on to develop seizures or intellectual problems, but current therapeutic options are limited and there are no approved drugs specifically for the condition.
Three years after Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. gained U.S. FDA approval of the first treatment for rare disease primary hyperoxaluria type 1 (PH1), Novo Nordisk A/S solidified its own marketing clearance for RNAi therapy Rivfloza (nedosiran).
After a nearly year-long delay pegged to COVID-19 travel restrictions, the U.S. FDA has approved Amicus Therapeutics Inc.’s Pompe disease drug, introducing competition for Sanofi SA’s standard-of-care treatment and anticipating blockbuster sales. The combination of Pombiliti (cipaglucosidase alfa-atga) and Opfolda (miglustat) 65-mg capsules was approved for adults with late-onset Pompe disease, who weigh at least 40 kg and who are not improving on their current enzyme replacement therapy.
Positive top-line phase III study results for olezarsen in treating familial chylomicronemia syndrome has Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc. looking down the road to U.S. FDA approval. It’s the company’s second attempt at getting an approval for treating the rare disorder.
Soleno Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: SLNO) pulled off in a major way its randomized-withdrawal phase III study with DCCR (diazoxide choline) in Prader-Willi syndrome, boosting the shares by $22.37, or 505%, to close Sept. 26 at $26.80. “Our work is not done, but this was a big step,” said CEO Anish Bhatnagar.
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