Privately held Dyno Therapeutics Inc. has added another notch to its adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors development portfolio in a deal with the Roche Group that includes $50 million up front and ultimately could top $1 billion. Dyno will help in developing next-generation AAV vectors, optimized by artificial intelligence, to target neurological diseases.
Early results from REFLECTION, a real-world study, mirrored results for Grail Inc.'s multi-cancer early detection (MCED) assay in clinical trials, according to a presentation at the 2024 Early Detection of Cancer Conference. The study, conducted at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) sites, focuses on the real-world application of the Galleri test, which screens for multiple cancers in asymptomatic individuals.
Despite positive findings from an earlier trial, Alto Neuroscience Inc.’s BDNF-targeting candidate, ALTO-100, failed to best placebo in a phase IIb study in major depressive disorder, sending shares of the company to their lowest price since going public in a February 2024 IPO, as investors worried about readthrough to Alto’s biomarker-based approach for treating psychiatric disorders.
Boston Scientific Corp. posted another eye-popping quarterly report, led by a 177% year-over-year increase in its electrophysiology business to $527 million, which exceeded consensus expectations by $99 million. That stunning EP growth follows 125% growth in the second quarter and 70% in the first quarter, all largely attributed to the Farapulse pulsed field ablation system, which achieved unprecedented adoption rates.
In what seems a replay of concerns about technetium shortages from the 2010s, a bipartisan group of members of the U.S. House Energy & Commerce Committee has called for a study of the availability of medical isotopes for U.S. citizens.
Camurus AB received a complete response letter (CRL) from the U.S. FDA for CAM-2029 (octreotide), its extended-release injection for acromegaly, due to “facility-related deficiencies” identified during a cGMP inspection of a third-party manufacturer. The Lund, Sweden-based company noted that the CRL did not indicate any concerns related to clinical efficacy or safety. Camurus will work with the FDA and the third-party manufacturer to address the concerns, said Fredrik Tiberg, president and CEO.
Targeting NMDA in mental health has chalked wins but not universally, as shown by Sage Therapeutics Inc.’s failure of the placebo-controlled phase II Lightwave study testing dalzanemdor in Alzheimer's disease, which missed the primary outcome measure, another bit of bad luck from the company that was disclosed Oct. 8.
Preliminary results from a trial demonstrated that Science Corp.’s Prima retina implant restored ‘form vision,’ including the ability to read in patients with vision loss. Originally developed at Stanford University and then advanced by Pixium Vision SA, Prima received U.S. FDA breakthrough device designation in April 2023.
The U.S. FDA declared that Michelle Tarver is the permanent replacement for Jeff Shuren as the director of the agency’s device center. The news is hardly a surprise as Shuren confirmed the appointment in an October 2024 public meeting.
Baxter International Inc., whose North Cove manufacturing site in Marion, North Carolina, was significantly impacted by the rain and storm surge from Hurricane Helene – including flooding of the facility – in September, reported that restoring the physical facilities has exceeded its expectations, with meaningful advances in site cleanup and remediation.