The Biosecure Act missed its expected ride through the U.S. Congress via the National Defense Authorization Act, but it may not be the end of the road for the bill that would prohibit direct or indirect U.S. government contracts with listed “biotechnology companies of concern.”
Less than three months after going public via a $227.7 million IPO, shares of Bioage Labs Inc. (NASDAQ:BIOA) took a hit Dec. 9, losing 77% of their value, as safety concerns prompted the company to halt its phase II trial testing oral obesity candidate azelaprag. The Strides study, launched in July, had been testing azelaprag, an oral apelin receptor agonist licensed from Amgen Inc., as a monotherapy and in combination with GLP-1/GIP therapy Zepbound (tirzepatide, Eli Lilly and Co.) in obesity.
Agios Pharmaceuticals Inc. is learning the hard way the downside of having a pipeline in a product. When a side effect crops up, investors are likely to worry that it may affect the potential of the drug in the numerous diseases the drug could potentially treat.
The FDA’s final guidance for predetermined change control plans (PCCPs) for AI products contains a number of editorial changes, some more significant than others.
Medicare coverage of FDA-designated breakthrough devices is still a policy hot topic. Although the House of Representatives generated some momentum on related legislation, the Senate is now examining the Ensuring Patient Access to Critical Breakthrough Products Act for potential passage in the lame duck session – a development that would draw enthusiastic cheers from industry.
The European Commission approved Novo Holding A/S’ acquisition of Catalent Inc., a global contract development and manufacturing organization expected to help Novo Nordisk A/S keep up with increasing demand for its GLP-1 drug, Wegovy (semaglutide).
Dewpoint Therapeutics Inc. and Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corp. have entered a research collaboration worth up to $480 million to advance Dewpoint’s novel TDP-43 small-molecule condensate modulator for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Under terms of the deal, Boston-based Dewpoint will receive an undisclosed up-front payment and is eligible to receive R&D-based milestone payments up to $480 million. Upon reaching those milestones, Osaka, Japan-based MTPC will have an exclusive option to license the program and assume responsibility for global clinical development and commercialization. Dewpoint will also receive tiered royalties on net sales.
Voyager Therapeutics Inc.’s recent selection of a lead development candidate, VY-1706, for its tau silencing gene therapy program in Alzheimer’s disease brought renewed attention to the target, which continues to intrigue a substantial lineup of developers. Bellwether data rolled out this fall from UCB SA and Roche AG at the Clinical Trials in Alzheimer’s Disease meeting in Madrid.
Merus NV gained accelerated U.S. FDA approval of Bizengri (zenocutuzumab) as the first and only targeted therapy indicated for NRG1-positive pancreatic adenocarcinoma and non-small-cell lung cancer patients with advanced unresectable or metastatic disease. The approval came about seven months after the FDA accepted the BLA for filing under priority review, and two months ahead of the PDUFA goal date of Feb. 4, 2025, which had been extended by three months in November as the agency reviewed CMC information submitted in response to its request.
RSS
