Though data won’t be available for a few years, the disclosure in mid-July that Grifols SA completed enrollment in the phase III study called Sparta caused some ears to perk up in the alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) space, where a number of contenders are busy.
One hepatitis delta virus player (HDV) has dropped out after Eiger Biopharmaceuticals Inc.’s phase III effort with peginterferon lambda turned up safety issues, while others remain busy in a space highlighted during last November’s meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. Shares of Palo Alto, Calif.-based Eiger (NASDAQ:EIGR) closed Sept. 13 at 41 cents, down 28 cents, or 40.6%, on word that the company is stopping the Limt-2 study in patients with chronic HDV.
Neurocrine Biosciences Inc.’s positive top-line data from the phase III study called Cahtalyst in classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) further whetted Wall Street’s appetite for soon-to-come results in the same indication from Spruce Therapeutics Inc.
Moderna Inc. has more than COVID-19 vaccines in the hopper, and the company aims to add still more oomph by way of an oncology deal with Immatics NV that could be worth more than $1.7 billion for the latter, which banks $120 million up front and stands to collect research funding as well.
Positive phase III data from Cymabay Therapeutics Inc. with seladelpar, the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor for primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), could mean trouble for Intercept Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s second-line therapy, the farnesoid X receptor agonist Ocaliva (obeticholic acid), which Cymabay aims to replace with its compound as the preferred choice.
Wall Street’s hoped-for phase III derisking event from Insmed Inc. materialized, and shares of the firm (NASDAQ:INSM) closed Sept. 5 at $26.37, up $3.73, or 16.5%, on positive top-line results from the study called Arise with inhaled Arikayce (amikacin) in patients with newly diagnosed or recurrent nontuberculous mycobacterial lung infection by Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) who had not started antibiotics. “We crushed it” on culture conversion with Arikayce, CEO William Lewis said. “We could not be happier about the results of this study. It exceeded all of our expectations on every front.”
Roche Holding AG’s Genentech subsidiary has broken new ground with a victory in phase III testing of the oral, anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitor Alecensa (alectinib) in early stage, ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The drug, well known to doctors in the advanced setting, was compared with platinum-based chemotherapy and met its primary endpoint of disease-free survival at a prespecified interim analysis.
Phathom Pharmaceuticals Inc. made recent headway with its new mechanism of action in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) even as further, disturbing discoveries in the space are seeing daylight. Florham Park, N.J.-based Phathom turned over to the U.S. FDA the requested six-month stability data related to reformulated vonoprazan tablets, and the numbers remained consistent with three-month data, reflecting N-nitroso-vonoprazan nitrosamine control and levels comfortably more than tenfold below the acceptable daily intake limit.
The paper published June 19 in Nature Genetics that described a genome-wide analysis to narrow down the implicated pathogenic signaling pathways and “prioritize drug targets for IgA nephropathy [IgAN]” no doubt proved of great interest to developers, plenty of which are busy in the space.
“Sometimes the market gets ahead of the science,” said Dennis Purcell, founder of Aisling Capital, pointing to the way backers of genomics firms “went nuts” in the early 2000s. “I think we’re in a position today where the science is ahead of where the market is.” The remarks by venture capital (VC) expert Purcell came during a virtual salon hosted Aug. 30 by Demy-Colton and titled “VC Trends in Healthcare Investing: Current Pulse Check.” Panelists acknowledged the currently unfavorable financing environment but sounded upbeat about the industry’s path forward.
