Dublin-based Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc's buyout of Cavion Inc. via merger with a subsidiary had some on Wall Street scratching their chins, as the takeover undoubtedly adds to the central nervous system (CNS) pipeline but with lingering development risks.
Analysts had questions aplenty for Nektar Therapeutics Inc. about cancer drug candidate bempegaldesleukin ("bempeg," NKTR-214) after the firm made known some apparent manufacturing problems with the compound, a CD122-preferential interleukin-2 pathway agonist designed to stimulate the patient's own immune system and fight various cancer types.
As expected, Rhythm Pharmaceuticals Inc. rolled out positive top-line results from two pivotal, phase III trials evaluating setmelanotide, the company's melanocortin-4 receptor (MCR4R) agonist, for the treatment of pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) and leptin receptor (LEPR) deficiency obesities.
Leap Therapeutics Inc. said its anti-Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) antibody, DKN-01, in combination with the anti-PD-1 antibody Keytruda (pembrolizumab, Merck & Co. Inc.), turned up higher survival and objective response outcomes in patients with advanced gastroesophageal junction and gastric cancer (GEJ/GC) whose tumors expressed high levels of DKK1 (DKK1-high).
Deciphera Pharmaceuticals Inc. CEO Steven Hoerter told BioWorld Asia the FDA approval of Turalio (pexidartinib) from Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd. last week "leaves a lot of headroom for efficacy," given the response rate of about 40%. "One of the most significant concerns that the FDA had was hepatotoxicity, which is an off-target effect," he added, so the approval came with "some fairly onerous monitoring requirements."
Tokyo-based Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd.'s Turalio (pexidartinib) won FDA clearance for adults with symptomatic tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT) associated with severe morbidity or functional limitations and not responsive to improvement with surgery.
Deciphera Pharmaceuticals Inc. CEO Steven Hoerter told BioWorld the FDA approval of Turalio (pexidartinib) from Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd. last week "leaves a lot of headroom for efficacy," given the response rate of about 40%.
Tokyo-based Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd.'s Turalio (pexidartinib) won FDA clearance for adults with symptomatic tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT) associated with severe morbidity or functional limitations and not responsive to improvement with surgery.
With data from the phase III, 341-patient Reset trial due soon, investors in Glycomimetics Inc. eagerly await the findings to be unveiled by partner Pfizer Inc. with rivipansel to treat vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) in sickle cell disease (SCD).