Although last year’s massive U.S. launch of Humira biosimilars captured headlines, the market adoption of those competitors has been nothing to write home about, even with discounts as low as 85% off the innovator price. While one biosimilar launched in January 2023 and seven more, including the first interchangeable, came to market six months later, the competition barely nibbled into the market share for Abbvie Inc.’s Humira (adalimumab) – that is, until CVS Caremark, a pharmacy benefit manager, announced in January that it would soon be removing the innovator from its formulary and adding CVS’ own Cordavis private label biosimilar.  

Specifics offered by Alnylam from phase III with vutrisiran in ATTR-CM

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. provided detailed results from the Helios-B phase III study with vutrisiran, an investigational RNAi therapeutic in development for the treatment of ATTR amyloidosis with cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM). The data, which rolled out at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in London, were also simultaneously published in The New England Journal of Medicine. As previously reported, the study met all 10 of its primary and secondary endpoints, across the overall and monotherapy populations, with statistical significance. Shares of Cambridge, Mass.-based Alnylam’s stock (NASDAQ:ALNY) were trading at $269.19, down $17.82.

Despite clinical failure, new analysis supports Actinogen’s Xanamem

After initially reporting that Xanamem failed to meet the primary endpoint in cognitive attention in the phase IIa Xanacidd cognition and depression trial, Actinogen Medical Ltd. CEO Steven Gourlay said a new analysis shows clinically and statistically significant benefits in depression. The new analysis validates the biologic activity of the 10-mg dose and establishes that “inhibiting the stress hormone cortisol in the brain really matters from a clinical point of view and that this approach to therapy of multiple diseases including depression and Alzheimer's has attraction and really does work,” Gourlay said during an Aug. 29 conference call.

Biopharma grants for 2024 reach four-year high of $2.5B

Through July 2024, the value of grants to biopharma firms totaled $2.52 billion, up from $1.66 billion in the same time period last year. Nonprofit deals, meanwhile, are tracking at the lowest level in BioWorld’s records.

Noetik closes on an oversubscribed $40M series A

Artificial intelligence drug discovery company Noetik Inc. has closed on an oversubscribed $40 million series A financing round. The San Francisco-based company said it plans to expand its atlas of human cancer biology with its in vivo CRISPR platform. It will use the platform to advance a pipeline of cancer therapeutics to the clinic. The financing was led by Polaris Partners, along with new investors Khosla Ventures, Wittington Ventures and Breakout Ventures. The round was supported by existing investors DCVC, Zetta Venture Partners, Catalio Capital Management, 11.2 Capital, Epic Ventures, Intermountain Ventures and North South Ventures.

Holiday notice

BioWorld's offices will be closed in observance of Labor Day in the U.S. No issue will be published Monday, Sept. 2.

Also in the news

Aprinoia, Avicanna, Betterlife, Biocon, Biomarin, Gain, Geovax, GSK, Hookipa, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Nuvectis, Repare, Scilex, TC, Ventyx