Shares of GH Research plc (NASDAQ:GHRS) were trading at $18.48, up $7.88, or 74%, on favorable phase IIb data with GH-001, an inhalable mebufotenin candidate for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). GH-001 led to a significant reduction from baseline of -15.2 points in Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale total score on the eighth day of treatment, compared with +0.3 points in the placebo group (a difference of -15.5 points). All secondary endpoints were met, too. The psychedelic drug is designed to activate serotonin 5-HT2A and 5-HT1A receptors as a way of providing relief from TRD.

One vote could keep Kennedy from getting out of committee

Whether Robert Kennedy advances in his quest to become the top health care voice in the Trump administration could come down to one vote – that of Sen. Bill Cassidy. The Louisiana doctor is one of 14 Republican members of the Senate Finance Committee, which is scheduled to vote tomorrow on whether to send Kennedy’s nomination as Health and Human Services secretary to the full Senate for confirmation. If all 13 Democrats on the committee vote against it, one no vote from a Republican could stop the process. Cassidy, who also serves as chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, concluded last week’s HELP hearing with Kennedy by sharing the dilemma he faces in supporting the nomination because of Kennedy’s years of public attacks on vaccine safety.

Drug pricing scheme in Japan gets more confusing

Japan’s drug pricing scheme has gotten more complicated, and pharma companies should brace themselves for annual price cuts. Industry has been pushing back against the annual price reductions to no avail, Ray Fujii, managing director of LEK’s San Francisco office told BioWorld. Although 2025 is a midyear revision in Japan, and not a formal price revision year, the system for considering drug prices has gotten more confusing with a new formula for determining price cuts. One bright spot is that this year’s revisions will see less impact in terms of dollar value and the number of products affected, he said. “But it's going to be a very large amount of money – about ¥280 billion [US$1.8 billion] in price cuts – compared to ¥300 billion in price cuts in 2023.”

Biopharma deals break previous record high, reaching $230B in 2024

Biopharma deal value continued its upward trend in 2024, reaching $230.53 billion, a 6% increase from $217.69 billion in 2023, setting a new record in BioWorld’s data. Deal volume also grew, with 1,429 agreements across licensing, joint ventures and collaborations, up 3.5% from 1,380 in 2023, though still below the peak activity seen from 2019 to 2022.

Antibody prevents severe bird flu in macaques

Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh have tested a broadly neutralizing antibody that binds the stem of a protein against H5N1 avian influenza, which prevented severe disease in nonhuman primates and was effective for at least eight weeks. The scientists remark on the potential of the design developed by Astrazeneca plc against a possible outbreak of the influenza A virus.

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Akero, Astrazeneca, Avanzanite, Axsome, Bavarian Nordic, Biogen, Boundless, Bristol Myers Squibb, Celltrion, Constructive, Cosette, Daiichi Sankyo, Enveric, Galderma, Genelux, George Medicines, Merck, Pfizer, Portage, Sandoz, Sanofi, Scilex, Sorrento, Telix, Valneva, Vertex, Viiv, Zai Lab