Q32 Bio Inc. handed off rights to phase II-stage complement inhibitor ADX-097 in a deal with Akebia Therapeutics Inc. that helps the former extend its cash runway to focus on lead candidate bempikibart in alopecia areata and bolsters the latter’s efforts to build a rare kidney disease pipeline.
In an article that reads like informal guidance, U.S. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and CBER Director Vinay Prasad discussed the criteria for using the agency’s novel plausible mechanism pathway for personalized treatments when a randomized trial isn’t feasible, as well as future uses of the approval path that could expand beyond gene and cell therapies to other biologics and even small molecules.
The U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Agency (MHRA) has committed to major reforms of how it regulates drugs for rare diseases, making it easier to run clinical trials and get approvals. The new rules will be published in full early in 2026 and come into effect later in the year, but following consultation with industry, academics and patients’ groups, the agency has released a position paper setting out its plans.
Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. and Rani Therapeutics LLC have entered into a collaboration and global license agreement to develop and commercialize an oral product that encompasses Rani’s oral delivery technology, the Ranipill, and Chugai’s rare disease antibody in development.
Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. and Rani Therapeutics LLC have entered into a collaboration and global license agreement to develop and commercialize an oral product that encompasses Rani’s oral delivery technology, the Ranipill, and Chugai’s rare disease antibody in development.
Tvardi Therapeutics Inc. stock lost 83.9% of its value as investors took in poor preliminary results of the phase II study of its lead candidate for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The company’s shares (NASDAQ:TVRD) closed at $6.69 each on Oct. 13.
Genetic mutations are the primary cause of most rare diseases. Although each condition affects a small fraction of the population, the global impact is significant, with an estimated 300 million individuals affected worldwide. A large proportion of pathogenic missense variants – estimated at 40%-60% – cause rare diseases by impairing protein stability. This underscores protein restoration as a promising therapeutic strategy.
A U.S. FDA complete response letter (CRL) citing manufacturing concerns has stepped into the way of a rare genetic disorder treatment. Fortress Biotech Inc. and its subsidiary, Cyprium Therapeutics Inc., said the letter in response to the NDA for CUTX-101, an injectable formulation of copper histidinate, noted cGMP deficiencies at the facility where the Menkes disease treatment is manufactured.
The U.S. FDA released a trio of draft guidances to help sponsors in developing and monitoring cell and gene therapies, as well as other regenerative medicine therapies.
After a phase III stumble, Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc. will drop development of ACP-101, intranasal carbetocin, to treat hyperphagia in patients with the rare genetic disorder Prader-Willi syndrome. Top-line data from the 12-week, double-blind, randomized phase III study missed its primary endpoint by not producing a statistically significant improvement over placebo.
