Novo Nordisk A/S has acquired a clinical-stage humanized monoclonal antibody and transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) program in a deal that could bring Prothena Corp. plc potential development and sales milestone payments of up to $1.2 billion. Also in the agreement, Dublin-based Prothena brings in $100 million in up-front and near-term clinical milestones payments as Novo gets full worldwide rights to the intellectual property and related rights of Prothena’s ATTR amyloidosis business and pipeline.
NICE has said “no” to regular NHS funding for a rare disease gene therapy from Orchard Therapeutics Ltd. in draft guidance – although experience from Novartis AG’s pricey Zolgensma (onasemnogene abeparvovec) for spinal muscular atrophy shows this could change. That’s because this week NICE published final guidance that recommends funding for Zolgensma, thought to be the world’s most expensive drug, after an initial rejection late last year.
It’s back to the drawing broad for Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. and its efforts to develop treatments for the rare disease alpha-1-antritrypsin deficiency (AATD), after its VX-864 produced disappointing results in a phase II trial.
A day before its June 5 PDUFA date and three months after its original PDUFA, Ryplazim (plasminogen, human-tvmh), from Liminal Biosciences Inc., won FDA approval for treating plasminogen deficiency type 1 hypoplasminogenemia, becoming the first approved therapy for the rare genetic disorder.
Molybdenum cofactor deficiency (MoCD) type A, an ultra-rare metabolic disorder causing intractable seizures, brain injury and death, now has a world-first treatment in Nulibry (fosdenopterin), a new I.V. therapy developed by Bridgebio Pharma Inc. subsidiary Origin Biosciences Inc. The agency's priority review, supported by its orphan, breakthrough and rare pediatric disease programs, also yielded a priority review voucher (PRV) for Origin.
LONDON – Exosome specialist Evox Therapeutics Ltd. has raised $95.4 million in a series C round that will enable it to progress a number of rare disease programs into the clinic, with the lead due to enter phase I at the beginning of next year.
Avrobio Inc. said Feb. 8 that the first person dosed with AVR-RD-01, an investigational ex vivo lentiviral gene therapy from its upgraded manufacturing platform, Plato, experienced a complete clearance of the toxic substrate lyso-Gb3 in a kidney biopsy.
Seeking to accelerate the company's long-term growth through an expansion of its rare disease pipeline, Horizon Therapeutics plc said Feb. 1 it will buy Viela Bio Inc. for $3.05 billion, or $53 per share (NASDAQ:VIE). Once closed, the deal would add a new commercial-stage asset, Uplizna (inebilizumab), to Horizon's portfolio alongside its current lead products, Tepezza (teprotumumab) for the treatment of thyroid eye disease and Krystexxa (pegloticase) for uncontrolled gout. Dublin-based Horizon, which had $2.08 billion in cash at the end of 2020, borrowed $1.3 billion to help finance the transaction. Astrazeneca plc also enabled the deal by agreeing to divest its 26.7% share in Viela Bio for a profit of between $760 million and $780 million.
Using an adenine base editor, researchers at the U.S. NIH, Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Harvard University have succeeded in treating the premature aging syndrome Hutchinson-Guilford progeria syndrome (progeria) in mice, extending the animals’ lifespan and preventing much of the vascular damage that is typically the cause of death in children with progeria.
LONDON – Clinical genomics specialist Congenica Ltd. has raised $50 million in a series C round that will enable it to extend beyond its roots in rare disease diagnosis to personalized medicine in cancer, and health and wellness, while expanding its geographical reach.
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