Alkermes plc’s recent update on sales of the schizophrenia drug Lybalvi (also indicated for bipolar I disorder) along with positive phase III data from Karuna Therapeutics Inc. from tests of Karxt (xanomeline plus trospium) shone more light on the troublesome indication, where Cerevel Therapeutics Holdings Inc. is advancing emraclidine in what could be a registrational phase II study.
DBV Technologies SA blindsided investors by disclosing that the U.S. FDA had placed a partial clinical hold on its phase III Vitesse trial of its Viaskin Peanut patch immunotherapy for peanut allergy, calling for several changes to the study protocol. Its demands came just two weeks after the company claimed to have finalized the protocol in consultation with the agency.
Polaris Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s pegargiminase (pegylated arginine deiminase/ADI-PEG 20) met the primary endpoint of a statistically significant improvement in overall survival and the secondary endpoint of significant improvement in progression-free survival in patients enrolled in the pivotal phase II/III Atomic study in malignant pleural mesothelioma.
It failed to meet the primary endpoint at six months, but the European chief investigator for Biogen Inc.’s phase III trial of tofersen in treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) now describes the study as “trailblazing,” following a six-month open label extension.
The May 2014 approval of Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.’s Entyvio (vedolizumab) brought welcome news in the form of an important mechanism of action for patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, but also means a burdensome course of administration – 30 minutes’ worth of infusion every six weeks, a drawback that other developers are trying to remedy. Standouts among the up-and-comers are Morphic Holding Inc., with an oral candidate that works through the same mechanism of action as Entyvio, and Protagonist Therapeutics Inc.
Novartis AG rolled out positive phase III data Sept. 13 with Cosentyx (secukinumab), its interleukin-17A (IL-17A) inhibitor for hidradenitis suppurativa, offering more evidence for the approach taken up by a handful of biopharma firms.
Virios Therapeutics Inc. said most likely COVID-19 had a hand in the phase IIb failure of IMC-1 (famciclovir + celecoxib), a dual COX-2/COX-1 inhibitor for treating fibromyalgia. The drug failed to hit statistical significance in dampening pain severity when compared to placebo (p=0.302).
A prespecified interim analysis revealed that Astrazeneca plc’s oral factor D inhibitor danicopan met the primary endpoint of a phase III trial as an add-on therapy for patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) who were also taking a C5 inhibitor, but who still experienced extravascular hemolysis.
Bearish investors dwelling on a single grade 4 liver enzyme elevation seemed to be the cause for Intellia Therapeutics Inc.’s sinking stock Sept. 16, despite the company reporting impressive, though early stage, data for its leading systemically administered CRISPR candidates targeting hereditary angioedema (HAE) and amyloid transthyretin (ATTR) amyloidosis.
After a midstage trial showed no benefit from adding ELX-02 (exaluren) to Kalydeco (ivacaftor, Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc.) for certain cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, Eloxx Pharmaceuticals Inc. said it will discuss next steps for the program, its lead candidate, with the trial's sponsor, the CF Foundation. A proof-of-concept trial for EXL-02 in the rare kidney disease Alport syndrome will start later this year, the company said.
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