Despite two significant coronavirus outbreaks in the last two decades that killed hundreds of people, dominated international headlines, and grabbed millions in research dollars, SARS-CoV-2 still caught researchers, national scientific advisors, pharmaceutical companies flatfooted when it emerged in late 2019. Why?
A third child with X-linked myotubular myopathy (XLMTM) has died after receiving the higher of two doses of an experimental gene therapy for the rare disease under development at Audentes Therapeutics Inc. Preliminary findings indicate that the immediate cause of death was gastrointestinal bleeding, Audentes said. The trial, testing AT-132 (resamirigene bilparvovec), was already on an FDA clinical hold.
San Diego-based Anaptysbio Inc.’s phase II blowup with anti-IL-33 monoclonal antibody etokimab in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRwNP), disclosed Aug. 10, followed the compound’s mid-stage atopic dermatitis (AD) fizzle in November of last year, and raised questions not only about the lead candidate but also about the target.
Medtronic plc is highlighting the publication of primary endpoint results from the In.Pact AV Access trial in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study found that the company’s paclitaxel-coated balloon limits the number of reinterventions needed to maintain blood flow in patients with end-stage renal disease who have arteriovenous fistulae.
Karuna Therapeutics Inc. remains on track to launch a phase III study by the end of this year with Karxt against acute psychosis in schizophrenia by way of the broad-based program called Emergent, and the company continues planning for a phase II study testing the combo drug as adjunctive therapy with standard of care in the same indication.
Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Annovis, Ascletis, Aquestive, CNS, Entera, Immunic, Matinas, Orgenesis, Puma, Regeneron, Revive, Viiv.
PARIS – Bellaseno GmbH recently completed a phase I trial of its Senella absorbable soft tissue reconstruction scaffold on an Australian patient with congenital pectus excavatum.