A U.S. FDA advisory committee’s backing keeps Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s Onpattro (patisiran) on the road to a supplemental approval in treating a rare heart disease, but it couldn’t stop the company stock from sliding. Shares (NASDAQ:ALNY) closed Sept. 14 down 8.8% at $193.06, the day after the Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee voted 9-3 that patisiran’s benefits outweigh the risks in treating cardiomyopathy of transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis.
Calcineurin inhibitors used in clinics – including immunosuppressants for transplant rejection and autoimmune disease treatment – may cause persistent hypertension. Calcineurin inhibitors elevate sympathetic vasomotor activity by decreasing calcineurin activity and potentiating N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) activity in the hypothalamus. However, how these inhibitors promote NMDAR activity in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus to increase sympathetic vasomotor activity remains unknown.
Hasten Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has licensed greater China rights to Lib Therapeutics Inc.’s next-generation PCSK9 inhibitor lerodalcibep in a deal worth up to $325 million.
Gradient Denervation Technologies SAS closed a €14 million (US$15 million) series A financing round that will help the company with the ongoing clinical development and evaluation of its ultrasound-based catheter device to treat pulmonary hypertension. The financing round was led by Asabys Partners, with participation from Thuja Capital and founding investor Sofinnova Partners.
Researchers from Beijing Inno Medicine Co. Ltd. recently reported preclinical data for the novel liposome encapsulated rosuvastatin calcium candidate, YN-001, being developed for the treatment of atherosclerosis.
As part of its quest to advance its three first-in-class heart failure drug candidates toward the clinic, Corteria Pharmaceuticals SAS has closed an oversubscribed €65 million (US$70.7 million) series A, co-led by investors Orbimed and Jeito Capital, companies based in the U.S. and Europe, respectively.
Pacira Cryotech Inc. reported the filing of a patent for a hand-held cryogenic treatment system with a probe configured to apply a cryogenic therapy to one or more nerves, such as the nerves of the stellate ganglion and autonomic tissue peripheral to the stellate ganglion.
The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard has announced a new research alliance with Novo Nordisk A/S in diabetes and cardiometabolic diseases. The collaboration will focus on advancing three programs over the next 3 years.