PYC Therapeutics raised AU$40 million of an anticipated AU$74 million (US$48.6 million) capital raise to advance three candidates, including lead candidate VP-001, which could potentially be the first treatment for retinitis pigmentosa type 11 (RP11), which causes blindness that begins in childhood and ultimately leads to legal blindness by middle age.
Two sNDAs, one from Bristol Myers Squibb Co. (BMS) and the other from Mirum Pharmaceuticals Inc., have received U.S. FDA approval to further expand their treatment indications.
As widely expected, Madrigal Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s resmetirom picked up the first U.S. FDA approval for treating nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), an advanced form of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease that has been steadily increasing in global prevalence. Branded Rezdiffra, the liver-directed THR-beta agonist gained accelerated approval for use in conjunction with diet and exercise to treat adults with noncirrhotic NASH with moderate to advanced liver fibrosis, specifically stages F2 and F3.
Another med-tech acquisition was wiped off the charts after Japan’s Olympus Corp. rescinded the acquisition of South Korean medical device firm Taewoong Medical Co. Ltd. on March 7, after finding “data integrity issues” related to Taewoong’s products.
Epitomee Medical Ltd submitted its application to the U.S. FDA for 510k regulatory clearance for its swallowable weight loss capsule. It joins a host of companies offering solutions to the global obesity crisis.
Watertown, Mass.-based Lyndra Therapeutics Inc. is seeking patent protection for gastric residence drug delivery systems with improved shelf lives through their inclusion of a metal core.
Asialoglycoprotein receptor 1 (ASGR1) is a transmembrane protein specifically expressed in hepatocytes that plays a key role in maintaining circulating glycoprotein homeostasis.
In a recent study published in PNAS, researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center investigated cholesterol-mimetic compounds specifically binding and inhibiting Scap. Their final goal was to understand cholesterol regulation by the Scap/SREBP system and identify potential therapeutics for dysregulated lipid metabolism.
Everzom SAS, a CNRS/Université Paris Cité spin-off, has signed a second exclusive license agreement with Erganeo SAS for the development of Evergel, an exosome drug candidate for fistulas and fibrosis of the digestive tract.
Akero Therapeutics Inc.’s phase IIb data with FGF21 analogue efruxifermin (EFX) in patients with pre-cirrhotic metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) kept interest alive in the face-off between the company and 89bio Inc. with pegozafermin, another FGF21 drug targeting MASH, for which a phase III study is planned.