Five-year follow-up data for Santhera Pharmaceuticals AG’s Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) drug, Agamree (vamorolone), confirm that its efficacy in preserving muscle function is comparable to standard-of-care corticosteroids, but that the overall side-effect profile is more benign. There was less positive DMD news from Sarepta Therapeutics Inc.
Celltrion Inc. announced Oct. 29 the signing of an $87.75 million joint drug R&D agreement with AI and spatial transcriptome-based biotech Portrai Inc.
Shooting for further proof of durable, drug-free, disease-free remission with a single dose of KYV-101 in generalized myasthenia gravis, Kyverna Therapeutics Inc. plans to start phase III work by the end of this year. The Emeryville, Calif.-based firm rolled out positive interim results from the phase II portion of the registrational Kysa-6 clinical trial testing the drug, a fully human, autologous, CD19 CAR T-cell therapy with CD28 costimulation.
Impressive data from an interim readout of Bridgebio Pharma Inc.’s BBP-418 in limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2I/R9 has the company prepping to meet with the U.S. FDA to discuss plans for the upcoming NDA filing, including the possibility for seeking full approval for what could be the first therapy for the rare muscular disease.
The $12.5 billion acquisition of Avidity Biosciences Inc. by Novartis AG strengthens the company’s neuroscience pipeline and marks the second biggest deal that’s been announced this year. It also is the fifth M&A deal in the past five weeks to top the $1 billion mark, a sign that the market may be strengthening.
Anaphylaxis rates caused Larimar Therapeutics Inc.’s stock (NASDAQ:LRMR) to take a hit on the latest data from an open-label study with nomlabofusp in the neuromuscular disease Friedreich’s ataxia (FA), but the company is targeting a BLA submission to seek accelerated approval in the second quarter of next year.
The winding regulatory road for the BLA to Capricor Therapeutics Inc.’s cell therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy has more clarity. Out of a recent type A meeting between Capricor and the U.S. FDA, prompted by a complete response letter in July regarding lead asset CAP-1002 (deramiocel), the two are in agreement about a path to potential approval.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), formerly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disorder with no known cure. While three therapies have gained U.S. FDA approvals to date, including Rilutek (riluzole), Radicava/Radicava ORS (edaravone) and tofersen (BIIB-067, the lack of a disease-modifying drug has spurred the continual search for novel therapies.
A failed July inspection of manufacturer Catalent Indiana LLC has delayed another U.S. FDA approval, the latest being that of Scholar Rock Inc.’s selective anti-latent myostatin antibody, apitegromab, which was expected to become the first therapy to enhance skeletal muscle in patients with spinal muscular atrophy.
After a long regulatory road that included a complete response letter in May, Stealth Biotherapeutics Inc. finally got its Barth syndrome drug across the finish line, with the U.S. FDA granting accelerated approval to Forzinity (elamipretide HCl) to improve muscle strength in those with the ultra-rare pediatric mitochondrial cardioskeletal disease.
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