A drug that Novartis AG discontinued in fragile X syndrome in 2014 after it failed in two phase II/III trials has been in-licensed by neuroscience specialist Stalicla SA, which plans to revive the prospects of the glutamate receptor antagonist by applying its precision medicine technology to identify likely responders.
Recent news from Quralis Corp. and Xenon Pharmaceuticals Inc. highlighted the potential for targeting the Kv7 potassium channel, of special interest to a handful of developers lately.
Eli Lilly and Co., through its wholly owned subsidiary Prevail Therapeutics Inc., is delving more deeply into gene therapies. In a new collaboration, Prevail will use privately held Capsida Biotherapeutics Inc.’s adeno-associated virus engineering platform, coupling the tech with Prevail’s gene therapies to target causes of CNS diseases.
Newron Pharmaceuticals SpA has reported positive six-month data for its selective sodium channel blocker, evenamide, as an add-on therapy to antipsychotic drugs in chronic, treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Patients who had responded at the initial six-week evaluation showed continued improvements in symptoms of psychosis, while others who had not responded at six weeks did so by six months.
Over the past few years, the pandemic clearly has put a spotlight on vaccines and the infectious disease space. But the struggle to adjust in COVID-19’s wake also brought into stark relief another high unmet need. “Coming out of COVID, there was a mental health focus coming into play,” said Andrew Levin, partner and managing director at investment firm RA Capital Management who is also serving as interim CEO at Lusaris Therapeutics Inc., a 2021 startup targeting neuropsychiatric and neurological conditions, with an initial focus on treatment-resistant depression.
In 2021, Biogen Inc.’s Aduhelm (aducanumab) became the first amyloid-targeting therapy to win U.S. FDA approval in Alzheimer’s disease. After decades and dozens of failed phase III trials, the drug was granted accelerated approval in June 2021. In January 2022, however, the U.S. Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services said it would only cover use of Alzheimer’s MAbs targeting amyloid in NIH trials or trials it approved, thus appearing to call into question the rigor of FDA-approved trials.
Shares in Dutch RNA editing specialist Proqr Therapeutics NV (NASDAQ:PRQR) surged by as much as 88% Dec. 22 news that Eli Lilly and Co. is substantially expanding an existing preclinical alliance. It is paying Proqr an initial $75 million, which consists of an up-front payment and equity investment, a potential $50 million option fee should it decide to widen the scope of the partnership even further, and up to $2.5 billion in new research, development, and commercialization milestones. Proqr would also receive royalties on any resulting product sales.
Investigators at Relmada Therapeutics Inc. believe the same problem that plagued an earlier phase III effort called Reliance-3 – an “implausibly” high placebo response at certain sites – also foiled the latest phase III study (conducted at overlapping sites) known as Reliance-1, testing REL-1017 (esmethadone), meant as an adjunctive treatment for major depressive disorder.
Following the tone set in an October U.S. FDA Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee meeting, the agency has issued a complete response letter (CRL) to Y-mabs Therapeutics Inc.’s BLA for Omblastys (131I-omburtamab) to treat central nervous system/leptomeningeal metastasis arising from neuroblastoma.
Anavex Life Sciences Corp. posted positive top-line data from its phase IIb/III study of ANAVEX 2-73-AD-004 (blarcamesine) in treating mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and mild AD. The oral small-molecule activator of the sigma-1 receptor (SIGMAR1) met the study’s primary endpoints and key secondary endpoint with statistically significant results.
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