Lario Therapeutics Ltd. has synthesized voltage-dependent R-type calcium channel subunit α-1E (Cav2.3) blockers reported to be useful for the treatment of epilepsy, neurodegeneration, neurodevelopmental disorders, Parkinson’s disease, cerebral vasospasm and endocrine disorders.
Receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) plays a pivotal role in ischemic stroke pathology by mediating necroptosis and promoting neuroinflammation, both of which contribute to secondary brain injury and worsen clinical outcomes.
Medtronic plc posted nearly 50% year-over-year growth in its cardiac ablation business this quarter, with a 72% increase in revenue in the U.S., largely driven by pulsed field ablation. With significant opportunity in renal denervation and a new committee to look at growth including M&A and divestitures and another to review operations, analysts think the company stands a good chance of shedding its “chronic underperformer” image.
G2Gbio Inc. debuted on the Korea Exchange with a ₩52.2 billion (US$37.7 million) IPO Aug. 14. Nearly half of the funds raised will be used to expand Cheongju-si, South Korea-based G2Gbio’s manufacturing plants and help mass produce sustained-release injectable drug products such as GB-5001, its lead candidate in development as a once-monthly formulation of donepezil (Aricept; Eisai Co. Ltd.) for Alzheimer’s disease.
Avixgen Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of Dx&Vx Co. Ltd., inked a $360 million license agreement with an unidentified U.S.-based biotechnology company, granting the latter rights to its advanced cell penetrating (ACP) peptide drug delivery platform.
It looks like Biogen Inc.’s Nrf2 activator, Skyclarys (omaveloxolone), will maintain its status as the sole therapy approved for treating patients with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA), at least for now. The U.S. FDA asked for another “adequate and well-controlled study” in the complete response letter (CRL) issued to PTC Therapeutics Inc. for 15-lipoxygenase inhibitor vatiquinone. The agency said “substantial evidence of efficacy was not demonstrated.”
Adding another name to an impressive roster of partners assembled over the past few years, Skyhawk Therapeutics Inc. inked a neurology-focused deal with Merck KGaA aimed at discovering small-molecule RNA-targeted drugs that could be worth more than $2 billion.
One of the major obstacles to treating neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease is the blood-brain barrier: drugs that are injected into the circulation usually do not enter the brain effectively. Researchers at Denali Therapeutics Inc., Biogen Inc. and the University of Minnesota have devised a vehicle for transporting antibodies against amyloid-β that can bypass the blood-brain barrier by binding to the transferrin receptor, which is expressed much more abundantly in capillaries than in arteries.
Neuroone Medical Technologies Corp. expanded into treatment of chronic pain with a new U.S. FDA clearance for use of its Onerf system to treat trigeminal nerve pain. The system uses radiofrequency ablation to disrupt pain signals from the nerve to the brain.