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.

Inhibrx Biosciences Inc.’s monoclonal antibody for treating advanced or metastatic, unresectable chondrosarcoma hit its primary endpoint in a registrational phase II study, doubling the company’s stock on Oct. 24. Top-line data from the placebo-controlled study of ozekibart (INBRX-109) produced statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in median progression-free survival in a tough-to-treat patient population that has few remaining options.

The failure of Alector Inc.’s phase III study of latozinemab in treating dementia halved the company’s stock on Oct. 22. That is also about the same percentage of staff that Alector is letting go after the clinical trial stumble.

Astellas Pharma Inc. reported Oct. 14 that its CLDN18.2-targeting monoclonal antibody, zolbetuximab (Vyloy), did not meet the primary endpoint of overall survival in the phase II Gleam trial of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

Biocryst Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s near-term dilution should “pave the way for entrenchment” in the hereditary angioedema (HAE) space, thanks to the buyout of Astria Therapeutics Inc., RBC analyst Brian Abrahams said.

Allterum Therapeutics Inc. has obtained IND clearance from the FDA for 4A10, paving the way for initiation of a first-in-human phase I trial in patients with relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). 4A10 is a monoclonal antibody with a human immunoglobulin G subclass 1 (IgG1) backbone that specifically binds to CD127 (IL-7Rα).

Jade Biosciences Inc. has unveiled JADE-201, a monoclonal antibody.

The FDA has cleared AD-NP1, a drug developed by University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) for heart tissue regeneration, to enter clinical trials. The monoclonal antibody blocks the production of ENPP1 protein, which was found to interfere with healing after a heart attack.

A top-line readout of the 26-week phase IIa Cbeyond trial showed nimacimab, Skye Bioscience Inc.’s peripherally restricted CB1 inhibitor antibody for weight loss, fell short of statistical significance as a monotherapy vs. placebo on the primary endpoint of weight loss, sending the company’s shares down 60%. Skye executives, however, offered a more optimistic outlook for the findings, which they said provide clear direction for moving forward.

Recent evidence in atopic dermatitis (AD) points to the involvement of additional pro-inflammatory pathways besides core Th2 responses. Current therapeutic approaches that work target mostly the IL-4/IL-13 pathway, but the duration of response and depth could be improved.