More than two years after signing a $1.7 billion deal with Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Protagonist Therapeutics Inc. has opted out of a 50-50 U.S. profit-and-loss sharing arrangement for its hepcidin mimetic peptide, rusfertide, a priority review drug developed to treat adults with polycythemia vera.
When the U.S. CMS didn’t get takers for its voluntary Better Approaches to Lifestyle and Nutrition for Comprehensive Health (BALANCE) model to cover obesity drugs under Medicare Part D, the agency punted. It announced late April 21 that it will indefinitely delay the BALANCE model in Medicare but extend its temporary Medicare GLP-1 Bridge demonstration model through the end of 2027. (The Medicaid BALANCE model will still kick in this year in states that choose to participate in it.)
Syracuse University recently presented a comprehensive preclinical program describing the rational design and optimization of peptide antagonists targeting the GDF15/GFRAL/RET receptor complex to mitigate nausea, emesis, anorexia and wasting associated with chemotherapy-induced stress signaling.
U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert Kennedy made his first stop April 16 on a congressional tour in support of President Donald Trump’s proposed fiscal 2027 budget, which would reduce discretional spending for HHS and its agencies by about 12%.
Realta Life Sciences Inc. raised an additional $40 million in the final tranche of its series A investment, bringing the total the company has raised to more than $150 million through mission-driven investors and a family-office model.
Data presented at the 2026 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) meeting have put the spotlight on the arrival of target-selective oral therapies that are set to challenge injected biologics in terms of efficacy, while offering greater convenience and improving access to treatment.
Pinnacle Medicines Inc. secured $89 million in a series B financing, bringing the total raised by the company to $134 million. The round was co-led by LAV and Foresite Capital.
Pinnacle Medicines Inc. secured $89 million in a series B financing, bringing the total raised by the company to $134 million. The round was co-led by LAV and Foresite Capital.
Endomet Biosciences Inc. (dba Endocyclic Therapeutics) has obtained IND clearance from the FDA for its lead program, ENDO-205, a first-in-class, nonhormonal targeted peptide therapeutic for endometriosis.
Kalohexis LLC has launched as a spin-out from Endevica Bio Inc. with the goal of advancing the clinical development of a portfolio of drug candidates harnessing the melanocortin system for the treatment of metabolic disorders such as obesity and cancer cachexia.