Maplight Therapeutics Inc.’s pricing of a $258.9 million financing this week revived the debate over whether targeting the M1 as well as the M4 muscarinic receptor – as Bristol Myers Squibb Co. does with U.S. FDA-approved Cobenfy (xanomeline and trospium chloride) for schizophrenia – is a better strategy than going after M4 alone.

Based on positive phase III study results, Metis Techbio is planning to file an NDA for its AI-derived orally disintegrating tablet drug candidate for pseudobulbar affect, MTS-004, in China next year.

Tango Therapeutics Inc. plans a pivotal study next year in second-line MTAP-deleted pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma based on positive phase I/II data with next-generation MTA-cooperative PRMT5 inhibitor vopimetostat (TNG-462) in patients with tumors of that type.

Ena Respiratory Pty Ltd. raised an AU$34 million (US$22.4 million) series B round to advance INNA-051, its nasal spray for symptomatic viral respiratory infections, to phase II trials. New investors in the Melbourne-headquartered company include the Gates Foundation and Flu Lab. Existing investors Brandon Capital, Uniseed and Stoic Venture Capital also participated in the round.

Ventyx Biosciences Inc. rolled out positive results from the phase II study with oral, once-daily VTX-3232 in patients with obesity and cardiovascular (CV) risk factors.

Expedition Medicines, which Flagship Pioneering Inc. has incubated for the past three years, came out of stealth mode with a $50 million commitment from Flagship to support Expedition’s platform technology to discover small molecules that covalently bind to their target.

Expedition Medicines, which Flagship Pioneering Inc. has incubated for the past three years, came out of stealth mode with a $50 million commitment from Flagship to support Expedition’s platform technology to discover small molecules that covalently bind to their target.

Having reached peace with Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc over litigation related to its U.S. FDA-approved drug, Lumryz (sodium oxybate), Avadel Pharmaceuticals plc agreed to a cash takeover by Alkermes plc valued at about $2.1 billion, a deal Alkermes CEO Richard Pops said “puts us in the sleep market immediately on closing,” which is expected in the first quarter of 2026. All three players are based in Dublin.

Ventus Therapeutics Inc. has entered into a multi-year collaboration with Genentech Inc., a member of the Roche Group, to discover and optimize novel small-molecule candidates for challenging targets in major disease areas using Ventus’ Resolve drug discovery platform.