Top-line results from a midstage study of Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s tradipitant hit its primary endpoint by preventing the nausea and vomiting that can be caused by the GLP-1 receptor agonist Wegovy (tirzepatide, Eli Lilly and Co.) in overweight and obese adults. The positive phase II study data prompted Vanda to look at a phase III study of the oral neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist next year.
Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. is taking a neuroplastogen approach to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) through its planned $1.22 billion acquisition of Transcend Therapeutics Inc. The deal gives Tokyo-headquartered Otsuka access to Transcend’s lead asset, TSND-201, an oral neuroplastogen that has begun patient recruitment for a phase III study in the U.S.
Braveheart Bio Inc. reported positive results from an open-label randomized phase II dose-ranging study of BHB-1893 (HRS-1893) in obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Results presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session and Expo in New Orleans showed BHB-1893 treatment was associated with rapid and substantial reductions in left ventricular outflow tract gradient, the primary endpoint of the study.
What do a patent dispute over a CRISPR/Cas system, a rejected whistleblower case involving lab tests and a vaccine injury claim parading as multidistrict tort litigation have in common? All three were denied cert in the U.S. Supreme Court’s latest orders list.
The U.S. path forward is narrowing for Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s tradipitant as a treatment for gastroparesis, a serious disorder for which there’s been no new treatment in several decades.
Whoop Inc. secured $575 million in a series G funding round at a $10.1 billion valuation to advance its AI-powered wearable platform for personalized and preventive health care. Abbott Laboratories joined the round as a strategic investor, backing the company’s push to expand access to its device amid growing demand.
Galapagos NV is about to bury its recent turbulent past and sail off for the future with its $3 billion cash pile and the new name of Lakefront Biotherapeutics NV. The foundation for the transition was laid earlier this month in an arrangement with Gilead Sciences Inc., holder of 25% of Galapagos’ equity, to “co-parent” the assets of Ouro Medicines LLC, which Gilead is acquiring for up to $2.17 billion.
Biogen Inc. hardly blinked at the competition faced by Apellis Pharmaceuticals Inc. as the two companies sealed a deal whereby the former has agreed to acquire all outstanding shares of the latter for $41 each, or about $5.6 billion.
Eli Lilly and Co. plans to buy Centessa Pharmaceuticals plc for $6.3 billion in up-front cash and another potential $1.5 billion through contingent value rights, gaining access to a pipeline of orexin receptor 2 agonists for sleep disorders. The Indianapolis-based pharma is re-entering a field that has multibillion-dollar potential and one that could emulate the success seen with its obesity program. Centessa, of Boston and London, has a lead candidate, cleminorexton (formerly ORX-750), with positive phase IIa data in narcolepsy types 1 and 2 and idiopathic hypersomnia.
Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. is taking a neuroplastogen approach to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) through its planned $1.22 billion acquisition of Transcend Therapeutics Inc. The deal gives Tokyo-headquartered Otsuka access to Transcend’s lead asset, TSND-201, an oral neuroplastogen that has begun patient recruitment for a phase III study in the U.S.