Nephrodite Inc.'s Holly, an implantable, continuous renal replacement system, received U.S. FDA breakthrough device designation as a novel and potentially life-changing treatment for end-stage kidney disease. The system is designed to enable continuous blood filtration and allow patients freedom to go about their days without frequent, hours-long visits to a dialysis clinic or being hooked up to a filtration system at home.

The U.S. FDA recently cleared two new medical devices to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia, offering men with enlarged prostates additional treatment options which are minimally invasive. The approvals include Proverum Medical Ltd.’s Provee System and Zenflow Inc.’s Zenflow Spring Implant and Delivery System, both are first-line interventional therapeutic options which offer relief to the millions of men living with the condition.

Two new therapies are now FDA approved to treat the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhea, with Innoviva Inc.’s Nuzolvence (zoliflodacin) and GSK plc’s Blujepa (gepotidacin) offering additional antibiotic options comparable to standard of care. Both products had fast track, qualified infectious disease product and priority review designations.

Sometimes the darkest products (names) bring a bright spot of news to their developers, as the U.S. FDA clearance for Galway, Ireland-based Medtronic plc's Onyx liquid embolic system demonstrates. Onyx gained the indication for embolization of the middle meningeal artery as an adjunct to surgery for the treatment of symptomatic subacute or chronic subdural hematoma based on the EMBOLISE trial results. The approval represents a significant advancement in treating this common neurosurgical condition.

Restricting the recommended use of COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S. wasn’t enough. Now the Children’s Health Defense (CHD) is trying to get the FDA to revoke the BLAs for all versions of the Moderna Inc. and Pfizer Inc.-Biontech SE COVID-19 vaccines.

Rezolute Inc.’s phase III Sunrize study of its only candidate, ersodetug, a fully human monoclonal antibody that binds to allosteric site on insulin receptors, missed its primary and secondary endpoints in treating the ultra-rare disease congenital hyperinsulinism.

Formation Bio Inc. acquired ex-China rights to Lynk Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd.’s oral TYK2-inhibitor, LNK-01006, for up to $605 million. The phase I-ready central nervous system (CNS) candidate will be developed at Formation’s newly formed subsidiary, Bleecker Bio.

AC Immune SA plans talks with regulators based on positive interim safety and efficacy results from the phase II Vacsyn trial of its wholly owned anti-alpha-synuclein (a-syn) active immunotherapy ACI-7104.056 in early Parkinson’s disease (PD). The firm said that for the first time, data support targeting a-syn pathology via such a strategy. Disease-related biomarker results that suggest PD slowing include a-syn cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels and neurofilament light (NfL).

Eli Lilly and Co.’s latest phase III results for the obesity and overweight populations suggest its triple agonist, retatrutide, can deliver significant weight loss that, in turn, leads to reduced osteoarthritis knee pain.