Shares in Novo Nordisk A/S took another battering after the company announced its next-generation obesity drug Cagrisema failed to show noninferiority to Eli Lilly and Co. Inc.’s Zepbound in an open-label comparator study.
The U.S. FDA rolled out its anticipated “plausible mechanism” draft guidance, enabling ultrarare disease drug developers to generate evidence of effectiveness and safety to support approval when randomized controlled trials are not possible due to small patient populations.
Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. gained U.S. FDA approval for Bysanti (milsaperidone), cleared for use in acute bipolar I disorder and schizophrenia and ensuring continuation of the firm’s atypical antipsychotic franchise, with Fanapt (iloperidone) set to start losing patent protection in 2027. It also offered a rare straightforward regulatory win for Vanda, which has tussled with the FDA in recent years.
A week after catching Moderna Inc. and its investors off guard with a refuse-to-file letter, the U.S. FDA has reversed course on the company’s BLA submission seeking approval of seasonal influenza vaccine mRNA-1010, now agreeing to review the application and setting an assigned PDUFA date of Aug. 5, 2026.
Though it’s largely viewed by analysts as a simple delay rather than a setback, Disc Medicine Inc.’s unexpected complete response letter (CRL) for bitopertin in the rare genetic disorder erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) raises more questions regarding consistency and stability at the U.S. FDA.
CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd. has obtained IND approval from the FDA for SYH-2082 injection, a GLP-1/GIP receptor dual-biased agonist polypeptide long-acting injection for weight management for individuals with obesity or overweight and at least one weight-related comorbidity.
Agios Pharmaceuticals Inc. is preparing to present a mixed bag of phase III Rise Up data to the U.S. FDA in hopes of “full approval” for mitapivat in sickle cell disease (SCD), which would make it its third indication in rare hematology.
Viking Therapeutics Inc. said after-market hours Feb. 11 that it plans to advance its oral dual GLP-1/GIP receptor, VK-2735, into a phase III trial for obesity in the third quarter of 2026. VK-2735 is a novel dual glucagon-like peptide-1 and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GLP-1/GIP) receptor agonist.
The U.S. FDA accepted, with priority review, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.’s NDA submission for oveporexton (TAK-681), bringing the oral orexin receptor 2 agonist closer to clearance in narcolepsy type 1.
Moderna Inc. blamed a switcheroo by the U.S. FDA for the refusal-to-file (RTF) letter on the seasonal influenza vaccine mRNA-1010. Shares of the firm (NASDAQ:MRNA) closed Feb. 11 at $40.51, down $1.49, having traded as low as $36.66 as investors learned of the RTF letter, which Moderna said is “inconsistent with feedback” the company was given by regulators during pre-phase III as well as pre-BLA-submission talks.
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