En Carta Diagnostics SA's EC Pocket Lyme received FDA breakthrough device designation for its rapid, molecular diagnostic test for the early detection of Borrelia bacteria, which causes Lyme disease. The designation marks a pivotal step for the French startup as it will enable closer interaction with the agency, accelerating its route to market, and getting it to patients sooner.

Life Biosciences Inc. has obtained IND clearance from the FDA for ER-100 in optic neuropathies.

Siren Biotechnology Inc. has obtained IND approval from the FDA enabling the initiation of its first-in-human trial for its lead investigational program SRN-101 in adult patients with recurrent high-grade glioma.

With the PDUFA date fast approaching for Regenxbio Inc.’s gene therapy RGX-121, the U.S. FDA placed the drug on clinical hold along with another, RGX-111, after preliminary analysis of a single case of neoplasm (specifically, an intraventricular central nervous system tumor) in a participant treated in the phase I/II study with the latter treatment.

The U.S. FDA’s October 2025 draft guidance for quality management system information in premarket filings may have struck some observers as an example of regulatory overreach, given the robust opposition to several key aspects of the draft on the parts of the Advanced Medical Technology Association and the Medical Device Manufacturers Association.

Following a clinical hold last October of Intellia Therapeutics Inc.’s Magnitude and Magnitude-2 phase III trials of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing therapy nexiguran ziclumeran (nex-z) to treat transthyretin amyloidosis with cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) and polyneuropathy (ATTR-PN), respectively, the U.S. FDA lifted the hold on Magnitude-2, pushing the company’s shares up by 22% in early trading Jan. 27.

The U.S. FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research posted four warning letters to makers of HIV sample collection kits, an example of a shift in FDA enforcement in the IVD space that is still allowed after a historical loss in court.

The U.S. FDA’s device center posted a report on the TAP program, stating that the metrics available to date suggest the program is a rousing success. Still, there are a few key indicators that have not yet had time to emerge – such as product approvals and clearances, but those data points won’t emerge for another year or two at the inside.

After selling off amyotrophic lateral sclerosis therapeutics last month, Tanabe Pharma America Inc. emerged a forerunner in another rare disease space with positive top-line phase III data of dersimelagon (MT-7117) for erythropoietic protoporphyria/X-linked protoporphyria.

1st Biotherapeutics Inc. announced the closing of a ₩31.7 billion series D funding round Jan. 26 to advance its lead phase I oncology asset, FB-849, and portfolio of candidates for neurodegenerative diseases.