The U.S. FDA’s accelerated approval of Vanrafia (atrasentan) from Novartis AG for primary immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is the company’s second approval for the indication in the past year and a half. The nod also came without a required safety program through a black box warning.
Aldeyra Therapeutics Inc. is hoping that research already underway will satisfy the U.S. FDA, which delivered to the company another complete response letter (CRL) related to the NDA for reproxalap in dry eye disease (DED).
The latest obesity contender, Antag Therapeutics A/S, has dosed the first participants in a phase I trial of a glucose-dependent insulinotrophic polypeptide (GIP) agonist it said will address key gaps in the current treatment options, not least the gastrointestinal side effects seen with GLP-1 agonists.
Following news of U.S. President Donald Trump’s 10% across-the-board tariffs on Australian exports to the U.S., Australia’s Securities Exchange shed nearly AU$55 billion in losses Thursday morning. Even so, pharmaceuticals have escaped the tariffs for now. In China, Trump’s tariffs are not a big concern for China’s health care because drugs and active pharmaceutical ingredients are exempted from the tariffs. Even if tariffs are imposed in the future, Chinese pharmaceutical companies have already significantly de-risked themselves in recent months by increasing out-licensing models with U.S. partners.
Biomedical research seems like it should be the ultimate bipartisan issue. But under the Trump administration, unless and until Congress regains its will to make use of its constitutional powers, bipartisan support for research seems to be a thing of the past. On March 3, members of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine warned that the second Trump administration has been waging a “wholesale assault” on American research.
At first glance, it appears that biopharmaceuticals dodged the latest U.S. tariff bullet; med-tech, not so much. According to the executive order President Donald Trump signed in the Rose Garden late yesterday, pharmaceuticals are one of the few things exempt from the new country-by-country reciprocal tariffs that will be going into effect over the next week. However, U.S.-based manufacturers of both drugs and devices could face supply chain disruptions, further market restrictions and increased operating costs as the new tariffs take effect and other countries retaliate.
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Apellis, Aquestive, Ascendis, Bavarian, Bioarctic, Eisai, Genmab, Grin, Oncopeptides, Pfizer, Pharvaris, Santen, Sydnexis.
Biopharma happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Biogen, Bio-Thera, Carisma, Charles River, Diagnamed, Esteve, Eton, Flagship, Lynch, Moderna, Organon, Pfizer, Revive, Smith & Nephew.