Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Astrazeneca, Biohaven, Blue Lake, Cassava, IGC, Immix, In8bio, Merck & Co., Orbus, Plus, SCG.
At the Breakthroughs in Muscular Dystrophy special meeting held in Chicago Nov. 19-20, 2024, and organized by the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT), multiple interventions at the RNA level were among the approaches that were presented to fight muscular dystrophies.
When U.S. CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure announced Nov. 26 that the agency is “reinterpreting” the law in proposing a rule allowing Medicare and Medicaid to cover obesity drugs beginning in 2026, she called it a “historic step.” The rule, if finalized, could make obesity drugs like Novo Nordisk A/S’ Wegovy (semaglutide) and Eli Lilly and Co.’s Zepbound (tirzepatide) available to millions more Americans and further invigorate development of other obesity drugs. But given the lateness of the day in the Biden administration, the proposal may be more symbolic than historic.
The BioWorld Infectious Disease Index has struggled to gain ground in 2024 but has held relatively steady in recent months. After ending July down 7.66%, it closed October down 12.07% and sat at an 8.86% decline for the year as of Nov. 22.
Poseida Therapeutics Inc. is being bought out for $1.5 billion by partner Roche Holdings Inc. to develop allogeneic CAR T therapies to treat hematologic malignancies. The two companies began their collaboration in August 2022, a deal that brought Poseida $110 million up front and another $110 million in near-term milestone payments. With the acquisition, Roche plans to develop CAR T programs for solid tumors and autoimmune diseases with Poseida's genetic engineering platform and preclinical programs.
Wall Street began comparing and contrasting what’s available after Amgen Inc. rolled out phase II data with weight loss candidate Maritide – a disclosure that led shares of the biotech heavyweight (NASDAQ:AMGN) to close Nov. 26 at $280.01, down $13.99.
In the largest collaboration of 2024, Sarepta Therapeutics Inc. and Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals Inc. entered a sprawling global licensing deal that includes a swath of clinical and preclinical candidates targeting rare genetic diseases. Under the terms, Sarepta gains access to existing and potential future compounds derived from the RNAi platform developed by Arrowhead, with the latter eligible for payments potentially exceeding $11 billion.
Biopharma happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Chromocell, Channel, Eyenovia, Evotec, Halozyme, Lexicon, Protagonist.
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