The scientific teams of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. have "enough work to occupy us for the next 10 years comfortably," thanks to known genetically validated targets, according to the latter's R&D chief, Akshay Vaishnaw. "Having said that, new targets will continue to emerge."
During the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) meeting in Atlanta recently, the FDA's Oncology Center of Excellence director, Richard Pazdur, called for more clinical teamwork among the makers of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, and he's getting his wish – not from them but from Odonate Therapeutics Inc., developer of the oral taxane tesetaxel.
With the recent granting of the IND for trials to begin with CG-806 in the hands of Aptose Biosciences Inc., the rich and busy field of Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors may be set to further evolve.
Less than a week after starting the phase I trial with its lead NLRP3 antagonist, IFM-2427, Boston-based IFM Therapeutics LLC chalked up a contract potentially worth more than $1.5 billion for anti-inflammatory therapies with Novartis AG, which brings aboard the whole portfolio in the class via the buyout of subsidiary IFM Tre.
The FDA ended last week and started this one with drug approvals, clearing Darmstadt, Germany-based Merck KGaA's Mavenclad (cladribine) tablets for relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) in adults – with a label that includes relapsing-remitting disease as well as active secondary progressive MS (SPMS) – and followed with marketing clearance for Duaklir, a fixed-dose inhaled combination from Circassia Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Oxford, U.K., that pairs long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) aclidinium bromide with long-acting beta agonist (LABA) formoterol fumarate for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) maintenance.
"We got it wrong," mourned Maxim analyst Jason McCarthy after Waltham, Mass.-based Proteon Therapeutics Inc. disclosed results from the phase III trial called Patency-2, a 603-patient experiment with vonapanitase, made up of recombinant human elastase, in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) undergoing creation of radiocephalic (wrist) fistulas for vascular access in hemodialysis.
With further FDA guidance yet to come on how fecal microbiota transplants (FMTs) to treat Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infections will be regulated, investors continue to weigh the odds of drugs vs. the controversial but popular therapy.
Trial designer and steering committee member Bruce Cree told BioWorld that the FDA made "a very wise decision" in assigning the broad label to Novartis AG's oral sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) receptor modulator Mayzent (siponimod) in multiple sclerosis (MS), "covering the continuum from clinically isolated syndrome all the way into active secondary progressive MS [SPMS]."
On the PDUFA date for Zynquista (sotagliflozin), the FDA delivered a complete response letter (CRL) to Lexicon Pharmaceuticals Inc. and partner Sanofi SA related to the NDA for the type 1 diabetes therapy, an oral dual inhibitor of sodium glucose transporter (SGLT) 1 and 2 that was previously known as LX-4211. Recro Pharma Inc. also found a CRL in its mailbox, related to the NDA for intravenous (I.V.) meloxicam for the management of moderate to severe pain.
Now that Dublin-based Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc has gained FDA marketing clearance for Sunosi (solriamfetol), investors are waiting to see how the DEA will schedule the compound, and J.P. Morgan analyst Jessica Fye said her "base case for DEA scheduling for Sunosi is [schedule] IV." The human abuse liability study compared the drug to phentermine and Sunosi "appeared less 'likable' than that schedule IV agent (note that [methylphenidate and d-amphetamine] are schedule II given their higher potential for abuse/dependence)," Fye wrote in a report.
