Entering its first major cardiovascular disease collaboration with a biopharma company, while it advances two internal gene therapies, Tenaya Therapeutics Inc. signed on with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. to deliver up to 15 novel genetic targets that could lead to new heart disease medicines. The deal comes with $10 million up front, and up to $1.13 billion is available to South San Francisco-based Tenaya if all targets meet certain milestones, leading to approved therapeutics that Alnylam develops and commercializes.
Entering its first major cardiovascular disease collaboration with a biopharma company, while it advances two internal gene therapies, Tenaya Therapeutics Inc. signed on with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. to deliver up to 15 novel genetic targets that could lead to new heart disease medicines. The deal comes with $10 million up front, and up to $1.13 billion is available to South San Francisco-based Tenaya if all targets meet certain milestones, leading to approved therapeutics that Alnylam develops and commercializes.
In an all-cash transaction valued at €780 million (US$920 million), Asahi Kasei Corp. offered to buy Aicuris Anti-infective Cures AG, expanding its infectious disease portfolio with a marketed cytomegalovirus product and a herpes treatment nearing an NDA.
Another phase III failure of Theravance Biopharma Inc.’s norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor ampreloxetine to treat symptomatic neurogenic orthostatic hypotension, this time in patients with the rare disease multiple system atrophy, means the end of the company’s R&D efforts. Cutting its workforce in half and terminating all development of ampreloxetine, its only pipeline product, the Dublin-based company’s shares (NASDAQ:TBPH) sank by 26%, or $4.99, to close March 3 at $13.96.
Ascendis Pharma A/S’ Yuviwel (navepegritide) gained U.S. FDA accelerated approval Feb. 27 for children 2 and older with the rare genetic bone growth disorder achondroplasia, also known as dwarfism, winning the company a rare pediatric disease priority review voucher
Targeting rare cardiomyopathy conditions with no approved disease-modifying therapies, Atrium Therapeutics Inc. started operations in San Diego, assuming the public listing and technology once held by Avidity Biosciences Inc., an RNA company acquired by Novartis AG for about $12 billion. Novartis closed the M&A, announced last October, as Atrium unveiled its pipeline and a $270 million cash position.
Targeting rare cardiomyopathy conditions with no approved disease-modifying therapies, Atrium Therapeutics Inc. started operations in San Diego, assuming the public listing and technology once held by Avidity Biosciences Inc., an RNA company acquired by Novartis AG for about $12 billion. Novartis closed the M&A, announced last October, as Atrium unveiled its pipeline and a $270 million cash position.
In an all-cash transaction valued at €780 million (US$920 million), Asahi Kasei Corp. offered to buy Aicuris Anti-infective Cures AG, expanding its infectious disease portfolio with a marketed cytomegalovirus product and a herpes treatment nearing an NDA.
United Therapeutics Corp.’s founder, chairman and CEO Martine Rothblatt disclosed during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call Feb. 25 the “unsheathing of a category killer product” known as Tresmi, a drug-device formulation of treprostinil delivered via a soft mist inhaler.
Targeting an ultrarare disease affecting about 250 U.S. residents, Immedica Pharma AB’s Loargys (pegzilarginase) won accelerated FDA approval to treat hyperargininemia in those ages 2 and older with arginase 1 deficiency (ARG1-D).
