It’s back to the drawing broad for Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. and its efforts to develop treatments for the rare disease alpha-1-antritrypsin deficiency (AATD), after its VX-864 produced disappointing results in a phase II trial.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. has released top-line phase III results from its CAR T therapy Breyanzi (lisocabtagene maraleucel) that could support its use earlier in patients with refractory large B-cell lymphoma, outperforming standard stem cell transplant therapy.
Flagship Pioneering Inc., the serial biotech-founding investor that created RNA trailblazer Moderna Inc., is putting its money behind Senda Biosciences Inc. and a technology that aims create medicines by changing the way the body interacts with organisms such as plants and microbes. Senda has just announced the closing of a $98 million series B funding round, after completing a $55 million extension that brings total funding raised so far to $143 million.
Byondis BV is gearing up for a U.S. filing of an antibody-drug conjugate (ADCs) in advanced HER2-positive breast cancer, but CEO Marco Timmers has grand plans to partner up with big pharma and expand into other diseases.
Dermavant Sciences Inc. has announced a $200 million financing deal to clear the way for a potential U.S. launch of its dermatology cream tapinarof, covering a potential milestone payment to Glaxosmithkline plc following a filing in severe psoriasis.
Novo Nordisk A/S will this month launch its weekly weight loss glucagon-like peptide-1 injection Wegovy (semaglutide) at the same monthly cost as its older daily shot Saxenda (liraglutide), following FDA approval in overweight and obese adults.
Sanofi SA is hoping an oral successor to Astrazeneca plc’s Faslodex (fulvestrant) could be a significant moneyspinner as it seeks to re-establish itself as a major player in oncology – and is pushing ahead with clinical trials to get it to market ahead of rivals. The Paris-based pharma has announced it is to start a new phase III trial of its second-generation oral selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD) drug, amcenestrant, targeting high-risk patients with early breast cancer who need adjuvant drugs to suppress formation of secondary tumors after surgery.
Novartis AG’s CAR T therapy, Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel), is heading for a third indication after the Basel, Switzerland-based pharma announced supportive results from a pivotal phase II trial, lining it up to compete with Gilead Sciences Inc.’s rival, Yescarta.
Novartis AG is closing in on a label expansion for its blockbuster inflammatory disease drug, Cosentyx (secukinumab), after announcing supportive phase III results in children with two subtypes of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).
Morphosys AG is to acquire Constellation Pharmaceuticals Inc., financed by gambling a huge chunk of its income on the U.S. firm’s BET inhibitor pipeline drug – an approach that has to date produced mixed results in cancer.
