Travere Therapeutics Inc.’s narrow phase III miss in the study called Protect with the approved endothelin and angiotensin II receptor antagonist Filspari (sparsentan) in IgA nephropathy (IgAN) had Wall Street speculating about the fate of the compound, which is available for the indication by way of accelerated approval in the U.S., having been given the nod in February.
Zevra Therapeutics Inc. will acquire Acer Therapeutics Inc. in a $91 million deal that combines two companies with expertise in rare diseases. Acer has struggled since its hot flash drug, ACER-801 (osanetant), failed to hit statistical significance in a phase IIa proof-of-concept study in March 2023. The stumble came amidst the launch of Acer’s Olpruva, a sodium phenylbutyrate for oral suspension therapy approved by the U.S. FDA in late December 2022 for treating urea cycle disorders. The day before the Zevra merger was announced, Acer reacquired the worldwide development, commercialization and economic rights to Olpruva from its development partner, Relief Therapeutics Inc.
Jyong Biotech Ltd. filed for an IPO that could raise as much as $40 million to advance a pipeline that includes several prospects for urinary system disorders, including one that has reached the NDA stage in the U.S.
