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After the failure of Novo Nordisk’s IL-6 inhibitor ziltivekimab sent waves through the industry, the company has terminated two other studies of the asset, bringing the total number of high-profile cardiovascular flops to six over nine weeks.
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Zanvastro, an antisense oligonucleotide therapy, represents the first independent neurology launch for Ionis Pharmaceuticals, which intends to leverage the foothold for more approvals in rare neurodegenerative diseases, including Angelman syndrome.
Almost as many biotechs have opted for a reverse merger to reach the public markets as those executing more traditional initial public offerings this year.
BMS is barreling toward a clinical trial readout that an H.C. Wainwright analyst believes could contribute to the return of mergers between mega-cap drugmakers.
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The co-development deal comes after Pfizer reported a late-stage failure for a Seagen asset and the discontinuation of another investigational therapy developed by the company as a subsidiary of the pharma.
TScan Therapeutics is looking for strategic partnerships for its heme and autoimmune programs while working to advance two in vivo T cell therapy candidates into investigational new drug–enabling studies.
A new program from ARPA-H has devoted funding to make individualized RNA-based genetic medicine more efficient to produce and improve accessibility.
For $110 million upfront, GSK will have the exclusive global right to advance HMPL-A830, which combines an EGFR-targeting antibody with a small-molecule KRAS blocker. The asset will be studied for colorectal, pancreatic and lung cancer.
Novartis hits pause on several CAR T trials after three patient deaths, followed by Bristol Myers Squibb after separate safety signals; Revolution Medicines scores early FDA approval for groundbreaking pancreatic cancer drug; BioNTech suspends a mid-stage trial of its mRNA cancer immunotherapy after a futility analysis; and nine mid-sized biopharma companies join their big pharma peers in President Donald Trump’s Most Favored Nation drug pricing scheme.
Roche has tapped Simcere Zaiming for a new T cell engager that could have broad application in B cell–mediated diseases including lymphoma and autoimmune conditions.
After downsizing by 50% last year, Arsenal Biosciences is again laying off employees. This time, 99 people are getting cut as part of a strategic shift to focus the company’s R&D efforts on in vivo CAR T therapies.
Biomarin has granted Ascendis a non-exclusive, worldwide license to use navepegritide, the active ingredient in the latter company’s recently approved achondroplasia drug Yuviwel, in exchange for 18–20% royalties on net sales.
With the acquisition of Merida Biosciences, Eli Lilly is gaining a precision degradation platform for therapies that selectively target and destroy pathologic antibodies for allergic and autoimmune diseases.
Well-known for its oncology efforts and making recent headlines for a rumored mega merger with AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb is also dedicating considerable resources to neurological and psychiatric diseases, with a “continuum of care” mindset.