Complete response letters

Atara Therapeutics’ Ebvallo, already marketed in Europe for a transplant-related blood cancer, will not hit the U.S. market just yet, forcing the company to “significantly reduce expenses.”

After a series of strongly worded letters—one of which was addressed directly to Commissioner Robert Califf—the FDA has publicly laid out its reasoning for rejecting Vanda Pharmaceuticals’ gastroparesis drug candidate tradipitant.

Lykos Therapeutics is currently working out ways to fund an additional Phase III study for its MDMA-assisted PTSD therapy following an FDA setback last year.

Vanda called the attention of FDA Commissioner Robert Califf to what it termed the “sentiment that the agency avoids public scrutiny of its decisions.”

The FDA cited issues with a manufacturing facility as the reason for the rejection. J&J is currently “working closely” with the regulator to resolve these problems.

The agency’s warning letter outlines Applied Therapeutics’ failure to provide adequate information regarding the clinical trial—including a dosing error for govorestat—claims that the company said it had already addressed.

Novartis, Gilead, Roche and Takeda commit to new partners in a spate of mid-sized collaborations this week. Meanwhile, Applied Therapeutics’ stock tanks 80% after govorestat is denied approval, Intra-Cellular Therapies seeks to expand Caplyta into major depressive disorder and the FDA investigates the safety of bluebird bio’s Skysona.

After extending its review period to evaluate additional submissions, the FDA ultimately denied Applied Therapeutics’ govorestat for galactosemia, citing “deficiencies” with the application. The biotech plans to meet with the regulator to discuss the best way forward for the drug.

The regulator cited deficiencies at a third-party manufacturing facility. Camurus is seeking approval for its extended-release subcutaneous formulation of octreotide, which would allow more convenient once-monthly dosing for patients with acromegaly.

The rejection is related to the timing of the FDA’s reinspection of Zealand’s third-party manufacturer, which previously had deficiencies.