Neuroscience
Ibogaine, which operates via a “matrix pharmacology,” has long been a focus of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Trump administration.
Addex Therapeutics spinout Neurosterix will use the series B funds to advance an oral drug targeting M4, a muscarinic receptor also targeted by BMS’ Cobenfy, which introduced a new mechanism for treating schizophrenia with its 2024 approval.
Compass Pathways has completed an FDA filing for COMP360, with an expected launch in the first half of next year. The update follows a reported regulatory submission for Usona Institute’s own psilocybin candidate for depression last Monday.
After emraclidine’s schizophrenia fail and Cobenfy’s laggard launch, it’s too early to know who made the better buy: AbbVie, in its $8.7 billion Cerevel takeover in late 2023, or Bristol Myers Squibb, which spent $14 billion for Karuna just two weeks later.
The majority of the large pharmas have now reported third quarter earnings—spoiler alert: Eli Lilly made more money than anyone expected. Plus, the FDA dropped another initiative aimed at accelerating rare disease treatments; HHS greenlights the compounding of six unapproved peptides; and uniQure’s embattled gene therapy for Huntington’s disease has finally been accepted for review.
Novartis is discontinuing a neurodegeneration alliance with BioArctic in which the companies aimed to develop a drug candidate that could cross the blood-brain barrier.
In a mid-stage trial, the lower dose of Tiziana’s intranasal monoclonal antibody reduced microglial activation in a specific type of multiple sclerosis. But the path forward remains unclear after the higher dose failed to deliver the same benefit.
After a year of controversial regulatory reversals, the FDA has accepted uniQure’s application for ifezuntirgene inilparvovec for priority review, with a May 1 action date. If approved, the therapy—also called AMT-130—would be the first disease-modifying treatment for Huntington’s disease.
Strong immunology and neuroscience sales fueled AbbVie’s latest quarterly beat as the pharma’s stock continues to hit all-time highs.
Acumen will implement cash-saving strategies and assess its options after sabirnetug failed to beat placebo, leaving the biotech without a clinical program.
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