Regulatory
A late-stage test of Roche and Ionis Pharmaceuticals’ sefaxersen showed that the drug reduced protein in the urine, which suggests the RNA-targeting therapy could improve kidney function and delay transplant.
Novo plans to hit $23B in revenue by 2035, has further reduced its workforce by 4,000 and is boosting manufacturing capacity for its Wegovy pill, but investors are unconvinced it will be enough to turn things around; Viking Therapeutics and Roche report positive results for their weight loss assets; Ultragenyx snags FDA approval for its Sanfilippo syndrome gene therapy; IPOs keep on coming.
Citing the urgent unmet need for patients with advanced biliary tract cancer, Compass Therapeutics will continue to seek an approval path for its drug after the FDA recommended the biotech conduct a new clinical study.
The FDA held a public forum on Monday to discuss the future of psychedelic therapeutics, followed by a meeting on Wednesday regarding recommendations for reauthorizing the Prescription Drug User Fee Act the day after launching its TrialBlazer initiative. Meanwhile, Definium Therapeutics notched another late-stage trial win for its LSD drug, and Novartis continues to reel from the company’s triple asset stumble.
The FDA aims to leverage the expertise of qualified research institutions paired with drug sponsors to lessen the risk of clinical holds during the investigational new drug review process and expedite the path to first-in-human development in the U.S. The initial application period will close on Oct. 30.
The FDA gathers Wednesday to hear what industry stakeholders and the public want included in the latest iteration of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act that sets the agency’s priorities for fiscal years 2028–2032.
Safety and access were top of mind at Monday’s public hearing exploring the regulation of psychedelic therapies. “The medicine opens the door,” NeuroAlchemy co-founder Michaela Vogt said during the meeting, but many other factors will ensure this new drug class can benefit patients.
With oral cyclic peptides offering small molecule convenience and antibody‑like selectivity, the modality is gaining momentum. But bioavailability below 1%, minimal PK data and fragile synthesis still slow progress. Viva Biotech’s experts outlined how hybrid synthesis, ADME/PK modeling and AI‑guided design are expanding what peptide therapeutics can reach.
Heading into an FDA hearing on Monday regarding the future of psychedelic treatments, public comments show wide support for further exploring the therapeutic potential of these compounds—to match rising support within the agency.
A year to the day after the Trump administration slashed $500 million in funding from mRNA-based programs, the FDA approved Moderna’s flu vaccine based on the technology. Weeks later, Moderna and Merck revealed positive Phase 3 results for their personalized mRNA-based cancer vaccine. In the words of one mRNA specialist, “science won.”
PRESS RELEASES