Regulatory
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.—Trump’s pick for HHS secretary who endured confirmation hearings last week—has repeatedly criticized industry ties to the FDA, particularly financial links between the two, which could indicate trouble for the user-fee model.
The approval of Axsome Therapeutics’ Symbravo for migraine with or without aura came alongside the greenlight for Vertex’s non-opioid treatment Journavx.
Senators on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee were critical of Kennedy’s long history as an anti-vaccine campaigner.
The greenlight for Journavx (suzetrigine), which comes on the heels of a $7.4 billion opioid settlement, could spark momentum in the fledgling non-opioid pain space.
The approval continues the trend of GLP-1s expanding into indications outside of diabetes and weight loss.
Ahead of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation hearings, experts—and RFK’s own family—expressed concerns about his vaccine-related views, though the same experts are largely unfazed by the level of power he and Marty Makary could ultimately wield over the FDA.
Enhertu’s label expansion comes on the heels of the FDA’s approval of the partners’ Datroway for a related type of breast cancer.
The monthly maintenance regimen, which offers a more convenient frequency than the initially approved treatment schedule for patients with Alzheimer’s, could help with Leqembi’s thus far disappointing uptake and sales.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s recent disclosures have revealed several potential conflicts of interest, including investments in two biopharma companies.
In a good-news-bad-news week for Biogen, the company will cut an undisclosed number of employees, just as a higher dose of its Ionis-partnered therapy Spinraza for spinal muscular atrophy will be considered by the FDA and EMA.
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