FDA

BioSpace takes stock of the psychedelic therapeutics space, which is once again on the cusp of its first FDA approval.

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.

Scholar Rock’s spinal muscular atrophy drug, now to be called Isembyld, was originally rejected in September 2025, when the FDA cited compliance problems at a third-party manufacturer.

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.

The enrollment pause comes after BHV-7000 failed to show efficacy in a midstage depression trial late last year. The news is another regulatory hit for Biohaven after the FDA declined to approve its spinocerebellar ataxia treatment in November 2025.

September has been a rough month already for Novo Nordisk, which canned two more late-stage trials of its embattled IL-6 inhibitor, and Novartis, which took Phase 3 hits in both cardiovascular and muscular dystrophy indications; Ultragenyx’s big bet in Angelman syndrome failed to yield benefit in Phase 3 but Ionis’ Pharmaceuticals nabbed the first targeted approval for Alexander disease; and on the business side, biopharma investment is back in a big way.

The approval opens up a “modest” market for AstraZeneca’s Etcamah, according to Leerink analysts, who nevertheless looked forward to an upcoming late-stage readout that could lead to a “significantly larger opportunity” for the drug.

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.