Alto’s depression strategy in doubt after ph. 2 fail

Today’s Big News

Oct 23, 2024

Roche culls cough candidate, pivots KRAS program after revaluing entire pipeline


Merck sets sights on brain cancer with $30M Modifi acquisition


Alto’s midphase depression trial falls flat, raising doubts about pitch to disrupt neuropsychiatry R&D


Sangamo slashes time to market for Fabry gene therapy as FDA agrees to accelerated approval package


Alpha-9 raises $175M series C to bankroll clinical-stage radiopharma pipeline


Ocuphire Pharma to transform into gene-therapy-focused biotech via Opus acquisition


GSK and Cambridge scientists join forces to fight immune-related kidney and lung diseases in $65M deal

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Featured

Roche culls cough candidate, pivots KRAS program after revaluing entire pipeline

Roche’s chronic cough program has sputtered to a halt. The drugmaker, which axed the program after the drug candidate disappointed in phase 2, disclosed the setback as part of a wider pullback from prospects that fell short of the bar for further development.
 

Top Stories

Merck sets sights on brain cancer with $30M Modifi acquisition

Merck & Co. is putting down $30 million cash to buy Yale spinout Modifi Biosciences, a deal that includes a preclinical asset designed to take on the tough-to-treat brain cancer glioblastoma.

Alto’s midphase depression trial falls flat, raising doubts about pitch to disrupt neuropsychiatry R&D

Alto Neuroscience hit a bum note in an early test of its precision neuropsychiatry model. A phase 2b trial of Alto’s lead drug candidate in depression missed its primary and key secondary endpoints, prompting investors to wipe 60% off the biotech’s share price.

The sudden progress in rare kidney disease is built on years of dedication

When a specialized field of medicine has long been quiet, a buzz of breakthrough can seem like a sudden development. The reality is more nuanced.

Sangamo slashes time to market for Fabry gene therapy as FDA agrees to accelerated approval package

Sangamo Therapeutics has identified a shortcut to market for its Fabry disease candidate, aligning with the FDA on a pathway that could slash three years from the time to market and free it from the need to run an additional registrational study. Shares in Sangamo jumped 33% to $1.22 in the wake of the news.

Real-World Data Meets Clinical Trial Design: Optimizing Protocols and Site Selection

Now’s the time to rethink clinical trials with real-world data (RWD). Discover strategies to optimize your protocols and site selection.

Alpha-9 raises $175M series C to bankroll clinical-stage radiopharma pipeline

Alpha-9 Oncology has raised a $175M series C to fund its clinical-stage radiopharma drugs, although the exact details of the biotech’s pipeline remain hazy for now.

Ocuphire Pharma to transform into gene-therapy-focused biotech via Opus acquisition

Eye drug maker Ocuphire is acquiring gene therapy developer Opus Genetics in an all-stock transaction that will see the commercial-stage company adopt the biotech’s identity.

GSK and Cambridge scientists join forces to fight immune-related kidney and lung diseases in $65M deal

GSK is pumping 50 million pounds sterling (about $65 million) into a five-year collaboration with the University of Cambridge and Cambridge University Hospitals to more precisely treat immune-related respiratory and kidney diseases, the London-based pharma giant announced in an Oct. 21 release.

Amgen pledges to launch Eylea biosim after legal win—but Regeneron stresses the fight's not over yet

Amgen is preparing to launch its Eylea biosimilar, Pavblu, after another victory over Regeneron in court. That said, Regeneron is appealing the decision and stressed that it continues to believe Amgen's copycat infringes multiple Eylea patents.

Pfizer lays off 75 more workers in North Carolina in wake of late-stage DMD trial fail

Pfizer has told 75 employees in Sanford, North Carolina, that their positions have been eliminated. The layoffs come three months after the company axed 150 positions in Sanford following a high-profile phase 3 trial failure for its Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene therapy candidate. The company said that the new wave of layoffs are related to the trial results.

Transparency has led to uniformity in healthcare costs—but not necessarily lower prices: study

Recent price transparency regulations have caused prices to converge for outpatient services but led to more discrepancy for inpatient services, according to findings from Turquoise Health.
 
Fierce podcasts

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Where are they now? Catching up with past Fierce 15 honorees

In this week’s episode of “The Top Line,” we catch up with three past Fierce 15 honorees to gain their insights, experiences and visions for the evolving biotech landscape.
 

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