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Akcea C-Suite Upheaval’s Reasons Unclear, Firm Set To Take In More Ionis Programs

 
• By Joseph Haas

Akcea terminates top three execs while praising their accomplishments in building up the Ionis spinout. Stock finished the trading day down nearly 20%.

severing ties and boycott concept
Three top execs are out at Akcea; reasons why unclear

Akcea Therapeutics Inc. is facing an uncertain future as parent company Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced the immediate departure of CEO Paula Soteropoulos and two top deputies on 23 September, naming previous Ionis chief business officer Dean McDevitt as the interim CEO, but analysts see it as a shakeup that could mean greater focus on the pipeline.

In a statement outlining the changes, Ionis chairman Stanley Crooke and Akcea chairman Christopher Gabrieli both lauded the departing execs for “significant achievements” while providing no rationale for the changes.

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Kymera STAT6 Data Set The Bar For ‘Dupixent-In-A-Pill’ Race

 
• By Jessica Merrill

Kymera will move KT-621 into Phase II trials later this year based on compelling data in healthy volunteers, validating the company’s protein-degradation platform.

Atai/Beckley Merger Comes At A Transformative Time For Psychedelics

 
• By Kevin Grogan

All eyes are on the upcoming readout of BPL-003 for treatment-resistant depression.

Stock Watch: How GSK’s Nucala Info Drip Helped Share Price

 
• By Andy Smith

The information flow in the months before the approval of GSK’s Nucala in COPD provides an interesting case study, and brings to mind the cautionary tale of Alnylam’s Onpattro.

Bristol Will Pay BioNTech $1.5bn Up Front To Enter PD-L1xVEGF Space

 
• By Joseph Haas

BMS is guaranteeing BioNTech at least $3.5bn to share development costs and potential profits on the Phase III bispecific, to compete with Summit, Merck and Pfizer.

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Stock Watch: How GSK’s Nucala Info Drip Helped Share Price

 
• By Andy Smith

The information flow in the months before the approval of GSK’s Nucala in COPD provides an interesting case study, and brings to mind the cautionary tale of Alnylam’s Onpattro.

ASCO: J&J Banks On T-Cell Engager’s Safety In Prostate Cancer

 
• By Andrew McConaghie

The company highlighted the KLK2-targeting agent’s safety at ASCO but it may have to rely on combinations to make pasritamig competitive.

ASCO: Regeneron Looks To Become Bigger Immuno-Oncology Player

 
• By Alaric DeArment

The drugmaker presented oral abstracts at the meeting for Libtayo in adjuvant cutaneous squamous-cell carcinoma and linvoseltamab in multiple myeloma.