High-Dose Semaglutide Data A Mixed Bag For Novo Nordisk

 
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Semaglutide 7.2mg bests placebo for weight loss at 72 weeks, but with efficacy lower than seen with Novo Nordisk’s CagriSema or Lilly’s Zepbound.

Boehringer’s Three Shots At Schizophrenia Miss The Target

 

Three parallel Phase III studies of iclepertin aiming to improve cognitive function have failed but optimism about other schizophrenia treatments is growing.

Acepodia Plays Dual-Payload Ace To Join Global ADC Race

 

Acepodia’s dual-payload antibody-drug conjugates can link multiple tumor-killing agents without antibody modification. Apart from a GPC3-targeting candidate, the Taiwan-US biotech is also working on a bispecific antibody ADC with two different payloads, its CEO tells Scrip in an interview.

Avidity Set To File First Of Three Muscular Dystrophy Drugs In 2025

 

The company is moving quickly to bring its antibody oligonucleotide conjugates to patients in three separate muscular dystrophy diseases, causing unease for its rivals.


Scholar Rock Does Its Homework For Successful SMA Launch

 
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On the back of a stellar showing in Phase III, apitegromab is going to be filed in the US and Europe in the coming weeks for spinal muscular atrophy and CEO Jay Backstrom believes it will be a $2bn blockbuster.

Sling Brings Potential Oral Competition To Amgen’s Tepezza In TED

 
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With positive Phase IIb/III data for IGF-1r inhibitor linsitinib, privately held Sling plans to move into Phase III and compete in thyroid eye disease on convenience and safety.

Wave Wants To Put The Joy Back Into Weight-Loss Drugs

 

The company believes its WVE-007 can improve on GLP-1 agonists by preserving muscle mass while also not interfering with the pleasure of eating. Promising mouse data are still to be confirmed in humans, however.

XGene’s Non-Opioid Pain Contender Shows Pre-/Post-Op Promise

 
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XGene's pain candidate has shown positive results in a US bunionectomy trial and the Chinese company is also eyeing chronic and cancer pain indications for its contender, which may provide a competitor to Vertex's suzetrigine.


Lilly Pays Up To $2.5bn For Scorpion, Will Put Big Pharma Muscle Behind PI3Kα Inhibitor

 
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Scrip spoke with Lilly chief medical officer David Hyman at J.P. Morgan about the company’s oncology dealmaking strategy and plans for Scorpion’s selective PI3Kα-targeting asset.

AstraZeneca And Daiichi’s Dato-DXd Set For More Modest Market Entry Than First Hoped

 

After setbacks and a withdrawn filing, Dato-DXd is back on track for a potential second-line approval later this year in EGFR-mutant lung cancer. The partners are still counting on success in first line lung cancer and breast cancer treatment

Pipeline Watch: Six Approvals And Eight Phase III Readouts

Pipeline Watch is a weekly snapshot of selected late-stage clinical trial events and approvals announced by pharmaceutical and biotech companies at medical and industry conferences, in financial and company presentations, and in company releases and statements.

Bayer’s BlueRock Moves Parkinson’s Cell Therapy into Phase III

 
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Productive talks with the US FDA after securing Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy designation haves speeded up development of bemdaneprocel, which is about to go into a registrational trial to see if it can slow down or even stop progression of the neurodegenerative disease.


GSK Kicks Off M&A Push As Deal Speculation And Sunny Skies Set The Scene For J.P. Morgan

 

GSK will pay up to $1.15bn for IDRx, Lilly is said to be making a play for Scorpion, Biogen offered to buy Sage and Gilead announced a partnership with Leo Pharma ahead of the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference.

Crisis Deepens At IGM Biosciences As Autoimmune Gambit Fails

 

The company’s IgG antibody constructs have now failed in oncology and autoimmune disease, leaving it with few remaining strategic options.

Venture Fund Aims To Enrich Chugai’s Discovery Engine

 

The head of Chugai's new $200m venture capital fund talks to Scrip about its investment priorities.

LB Pharmaceuticals Sees Schizophrenia Drug Derivative As New Option For US Patients

 
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With positive Phase II data for its amisulpride derivative, LB is planning a Phase III program to show safety and convenience with a lower dose that passes more easily through the blood-brain barrier.


Jasper’s Briquilimab Stands Up To Competition, But Investors Bail

The company reported positive Phase II data from the BEACON trial testing the c-Kit inhibitor in chronic spontaneous urticaria and said it is planning a Phase IIb/III program.

Acelyrin To Take Tepezza Competitor Into Phase III In TED

 
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With new Phase I/II data for its anti-IGF-1 agent lonigutamab, Acelyrin will move into Phase III in thyroid eye disease. But how competitive it will be versus Tepezza or Viridian’s Phase III candidate is uncertain.

Only Half Of 2024’s Biggest Launches Belong To Big Pharma

 

Just a handful of big pharma approvals of 2024 are tipped to be multi-billion dollar blockbusters. Even though it is still early days for these drugs, the pull of M&A is looking increasingly strong for big pharma as more smaller firms go it alone.

Double Whammy For ALS As AbbVie/Calico And Denali Drugs Fail

 
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Two treatments that target elF2B, a regulator of the integrated stress response that appears to be overactive in the progressive motor neurone disease, have missed their primary and secondary endpoints in a landmark platform trial.