Pathalys Pharma has secured $105m in a Series B financing round to support its clinical trials, file a new drug application (NDA) with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and accelerate preapproval commercialisation preparations. The company’s lead candidate is upacicalcet, a drug used to treat secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) in patients undergoing dialysis due to chronic kidney disease (CKD). The calcimimetic drug mirrors the action of calcium on tissues, particularly the parathyroid glands. The medication is typically administered during dialysis sessions. Earlier this year, Pathalys launched two identical Phase III studies of upacicalcet, which will both enrol 375 patients. The PATH study program is designed to assess the efficacy of upacicalcet as measured by its ability to reduce intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) by 30% or more in participants with SHPT and currently on haemodialysis. The funding round, led by TCGX, is set to support these clinical trials, and advance the ...
Clinical stage biopharma Kezar Life Sciences will drop its Phase I solid tumour drug to streamline focus on its lead autoimmune disease drug zetomipzomib. The San Francisco-based biotech shared this update in its 2Q financial results. The candidate, dubbed KZR-261, was being investigated in a Phase I trial (NCT05047536) in patients with solid tumours. Of the 61 enrolled patients, five experienced stable disease for four months or longer, with two of these patients experiencing stable disease for a year or longer. No objective responses have been reported. Enrolment in the trial has been halted, but the 61 patients will continue to have access to KZR-261. All eyes will now be on zetomipzomib, a selective immunoproteasome inhibitor. The candidate is being evaluated in a Phase IIb PALIZADE clinical trial (NCT05781750) for lupus nephritis and a Phase IIa PORTOLA clinical trial (NCT05569759) for autoimmune hepatitis. Everest Medicines secured the Greater China, South ...
Revolution Medicine plans to kickstart a Phase III trial following positive data from a first-in-human study of its investigational KRAS inhibitor RMC-6236 in pancreatic cancer patients. In an investor deck released yesterday [15 July], the company outlined updated data from the Phase I trial (NCT05379985) that outlined responses from 127 patients with pancreatic ductal carcinoma (PDAC) who received between a dose of RMC-6236 ranging from 160mg to 300mg. Median progression-free survival was 8.1 months in patients with the KRAS G12X mutation, and 7.6 months in those who broadly have RAS-mutant tumours. Among participants who had at least three prior treatment regimens, the median progression-free survival was 4.2 months. Out of the 127 participants, 96% suffered from side effects. The most common were rashes, diarrhoea, nausea, and mouth sores. Those adverse events were deemed severe or medically significant in 28% of patients. The company had previously presented early Phase I data, ...
Revolution Medicines drug RMC-6236 increased progression-free survival in patients with advanced cases of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. With these results, the biotech is preparing for a Phase 3 clinical trial in this indication, the most common type of pancreatic cancer. By Frank Vinluan Pancreatic cancer remains one of the toughest cancers to treat, but Revolution Medicines has data from an early-stage study showing its experimental treatment helped patients live longer without their disease worsening. With these encouraging results, Revolution said Monday it is preparing to proceed to a pivotal clinical trial enrolling patients with advanced cases of the most common type of pancreatic cancer. Revolution develops therapies that target the RAS family of proteins, validated but elusive targets for cancer drug research. Mutations to these proteins lead to the uncontrolled cell growth that happens in a variety of cancers. The most advanced program from Redwood City, California-based Revolution is RMC-6236. This small molecule is ...
The FDA rejected Novo Nordisk’s biologics license application for icodec, citing questions about the manufacturing process for this once weekly insulin as well as its use by type 1 diabetes patients. But there are several high-profile FDA approvals in our recap of recent regulatory news. By Frank VinluanNovo Nordisk’s bid to bring diabetes patients a less burdensome dosing regimen has encountered a setback. The FDA turned down the company’s application for icodec, a slow-acting insulin the company designed for once-weekly dosing as an alternative to daily insulin injections. According to Novo Nordisk, the FDA’s complete response letter raised questions about icodec’s manufacturing process as well as the use of the product in patients with type 1 diabetes. In May, an FDA advisory committee concluded that the available data were not sufficient to show that icodec’s benefits outweigh its risks in type 1 diabetes. Some committee members expressed concerns about icodec’s ...
European Medicines Agency approval of Dupixent in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease makes the drug the first biologic therapy approved for treating the prevalent respiratory condition. In COPD, Dupixent addresses what’s called type 2 inflammation. By Frank Vinluan Inflammation that develops in chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder stems from different causes. A new regulatory decision in Europe makes Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals drug Dupixent the first biologic therapy approved for COPD driven by one particular type of inflammation. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has approved Dupixent for adults with uncontrolled COPD that is also characterized by raised blood levels of eosinophils, a type of white blood cell. COPD patients typically take multiple medications to manage the chronic condition. The new Dupixent approval, announced just prior to the Independence Day holiday in the U.S., covers use of the injectable drug as an add-on maintenance treatment for patients whose COPD is uncontrolled by available therapies. ...
Lipoprotein (a), or Lp(a), is increasingly recognized as a critical but under-acknowledged potential risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, which are a significant public health concern. Around 20% of the global population has high levels of Lp(a), which heightens their risk of conditions such as myocardial infarction and stroke. Elevated Lp(a) levels contribute to the accumulation of lipids within artery walls, facilitating plaque formation and heightening the risk of cardiovascular events. While factors such as menopause, and kidney or liver diseases, as well as hyperthyroidism can affect Lp(a) levels, over 90% of the variability in Lp(a) levels is due to genetic differences in the lipoprotein (a) (LPA) gene. Consequently, testing for Lp(a) is a crucial diagnostic tool that helps clinicians accurately evaluate cardiovascular risk, and its integration into routine diagnostics is anticipated soon. Roche’s (Basel, Switzerland) Tina-quant lipoprotein Lp(a) RxDx assay has received Breakthrough Device Designation from the U.S. Food and ...
Davy James Alvotech’s and Teva’s Selarsdi (ustekinumab-aekn), the second FDA-approved biosimilar to Stelara, is indicated to treat patients aged 6 years and above with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who are candidates for phototherapy or systemic therapy and for patients aged 6 years and above with active psoriatic arthritis. Image credit: Maria | stock.adobe.com Alvotech’s and Teva Pharmaceuticals’ Selarsdi (ustekinumab-aekn) has been approved by the FDA as a biosimilar to Stelara (ustekinumab), which represents the second approval for a Stelara biosimilar.1 Selarsdi is indicated to treat patients aged 6 years and above with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who are candidates for phototherapy or systemic therapy; and for patients aged 6 years and above with active psoriatic arthritis. “The approval of Selarsdi—which is our second biosimilar approval this year—underscores Teva’s commitment to expanding the availability, access and uptake of this important treatment option to patients in the US,” Thomas Rainey, ...
Clasp Therapeutics’ novel T cell engagers could offer advantages over others in this class of cancer immunotherapies. The startup is based on the research of Johns Hopkins University scientist Bert Vogelstein. By FRANK VINLUANCancer immunotherapy comes in several forms, and one area of growing research interest is a type of drug called a T cell engager. These drugs bind to a cancer cell and a T cell simultaneously, bringing both of them together to spark a therapeutic effect. Robert Ross, CEO of Clasp Therapeutics, likens T cell engagers to the chaperone at a middle school dance who grabs a boy and a girl in each hand, getting them to dance together. But in cancer drugs, just as in school dances, sometimes the pairing just isn’t right. The wrong pairing in cancer happens when a drug that’s targeted to a tumor also hits healthy cells, causing toxic effects. Clasp is developing ...
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