Tosse, France – After decades of limited progress—owing to the difficulty of treating the disease and resultant market risk—glioblastoma research is entering a new phase spurred by smarter trials, targeted funding and renewed interest from companies like Merck and Jazz Pharmaceuticals. Glioblastoma, a deadly brain cancer, is notoriously difficult to...
treatment News
Toronto, Canada – After a demoralizing period punctuated by the withdrawal of one of the few marketed therapies for ALS, investment in new biotechs, state-backed collaborative initiatives and buzz at BIO2025 suggest a new day in drug development for one of medicine’s most intractable diseases. The past couple of years...
Basel, Switzerland – Novartis on Saturday posted two promising Phase III readouts in rare kidney diseases, setting the pharma up for two potential approvals in the space. The company presented these data at the European Renal Association Congress over the weekend. Results from the Phase III ALIGN study showed that...
Des Moines, Iowa – Most of the 15 million children with a rare disease have no FDA-approved treatments available to them. And when it comes to the most-rare conditions, there isn’t even a pipeline. Late last week, the world heard an incredible story: a baby with an exceptionally rare genetic...
Washinton, DC – On March 15, the FDA’s Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee will meet to discuss two CAR T cell therapies for multiple myeloma—Abecma, from Bristol Myers Squibb and 2seventy bio, and Carvykti, from Johnson & Johnson and Legend Biotech. Both treatments are currently approved for the treatment of adults...
Washington, DC – In February 2024, Larimar Therapeutics released positive Phase II data for its injectable subcutaneous investigational agent nomlabofusp in treating Friedreich’s ataxia, a rare disease that causes neuromuscular degeneration. The data indicate that Larimar could go head-to-head in the market with Biogen’s Skyclarys, the only disease-specific therapy for Friedreich’s...
Dallas, Texas – Taysha Gene Therapies touted positive early-stage data last month for its gene therapy to treat Rett syndrome, which has become the company’s main focus after cutting other programs and laying off 35% of its staff. If successful, the candidate for Rett syndrome has the capability to put...
Washingon, DC – After a years-long drought, progress in the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) space began to accelerate with the 2022 approval of Amylyx’s Relyvrio and Biogen and Ionis’ Qalsody in 2023. But now, that progress appears to have stalled. Earlier this month, Amylyx announced it would pull Relyvrio from...
Washington, DC – Despite having not yet received full approval, Travere Therapeutics’ first-in-class endothelin and angiotensin II receptor antagonist Filspari—which received the FDA’s accelerated approval in February 2023—is already making strides in treating IgA nephropathy. A rare autoimmune disease, IgA nephropathy occurs when immunoglobulin A accumulates in the kidneys, leading...
New York, NY – Since 2016, the FDA has approved three disease-modifying treatments for spinal muscular atrophy, with several companies—including Novartis, Scholar Rock and Biogen—progressing novel candidates through clinical trials. The last decade has fundamentally changed how clinicians treat spinal muscular atrophy. In 2016, Biogen’s Spinraza became the FDA-approved treatment for SMA,...