CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP) and Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) announced that The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has placed a clinical hold on the Investigational New Drug Application (IND) for CTX001 for the treatment of sickle cell disease pending the resolution of certain questions that will be provided by the FDA as part of its review of the IND. The IND was submitted to the FDA in April to support the planned initiation of a Phase …

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for filing Exelixis’ (EXEL) supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for Cabometyx® (cabozantinib) tablets for patients with previously treated advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The FDA has determined that the application is sufficiently complete to permit a substantive review. The filing has been assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) action date of January 14, 2019. Commenting on the news, Gisela Schwab, M.D., President, Product Development and …

ASTRAZENECA AstraZeneca’s (AZN) Checkpoint Inhibitor Imfinzi significantly improved Overall Survival (OS) for Stage III Non-Small Cell Cancer Imfinzi (durvalumab) achieved positive overall survival (OS) results for the Phase III PACIFIC trial in patients with unresectable Stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose cancer did not progress following platinum-based chemotherapy and radiation. An Independent Data Monitoring Committee concluded that the trial met the second of two primary …

Prohost Letter #421 PRIVATE  LESSONS - Stock prices of publicly-­traded biotech companies oscillate for the same reasons other industries’ stock prices swing all day long. The fluctuations are the outcome of investors’ and daily traders’ unrelenting buying and selling . . . This content is for paid subscribers. Please click here to subscribe or here to log in.

Cara Therapeutics (CARA) develops novel and proprietary class of product candidates, led by Korsuva (CR845/difelikefalin) injection. This product is a first-in-class peripheral kappa opioid receptor (KOR) agonist designed to alleviate pruritus (itching) and pain.  In Phase 2 trials, Korsuva injection demonstrated statistically significant reductions in itch intensity and concomitant improvement in the quality of life in hemodialysis patients with moderate-to-severe chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus (CKD-aP). Additionally, Korsuva has demonstrated statistically …

Cidara Therapeutics (CDTX), a biotechnology company developing novel anti-infective products, including immunotherapies, announced that the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), awarded it and Rutgers University a five-year, $5.5 million partnership grant.     The grant aimed at funding the continued research and development of Cidara’s innovative Cloudbreak™antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) platform to identify novel immunotherapy agents for the treatment and prevention of serious and life-threatening multi-drug resistant (MDR) Gram …

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Amgen’s (AMGN) new once a month drug Aimovig™ (erenumab-aooe) for the prevention and treatment of migraine in adults. Aimovig is the first and only FDA-approved treatment specifically developed to prevent migraine. The drug blocks calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor (CGRP-R) believed to play a critical role in the occurrence of migraine. The drug will be marketed by Amgen and Novartis (NVS).  Aimovig 70 mg is …

Exelixis (EXEL) announced that its partner Ipsen received approval from the European Commission (EC) for CABOMETYX®(cabozantinib) 20 mg, 40 mg and 60 mg for the first-line treatment of adults with intermediate or poor-risk advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in the European Union. Under the terms of the Collaboration and License Agreement with Ipsen, Exelixis will receive a milestone payment of $50 million for the EC approval, of which approximately $46 million was recognized as collaboration revenue in the first quarter …

Based in Boston, MA, Rhythm Pharmaceuticals (RYTM) – is a company focused on discovering and developing treatments for rare genetic disorders of obesity. It is currently evaluating the efficacy and safety of setmelanotide, its first-in-class melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) agonist, in Phase 3 studies in patients with pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) deficiency obesity (which includes deficiencies in both the POMC and PCSK1 genes) and Leptin receptor (LEPR) deficiency obesity. Observing Rhythm’s research and trials …

Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS) and Akcea Therapeutics (AKCA), an affiliate of Ionis Pharmaceuticals, announced that the Advisory Committee of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Division of Metabolism and Endocrinology Products voted 12-8 in support of approving the firms’ product WAYLIVRATM (volanesorsen) for familial chylomicronemia syndrome (FCS). The PDUFA date for the FDA review and ruling is August 30, 2018. WAYLIVRA, potentially the first and only treatment for people living with this serious and …

SPARK THERAPEUTICS, SANGAMO THERAPEUTICS AND SALK INSTITUTE CURING HEMOPHILIA?   Hemophilia is an inherited bleeding disorder that causes abnormal or exaggerated bleeding and poor blood clotting. Hemophilia A and Hemophilia B are inherited in an X-linked recessive genetic pattern, so males are commonly affected while females are usually carriers of the disease. Hemophilia A is caused by clotting Factor VIII deficiency and hemophilia B (Christmas disease) is caused by Factor IX deficiency. A …

The Week in Review #22 What Went Right or Wrong in the Biotech Sector During the Departing Week? - A lot happened in the biotech sector during the week, which departed at midnight. Topping the list of the week’s events was the approval of Portola’s (PTLA) product  Andexxa . . . This content is for paid subscribers. Please click here to subscribe or here to log in.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Portola’s (PTLA) drug Andexxa®, the first and only antidote indicated for patients treated with rivaroxaban and apixaban, when reversal of anticoagulation is needed due to life-threatening or uncontrolled bleeding. Commenting on the approval, Stuart J. Connolly, M.D., ANNEXA-4 Executive Committee chairman and professor in the Department of Medicine of the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario said, “Today’s approval represents …

It is obvious that Exelixis’ (EXEL) first quarter results do not justify the selling of EXEL during the whole quarter, but rather condemn it. It is an undeniable fact that Exelixis is doing a great job squeezing the best out of its approved drugs while conducting persistent research and development regarding its investigational pipeline products. The unveiled facts comprise the following: – Strong commercial performance for CABOMETYX in advanced renal cell …

Following the news announcing that Amgen’s (AMGN) drug KYPROLIS® (carfilzomib) extended the lives of patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma in combination with lenalidomide + dexamethasone, we got news from a small company called Karyopharm Therapeutics (KPTI) announcing positive news from a trial with its product selinexor in multiple myeloma. The news announced that Karyopharm’s oral selective inhibitor of nuclear export (SINE) compound selinexor demonstrated positive results from the Phase 2b STORM study …

A couple of days following the news that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has adopted a positive opinion on Amgen’s (AMGN) product Prolia® (denosumab) for the treatment of bone loss associated with long-term systemic glucocorticoid therapy, the same Committee recommended a label variation for KYPROLIS® (carfilzomib) with an addition that includes the final overall survival (OS) data from the Phase 3 ASPIRE trial. In the ASPIRE trial, KYPROLIS …