Welcome to the latest edition of the Life Sciences Voice Top Five Newsletter, your source for the top developments in the life sciences industry! This week, we take a look at Junshi & Coherus achieving positive trial results for their liver cancer therapy, the FDA panel backing Eli Lilly’s Alzheimer’s therapy, another case of bird flu at a poultry farm in Australia, and other top news!
Promising Trial Results for Junshi and Coherus’ Loqtorzi in Liver Cancer
The Phase 3 trial for Loqtorzi, a treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), showed positive results, significantly improving overall survival and progression-free survival. Junshi and Coherus’ Loqtorzi was initially approved for head and neck cancer, but with these trial results, the drug may now move toward liver cancer therapy approval. The drug can only be offered to patients who have undergone chemotherapy before or are currently undergoing chemotherapy.
FDA Panel Endorses Eli Lilly’s Alzheimer’s Drug
An FDA expert advisory panel has backed Eli Lilly’s Alzheimer’s drug, Donanemab, after reviewing trial data that showed it significantly slows the progression of cognitive and functional decline in patients with early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease. While the advisory committee’s decision is not binding on the FDA, it is generally followed. The decision by the panel comes after Eli Lilly’s placebo-controlled trial of the drug, which involved 1,700 patients. In the trial, Donanemab was seen to slow decline in memory and cognitive function.
Pfizer’s Gene Therapy Trial for Muscular Dystrophy Disappoints
Pfizer’s Phase 3 trial for its gene therapy targeting Duchenne muscular dystrophy in young boys did not show significant functional improvements compared to the placebo. Despite the setback, the company stated that it remains committed to continuing its research and exploring other potential therapies for this genetic disorder. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a genetic disorder causing progressive muscle weakness that mainly affects boys.
Accelerated FDA Approval for Ipsen and Genfit’s Liver Drug
Ipsen and Genfit received accelerated FDA approval for their drug to treat primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), a chronic liver disease. The approval was based on promising trial results that showed the drug effectively reduced levels of alkaline phosphatase, a marker of disease severity, providing a new treatment option for PBC patients. The drug was initially developed as a therapy for metabolic-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) but has since been repurposed for PBC.
H7N3 strain of Bird Flu detected on Australian Poultry Farm
The H7N3 strain of the virus of bird flu has been discovered on a fourth poultry farm in Victoria, Australia, prompting concerns about the potential spread of the virus. Authorities have implemented strict biosecurity measures and are conducting extensive testing to control the outbreak and prevent further infections among poultry and potentially humans. The government of the state declared that it would cull the poultry from the bird flu-affected farms.
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