Welcome to the latest edition of the Life Sciences Voice Top Five Newsletter, your source for the latest news in the life sciences industry! This week, we take a look at Brazil halting chicken exports following Newcastle Disease outbreak, Ionis Pharma moving to Phase III trials of its Angelman syndrome treatment, Asceneuron raising $100M for its Alzheimer’s drug with Novo as the lead investor, and other top news!
Brazil Halts Chicken Exports After Newcastle Disease Outbreak
Brazil has stopped exporting chicken meat and eggs to 44 countries, including Argentina, China, and Mexico, due to an outbreak of Newcastle virus disease at a farm in Rio Grande do Sul. This decision, approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, establishes a 90-day ‘state of zoosanitary emergency’ to contain the outbreak and includes measures for both domestic and wild birds. The regional limitations aim to prevent the transmission of the disease from the infected farm in Anta Gorda.
Ionis Pharmaceuticals Advances Angelman Syndrome Drug to Phase III Trials
Ionis Pharmaceuticals is moving forward with its Angelman syndrome treatment, ION582, to Phase III trials based on encouraging results from previous trials. The trial involved 51 individuals, and patients who received medium and high doses reported improvements in communication, cognition, and motor functions, with 97% reporting improvement. The company has proposed the trial design to regulators and aims to initiate the next phase in early 2025. This progression demonstrates the company’s commitment to bringing antisense oligonucleotides to the market for the treatment of neurological disorders.
Pinetree Therapeutics Partners with AstraZeneca for Cancer Treatment
Pinetree Therapeutics has signed an option and global license deal with AstraZeneca for a preclinical EGFR degrader molecule designed to treat drug-resistant cancers. This deal could exceed $500 million, with Pinetree receiving upfront payments, milestone payments, and royalties. The EGFR degrader, developed using Pinetree’s AbReptor™ platform, has shown high levels of preclinical tumor growth inhibition, particularly in drug-resistant cancers, and is anticipated to enhance the effectiveness of existing EGFR inhibitors.
Merck’s RSV Prevention Drug Has Positive Outcomes in Infants
Clesrovimab (MK-1654) is another Merck & Co. RSV prevention drug for which the company is looking to gain approval after trials are completed. The monoclonal antibody cut down RSV infections in infants below 150 days to a great extent when compared to a placebo and was within the safety benchmarks. As to the full trial data which has not been disclosed to the public yet, Merck expects to share it during a medical conference. Clesrovimab intends to challenge current RSV prevention drugs such as Sanofi’s Beyfortus which demonstrated a high level of effectiveness in preventing RSV-associated diseases.
Asceneuron raises $100M for Alzheimer’s drug development
Swiss biotech firm Asceneuron has closed its $100 million Series C round, with Novo as the lead investor, to advance its Alzheimer’s drug ASN51 to Phase II trials. ASN51 is an orally administered drug that inhibits the OGA enzyme and is expected to halt the progression of Alzheimer’s disease by preventing the formation of tau protein. Previous trials have shown positive effects on the nervous system. This funding round has also attracted other major players, such as EQT Life Sciences and OrbiMed, further strengthening Asceneuron’s position as a leader in neurodegenerative disease R&D.
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