A multiple myeloma cell therapy has encouraging results analysts say could make it best in its class and a gene-editing therapy is showing early promise in sickle cell disease. Here’s a recap of those developments and others from the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Keros Therapeutics will present Phase 2 data for the drug, elritercept, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology. Meanwhile, the Takeda deal enables Keros to focus on two wholly owned assets, one of which could compete with a Merck drug approved earlier this year.
Zelis CEO Amanda Eisel shares her perspective on how the company is solving the problems of a fragmented health financial system to benefit all.
Kura Oncology already had a broad development plan for ziftomenib in leukemias, but the agreement with Kyowa Kirin provides the cash to execute it and a partner to commercialize the drug globally. Ziftomenib is in the same class of medicines as Syndax Pharmaceuticals’ Revuforj, which won FDA approval last week.
Approval of Syndax’s Revuforj for acute leukemia makes the twice-daily pill the first in a new class of drugs that block a cancer-driving protein called menin. Other companies developing menin inhibitors include Kura Oncology, Biomea Fusion, and Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen.
Autolus Therapeutics’ Aucatzyl is now FDA approved for treating advanced cases of B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia. While it goes after the same target as Gilead Sciences’ Tecartus, Autolus engineered its CAR T-therapy with properties that could improve safety, efficacy, and durability.
Geron Corporation’s Rytelo is now FDA approved for treating anemia caused by myelodysplastic syndromes. The new drug will compete against Reblozyl, a blockbuster Bristol Myers Squibb medicine.
When it comes to managing inbound phone calls, underperformance has devastating cost implications.
Eli Lilly’s Jaypirca is now approved for treating three types of blood cancers. While Jaypirca blocks a target already addressed by other cancer therapies, the Lilly molecule does it in a way that sets it apart from the rest of its drug class.
Servier drug Tibsovo is now approved for treating advanced cases of myelodysplastic syndrome that have an IDH1 mutation. It’s the first approval of a targeted therapy for this type of cancer.
FDA approval of GSK’s Ojjaara in myelofibrosis introduces a new competitor to blockbuster Incyte drug Jakafi. Ojjaara was part of GSK’s $1.9 billion acquisition of Sierra Oncology last year.
Swedish Orphan Biovitrum is acquiring CTI Biopharma in a $1.7 billion deal centered on the biotech’s commercialized drug for the blood cancer myelofibrosis. Sobi says the drug, Vonjo, complements one of its own assets approved for a different blood disorder.
The progress in artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping patient care, across various dimensions, from facilitating faster discharge to curating treatment plans and suggesting lifestyle changes.
Polycythemia vera, a rare blood cancer characterized by the overproduction of red blood cells, now has its first FDA-approved drug treatment. The agency awarded the regulatory nod to a PharmaEssentia drug that reduces the levels of those blood cells.
The San Francisco-based company aims to complete at least one Phase III study by 2025, and it is weighing an IPO next year to fund more.
New York-based Stemline won Food and Drug Administration approval in December 2018 for Elzonris, a drug for blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm, or BPDCN, an extremely rare but aggressive form of leukemia.
The companies will use Novo Nordisk's experience with hemophilia and bluebird's TALENs-based genome editing technology, megaTAL, with a particular focus on hemophilia A.
Notable CEO Matthew De Silva said the company has been able to successfully replicate its automated system, allowing for the export of the company's technology and growth of its commercial use cases.