Pharmaceutical and biotech news covering drug approvals, clinical trials, FDA decisions, and pharmaceutical industry developments.
Niti Aayog released a bioeconomy roadmap proposing six mission-driven national initiatives and a Rs 50,000-crore BioEconomy Growth Fund. The plan aims to build a $691 billion bioeconomy by 2035, up from $195.3 billion currently. Missions include GeneIndia, AgriBio 2.0, and BioPharmaNext.
Biotech companies are competing to develop 5-MeO-DMT, a powerful psychedelic, into a commercial treatment for depression, anxiety, and PTSD. The obscure substance is drawing intense pharmaceutical interest.
Biogen announced Phase 2 trial results for an experimental Alzheimer's drug targeting tau protein, showing it slowed early cognitive decline and lowered tau levels. The twice-yearly spinal injection showed benefits comparable to approved amyloid drugs in a small group of roughly 400 participants. Findings were presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Tuesday.
A two-day pharmaceutical conference in Islamabad concluded with $850 million in agreements, including 16 contracts and 80 MoUs. $600 million in contracts and $250 million in MoUs were signed, with 18 deals focused on herbal medicines. Pakistan aims to establish local vaccine production and reduce reliance on imports, which could reach $1.2 billion by 2030.
India's drug regulator approved Novo Nordisk's obesity drug Wegovy for treating MASH, a serious fatty liver condition. The approval targets a large potential patient population, as about two in three people in India have fatty liver disease.
SpotitEarly announced a strategic partnership with HITLAB to accelerate its U.S. commercialization and capital development. The company's LUCID breath test for multi-cancer early detection achieved 93.9% sensitivity and 94.3% specificity in the Rainbow Study. SpotitEarly plans to bring its breast cancer breath test to market in 2027.
Sellas Life Sciences shares rose 12.26% to $13.19 on Friday as investors anticipate a phase 3 interim analysis for its AML treatment Galinpepimut-S. The trial nears the 80th death required for analysis. Takeover speculation and increased hedge fund holdings also fueled gains.
Latigo Biotherapeutics, a clinical-stage developer of non-opioid pain medicines backed by Blue Owl Capital, filed for an initial public offering. Its late-stage drug candidate showed 50% greater analgesic effect than Vicodin. The filing comes as biotech IPOs resume after a seven-month dry spell.
GSK will not develop camlipixant for refractory chronic cough after it failed a late-stage trial. The 50 mg dose reduced cough frequency at 12 weeks but lost significance at 24 weeks. GSK acquired the drug through its $2 billion Bellus Health acquisition in 2023. Shares fell 3.7%.
Cathie Wood's ARK Genomic Revolution ETF purchased $15.3 million worth of Ionis Pharmaceuticals stock since early July, following a 37% drop from its 2026 high after a late-stage trial failure. The FDA recently approved Ionis's drug Tryngolza, expanding its market significantly.