Alzheon Alzheimer’s drug flops in ph. 3

Today’s Big News

Apr 10, 2025

Opthea lays off 65% of staff after back-to-back phase 3 eye disease flops


Keros considers a sale, strengthens defense against potential activist investors


Tempest, weathering stormy capital markets, hunts for partners for liver cancer drug


Alzheon Alzheimer's drug knocked down in pivotal APOLLOE4 bout


Atalanta laces up for clinic after RNA epilepsy candidate suppresses seizures in mice


Fierce Biotech Fundraising Tracker '25: Imbria raises $57M 

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Featured

Opthea lays off 65% of staff after back-to-back phase 3 eye disease flops

Opthea’s staff are paying for its clinical failures. Days after back-to-back flops sank an eye disease asset, the biotech revealed plans to lay off 65% of its staff and operate with a skeleton crew to save money.
 

Top Stories

Keros considers a sale, strengthens defense against potential activist investors

Keros Therapeutics is considering whether it needs to find a buyer, while strengthening its stockholder rights as activist investors circle.

Tempest, weathering stormy capital markets, hunts for partners for liver cancer drug

Unable to secure additional financing amid a stormy market, Tempest Therapeutics has put out a call for partners as it seeks to take its liver cancer drug into phase 3.

Project Optimus: Transforming Dose Optimization in Oncology Drug Development

Project Optimus is changing the landscape of oncology drug development by redefining dose optimization standards. Learn how sponsors can align with FDA expectations and implement more precise dose-finding strategies. Watch the full interview with Alex MacDonald now!

Alzheon Alzheimer's drug knocked down in pivotal APOLLOE4 bout

Alzheon’s attempt to rescue a once-failed idea for treating Alzheimer’s disease has flopped. Sixteen years after tramiprosate flunked a phase 3 trial, Alzheon’s prodrug form of the molecule has joined the lengthy list of pivotal Alzheimer’s failures.

Atalanta laces up for clinic after RNA epilepsy candidate suppresses seizures in mice

Big Pharma-backed Atalanta Therapeutics is ramping up for the clinical debut of the company’s lead epilepsy asset with new data showing the RNA therapy suppressed seizures in mice.

Fierce Biotech Fundraising Tracker '25: Merida debuts with $121M; Imbria raises $57M

The Fierce Biotech Fundraising Tracker records venture capital rounds of $50 million or more secured by biotechs.

Trump announces 90-day reprieve on reciprocal tariffs, but bumps China's to 125%

A baseline of 10% will remain in effect during the delay, the president said, though the immediate and upcoming fate of healthcare-specific goods like pharmaceuticals is still unclear.

Sun Pharma snags appeals win over Incyte, clearing way for US launch of alopecia med Leqselvi

After Sun Pharma appealed an injunction handed down in New Jersey federal court in November that blocked the U.S. launch of its alopecia med Leqselvi, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on Wednesday ruled in favor of the Indian drugmaker. Sun is no longer under any court order delaying or restricting Leqselvi’s market debut.

Jazz Pharma forks over $145M to shake off antitrust claims tied to narcolepsy drug Xyrem

The company settled with several purchaser plaintiffs in an antitrust case that involved Jazz and generic Xyrem maker Hikma Pharmaceuticals.

Regulatory tracker: China approves its first gene therapy

In this tracker, Fierce Pharma is recording the regulatory progress of in-market products, including expansions into key geographies and new indications. Some of these updates may not meet the bar for standalone stories, but we think they are still worth mentioning.

Few psych drugs from past decade are on HCPs' radars: survey

Ask a healthcare professional to name a psychiatric medicine and chances are they’ll say a brand approved at least 10 years ago. That finding, which comes from a ZoomRx survey, points to the challenge facing new market entrants as they try to wrestle mindshare from incumbents through marketing.
 
Fierce podcasts

Don’t miss an episode

How Oura is making the jump from consumer wellness to healthcare

This week on "Podnosis," Senior Writer Paige Minemyer chats with Jason Oberfest, vice president of healthcare at Oura, to discuss how the company is approaching its push into healthcare.
 

Resources

Unlocking Genomic Data: How NashBio is Advancing Innovation in Life Sciences

NashBio is transforming life sciences by making complex genomic and real-world data accessible for pharmaceutical R&D. Learn how their innovative Totem platform and groundbreaking Alliance for Genomic Discovery are accelerating research and improving outcomes.

eBook

Through a CRO's perspective: Innovative, Agile Solutions In Vaccine Efficacy Testing

Typical vaccine development timelines have averaged 10 years, but the time from the SARS-CoV-2 genetic sequence’s release to the submission of the first vaccine clinical trial data for regulatory review was a mere 314 days. In IQVIA Laboratories’ Vaccine eBook we focus on how contract research organizations (CROs) can best leverage strategic partnerships with sponsors to prepare for the next pandemic.
Whitepaper

Protect Your Trial Data: Endpoint, Imaging, and Safety Review

Avoid costly mistakes and ensure your clinical development program meets the highest standards by reading WCG’s whitepaper on Imaging Core Labs, Endpoint Adjudication Committees (EAC), and other safety reviews.
Research

Best Practice Customer-Facing Organization Study Report

We interviewed 15 biopharma leaders on the critical success factors for building a Best Practice customer-facing organization. This report shares what we learned.

 

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