Zura Bio boldly goes the SPAC route
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Editor's note: Fierce Biotech will not publish on Monday in observance of the Juneteenth National Independence Day federal holiday. We'll be back in your inbox on Tuesday.

Today's Rundown

Featured Story

Will we ever land the Alzheimer's moonshot? Genentech's crenezumab partners reflect on failure

In a moment of public reflection, the partners on Genentech's failed Alzheimer's disease therapy consider what happened, what they learned and what happens next.

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Top Stories

Dilution be damned: Scholar Rock raises $205M as 24-month data point to durability of SMA efficacy

Stuck in a hard place, Scholar Rock has raised $205 million while its stock is at an all-time low to secure the cash it needs to survive through to the delivery of phase 3 spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) data. The biotech disclosed the financing alongside 24-month data from its phase 2 trial of apitegromab in SMA.

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Back to SPAC: Zura Bio opts for blank-check route to fund Pfizer drug into phase 2

The SPAC route may have fallen from favor, but at least one biotech is still willing to give it a try. Zura Bio, whose lead asset is an autoimmune drug licensed from Pfizer, has announced plans to merge with blank check company JATT Acquisition Corp. to the tune of $189 million.

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Sponsored: An Integrated Approach to Developing Next-Generation Genomic Medicines

The life sciences companies at Danaher enable gene editing, gene therapy and mRNA medicines with integrated solutions that improve research, development and manufacturing.

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Trial site staff shortages, sluggish patient recruitment force Addex to scrap phase 3 Parkinson's study

Addex Therapeutics waited more than a decade for the chance to learn whether dipraglurant is effective in dyskinesia associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD-LID), suffering delay after delay after delay as it tried to get a late-phase trial started. After all that, the phase 2b/3 trial has crashed out before delivering data.

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Cytokinetics' heart failure drug delayed as FDA seeks more time for review

The FDA needs more time to consider Cytokinetics’ omecamtiv mecarbil after getting a look at some additional data.

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Pfizer chisels off stake in Akero with $25M equity investment to support NASH dreams

Pfizer has dropped off a little bit of cash in the form of an equity investment for Akero Therapeutics, adding $25 million for the biotech to continue work on two midphase trials in the difficult liver disease nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

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Doubling up: Checkpoint on track to expand indications for cancer drug approval request

Interim phase 1 results have sustained Checkpoint Therapeutics’ hopes for a second indication for its lead anti-PD-L1 antibody.

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Mind over matter: Scientists unlock regeneration mechanism for brain injury

Scientists have discovered a new collaborative mechanism that unveils how neural stem cells sense injury and communicate for tissue repair, moving science closer to boosting neuron regeneration after brain damage.

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Screen addicts, rejoice: J&J Vision to roll out contact lenses designed for digital device fatigue

Johnson & Johnson Vision announced its Acuvue Oasys Max 1-Day lenses have received regulatory green lights in the U.S., Canada and Europe.

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FTC puts drugmaker and PBM rebates in the crosshairs over mounting insulin prices

With FTC's latest enforcement policy statement, the regulator warns that it’s putting pharma companies and prescription intermediaries “on notice” that rebates and anti-competitive fees to exclude cheaper drug alternatives from prescription formularies could run afoul of competition and consumer protection laws.

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'The Top Line' podcast: The top 10 list of pharma profits turns up some surprises, bluebird bio's gene therapies win over FDA's expert panel, plus this week's headlines

This week on "The Top Line," we discuss our special report on the top 10 most profitable pharma companies in 2021. We also talk about the two bluebird bio gene therapy candidates that won expert recommendations for FDA approvals. Plus, we're back in person (and on billboards) at BIO.

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Fierce Pharma Asia—Daiichi AML med's 2nd FDA shot?; BeiGene's Brukinsa delay; Kyowa Kirin mulls asset sale

Daiichi Sankyo's once FDA-rejected leukemia med tees up new regulatory application. BeiGene's application for Brukinsa in chronic lymphocytic leukemia hit a three-month FDA delay. Kyowa Kirin is reportedly weighing the sale of some international assets. And more.

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Chutes & Ladders—Despite gender parity strides, biotech's upper echelons still skew male, white

The gender divide in biotech is starting to close, according to BIO's third annual diversity survey, but there's still much work to be done, especially at the top level of the industry. 

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Resources

eBook: Streamline HCP interactions management

Don’t miss these critical considerations when evaluating your HCP interactions management program.

White Paper: Jump Start for Biotech: New Lab Startup Guide

Sponsored by Thermo Fisher Scientific The journey for starting or expanding a lab can be exhilarating, while also being challenging--learn how this free program provides savings and solutions to support your goals.

eBook: Download the Cell Therapy Handbook

Explore the new cell therapy handbook from Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Whitepaper: Gain Operational Speed and Velocity by Sharing Quality Incident Data

Quality operations guide your organization through regulatory compliance processes and safeguard your products, processes, and reputation. But your team is capable of so much more. Quality incident data and processes can be a driver of significant business value if shared with other stakeholders.

Whitepaper: Medical Affairs Metamorphosis: Trends Driving Change & What They Mean

Recent trends are driving big changes in Medical Affairs. This paper explores why, and what MA teams can do to stay ahead of the curve.

Whitepaper: Catalent Pulmonary & Nasal Delivery Capabilities Sheet

Did you know Catalent has newly expanded in-house capabilities spanning clinical and commercial scale manufacturing for DPIs, unit-dose, bi-dose and preserved multi-dose nasal sprays?

eBook: Orally Inhaled & Nasal Drug Delivery: A Pipeline of Opportunities

Orally Inhaled & Nasal Drug Delivery: A Pipeline of Opportunities

Whitepaper: Intranasal Drug Product Development: Formulation to Manufacturing

What are key considerations for intranasal delivery in the treatment of acute and chronic conditions?

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