Approval of ATTR-CM by BridgeBio, Cassava’s Setback in Alzheimer’s, Trump’s Selections for Cabinet, and Other Updates

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As the Thanksgiving holiday approached, the biopharma sector was bustling with significant deal-making activity. Roche acquired Poseida for as much as .5 billion, while Sarepta and Arrowhead formed a collaboration potentially valued at up to billion. These announcements built on Novartis’s recent news of acquiring Kate Therapeutics for just over billion, alongside a commitment to pursue additional acquisitions under billion.

In regulatory updates, patients with transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) received encouraging news from the FDA, which granted approval for BridgeBio’s Attruby, marking a significant win in this rare cardiovascular condition. This development sets the stage for a potential competitive landscape involving Pfizer’s tafamidis and Alnylam’s Amvuttra, the latter of which was accepted for FDA review just days later.

On the clinical trial side, Cassava Sciences faced disappointment as its Alzheimer’s treatment failed to demonstrate a reduction in cognitive or functional decline in a Phase III trial. Meanwhile, Amgen’s MariTide generated 20% weight loss in a Phase II trial, but investors reacted negatively, causing a stock drop of 11% on Tuesday.

The biopharma landscape is further shaped by President-elect Donald Trump’s nominations for key healthcare roles, including COVID-19 critic Marty Makary for the FDA and vaccine skeptic Dave Weldon as CDC director. Additionally, the FDA is contending with a loss of Chevron Deference amid a legal challenge involving Eli Lilly’s GLP-1 shortages.

The field of antibody-drug conjugates continues to thrive, with the Danish biotech firm Adcendo successfully securing 5 million in a Series B funding round.