
Sanofi/Regeneron win a new trial on Praluent patents; BridgeBio bankrolls $30M biotech startup
→ After coming perilously close to seeing their PCSK9 drug Praluent jerked off the market, Sanofi and Regeneron have won a new trial in the case involving a rival drug at Amgen. An appeals court is giving their attorneys a green light to raise issues regarding the validity of the patents.
→ BridgeBio is bankrolling a biotech startup to the tune of $30 million. Partnering with MD Anderson, the startup — dubbed Navire Pharma — will fund work on inhibiting SHP2 in fighting cancer tumors. Shafique Virani, a business development exec at Roche/Genentech, has been named the new CEO. “Navire’s compounds potently bind SHP2 and prevent activation of the protein, blocking its ability to promote tumor growth,” said Virani.
→ The New York Times covers the federal government’s efforts at preventing shortages of the drugs and devices manufactured in Puerto Rico at scores of facilities on the badly damaged island.
→ Biogen is offering new data demonstrating that earlier initiation of treatment with Spinraza (nusinersen) may improve motor function outcomes in infants and children with spinal muscular atrophy.