The acquisition of Renaissance and its promising Phase III-ready asset for neuroblastoma could be the first of a number of deals in the near future, Essential CEO Emma Johnson tells Scrip.

Safety signals were the most common cause of discontinued candidates in the breakthrough therapy designation program in 2023.

Public Company Edition: Also, Johnson & Johnson’s consumer health spin-out Kenvue filed paperwork to get the ball rolling on an initial public offering. In addition, Geron raised $198m and Madrigal accessed more than $300m after positive trial readouts, but layoffs were revealed by Editas, Elevation, Nabriva and others.

Advocates also worry that long follow-up times could prevent participation in future clinical trials.