Cardiovascular

Neuroscience and oncology fuel high hopes for therapeutic R&D progress among 90-plus surveyed biopharma industry leaders.

Having reached proof-of-concept for its first-in-class SK ion channel inhibitor for atrial fibrillation, the Danish firm is on the hunt for a licensee as it moves its attention to its preclinical program for sinus rhythm maintenance.

Merck has taken two important steps towards its goal of achieving eight new cardiovascular drug approvals by 2030, presenting promising data for two potential blockbusters at the ACC meeting.

Bristol and Janssen detailed the now under way Phase III program for Factor XIa inhibitor milvexian and BMS shared data at ACC to help prescribers get comfortable with Camzyos, launched last year.

Phase III studies testing the oral PCSK9 inhibitor MK-0616 for high cholesterol will begin in the second half of the year and include a broad program enrolling primary and secondary prevention patients.

The company plans to ramp up its commercial infrastructure later this year, ahead of a labeling update based on positive cardiovascular outcomes trial data.

Company said it will not conduct the additional Phase III trial recommended by the US FDA. Instead, it will focus on its cardiac myosin inhibitor, aficamten, and look for partners to take omecamtiv forward.

Ampreloxetine failed in a Phase III trial in 2021, but the company will start a registrational trial by the end of Q1 for the drug in the multiple system atrophy population, where it has shown efficacy.

Roche remains the European sector’s biggest company despite a wobble in 2022, but Novo Nordisk’s spectacular growth has seen it overtake AstraZeneca and Novartis in market cap terms.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but the saga of AstraZeneca's acquisition of CinCor is an eye-opener as SEC filings reveal that a $60 per share offer was rejected in September before a $26 bid won the day earlier this month.  

Merck Research Laboratories president Dean Li said there is no ideal product mix for the company, but noted cancer drugs will remain a priority given the groundwork Keytruda laid for Merck in oncology.

Positive Phase II data indicate that obicetrapib, a cholesterol-lowering drug licensed from Amgen, could succeed where prior drugs in the class have consistently failed for more than a decade.