CNS

Germany’s Boehringer Ingelheim highlighted its clinical-stage research efforts in neuropsychiatry and COVID-19 when describing its first half financial results as solid, despite the continuing impact of the pandemic.

After multiple failed attempts to treat rare conditions, Marinus is on the cusp of success with ganaxolone in genetic epilepsy, and has secured a new European partner in Orion.

Novartis aims to double the addressable market for its spinal muscular atrophy gene therapy – and catch up to competitors – with the intrathecal version known as OAV-101.

The upcoming filing of Lilly's Alzheimer's antibody donanemab dominated the company's second quarter call. Lilly is also developing a new blood test to confirm diagnosis and a second-generation antibody. 

France’s Ipsen has taken an exclusive option on two neurodegenerative disease programs at US biotech Exicure, whose oligonucleotide nanoparticles are taken up by many tissues, including the brain.

Scrip and Pink Sheet editors join Datamonitor Healthcare analysts to discuss Biogen's Aduhelm for Alzheimer's disease, including the expected launch trajectory, early commercial barriers to uptake and the Medicare reimbursement environment.

Citing the FDA approval of Biogen’s Aduhelm, AbbVie tells quarterly call it will end development of anti-tau Alzheimer’s candidate and seek to develop a quick-acting beta-amyloid therapy.

Investors were spooked by mixed results from Alector’s lead candidate but the company’s CEO hit out at ‘hype’ around the biomarker  neurofilament light chain.

Deal Snapshot: The company is looking to expand its pipeline beyond Alzheimer’s, where it hit a speedbump in September with the failure of a tau-targeting drug.

A surprise surge in Roche's R&D spending this year reflects high quality in-house innovation opportunities as well as high prices for external M&A targets, management said.

Denali Therapeutics has reported promising early clinical data in Hunter syndrome for its fusion protein, DNL310, an investigational agent that crosses the blood-brain barrier and is expected to address disease-associated CNS effects; however, some biomarker data disappointed, and there are potential competitors also under development.

While many other approaches have failed, Ionis and Biogen hope their novel oligonucleotide can stop toxic tau tangles forming in the brain.