Top of the morning to you. Another busy day is unfolding here on the Pharmalot campus, where we are mulling over our cluttered calendar and plotting our next moves. No doubt, you can relate. After all, this is only the middle of the week and there is so much to be done. This calls, as you may imagine, for a hot cup of stimulation. We are sticking with almond toffee for now, by the way. Feel free to join us. Meanwhile, here are some tidbits. The world is a busy place, yes? Hope you make your way today …
Pfizer (PFE) has agreed to pay up to $636 million for the rights to gene therapies under development at Vivet Therapeutics, The Wall Street Journal says. Gene therapies, which introduce new DNA into the body to address diseases caused by a single faulty gene, are attracting attention for their ability to cure intractable diseases. In the past month, both Roche (RHHBY) and Biogen (BIIB) have made bets on gene therapy. Vivet’s most advanced program is a gene therapy for Wilson disease, a rare, inherited liver disorder that causes the buildup of copper in the body.
The Food and Drug Administration approved a Sage Therapeutics (SAGE) drug called Zulresso, the first medicine specifically targeted to treat postpartum depression, STAT reports. This is the most common complication of childbirth, but one that often goes untreated because new mothers fear being stigmatized if they report symptoms. Approximately 400,000 women experience postpartum depression each year in the U.S. Sage will charge $34,000 for a single treatment course of Zulresso, before any discounts or rebates, which may be an issue for payers.
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