Rise and shine, everyone. The middle of the week is upon us. Have heart, though. You made it this far, so why not hang on for another couple of days, yes? And what better way to make the time fly than to keep busy. So grab that cup of stimulation — our flavor today boasts the aroma of blueberries — and get started. Meanwhile, do keep us in mind if you hear anything interesting. We appreciate postcards and telegrams pointing us toward secret dossiers and dirty laundry. Have a smashing day. …
A closely watched new treatment for Alzheimer’s disease held up to scrutiny in a detailed scientific presentation, as Eisai and Biogen begin the lengthy process of turning the medicine into what they hope could be a groundbreaking therapy, STAT writes. The drug, lecanemab, slowed cognitive and functional decline in patients with early-stage Alzheimer’s by 27% relative to placebo in a roughly 2,000-volunteer clinical trial. The drug also dramatically reduced levels of beta-amyloid, a toxic protein in the brain thought to advance Alzheimer’s. Experts said the data helped dispel concerns that lecanemab’s success, first disclosed in a September press release, was a mirage.
Horizon Therapeutics, which makes treatments for rare autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, disclosed that its board was engaged in highly preliminary discussions with three pharmaceutical companies for potential takeover offers, The Wall Street Journal tells us. The biotech company, with a market capitalization of about $18 billion, is in talks with Amgen, Sanofi, and Johnson & Johnson. Horizon shares had dropped 27% this year through Tuesday’s close, valuing the company at $17.8 billion. The company gets almost half of its $3.6 billion in annual sales from Tepezza, a treatment for a painful autoimmune condition called thyroid eye disease.
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