The week in pharma: action, reaction and insight – week to May 17, 2024

By Barbara Obstoj-Cardwell. Editor

On the deal-making front last week, US rare disease focused biotech Fulcrum Therapeutics out-licensed ex-USA rights for its muscular dystrophy candidate losmapimod to French pharma major Sanofi for a modest $80 million upfront but with a further $975 million on the line. Research developments included US biotech Cytokinetics releasing Phase III data on its investigational cardiomyopathy drug aficamten, while US biotech major Biogen pulled the plug on two antisense oligonucleotide programs – BIIB105 and BIIB121 – being developed with Ionis Pharmaceutical. Also of note, Blackstone Life Sciences un-stealthed Uniquity Bio with a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-accepted investigational new drug (IND) for the monoclonal antibody solrikitug and $300 million financing.

Spotlight on Fulcrum’s losmapimod after Sanofi collaboration