The World Health Organization has prequalified Coartem Baby, the first and only antimalarial for babies. Novartis developed this combination drug in partnership with Medicines for Malaria Venture.

The post Novartis Antimalarial Clears Key WHO Review to Get the Combo Drug to Babies appeared first on MedCity News.

Merck has been acquiring assets that could help make up for the coming revenue decline as its top product, the cancer drug Keytruda, drops off the patent cliff. Terns Pharmaceuticals’ lead product candidate, in development for treating a type of leukemia, could offer dosing and efficacy advantages over the Novartis drug Scemblix.

The post Merck’s $6.7B Terns Acquisition Positions It to Challenge a Blockbuster Novartis Cancer Drug appeared first on MedCity News.

Novartis already markets the PI3Kα inhibitor Piqray for breast cancer, but acquiring a Synnovation Therapeutics subsidiary brings an early clinical program that the pharma company claims could be best in the class of next-generation therapies for the target. Competitors include Eli Lilly, Relay Therapeutics, and OnKure Therapeutics.

The post Why Novartis Is Paying $2B for a Cancer Drug That Hits the Same Target as One of Its Own Products appeared first on MedCity News.

Novartis’s alliance with Unnatural Products is pursuing next-generation peptide drugs for cardiovascular disease. The startup already has drug R&D alliances with BridgeBio Pharma, Merck, and Argenx.

The post Novartis Commits $100M to Startup With Tech That Brings Peptides to Undruggable Targets appeared first on MedCity News.

This year’s J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference brought a slew of news announcements — from acquisitions to partnerships to new products and more. This list compiles short summaries for six of the event’s most notable announcements.

The post 6 JPM Announcements You Don’t Want to Miss appeared first on MedCity News.

Phase 3 results for the Novartis malaria drug “GanLum” show it was comparable to the standard of care and led to cure rates that top the threshold recommended by the World Health Organization. If approved, this new combination drug would become the first novel malaria therapy in more than 25 years.

The post Novel Novartis Malaria Drug Shows Promise to Become New Asset Against Resistant Strains appeared first on MedCity News.

Avidity Biosciences brings to Novartis three RNA therapies in pivotal testing for rare neuromuscular diseases along with the technology that produced them. This platform develops drugs in a new class of targeted medicines offering potential to expand the delivery of RNA treatments beyond the liver.

The post Novartis Continues RNA & Neuroscience Growth Strategy With $12B Avidity Bio Acquisition appeared first on MedCity News.

Novartis drug Rhapsido is now approved as a second-line treatment for chronic spontaneous urticaria, a rare inflammatory skin disease. Additional clinical trials are ongoing to support potential expansion of the twice-daily pill to other immunological disorders.

The post Novartis Nabs FDA Approval for First-of-Its-Kind Drug for Chronic Hives appeared first on MedCity News.

FDA approval of Crinetics Pharmaceuticals’ Palsonify makes it the first oral first-line therapy for acromegaly, a rare endocrine disorder. The once-daily pill will compete with blockbuster acromegaly drugs from Novartis and Ipsen that are administered as injections.

The post With FDA Nod in Rare Hormone Disease, Crinetics Can Challenge Blockbuster Meds From Novartis, Ipsen appeared first on MedCity News.

Novartis is paying $120 million up front to secure rights to a Monte Rosa molecular glue degrader drug candidate as well as options for two others. The two companies began working together last year under an alliance focused on immune mediated-diseases.

The post Novartis Adds to Its Immunology Prospects With Another Deal for Monte Rosa’s Molecular Glue Drugs appeared first on MedCity News.

Novartis is getting Tourmaline Bio’s pacibekitug, a Phase 3-ready antibody drug in development for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Tourmaline licensed pacibekitug from Pfizer, which remains eligible for milestone payments tied to the progress of the drug.

The post Novartis’s $1.4B Tourmaline Acquisition Brings Heart Drug That Could Rival Novo Nordisk, CSL Meds appeared first on MedCity News.

Novartis, which already has experience with RNA interference therapies, is now turning to this modality as a potential way to treat Parkinson’s disease. The pharmaceutical giant is licensing rights to an Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals RNAi therapy designed to inhibit production of alpha synuclein, a protein associated with Parkinson’s progression.

The post Novartis Tries Again in Parkinson’s, Putting Up $200M for Arrowhead’s RNAi Therapy appeared first on MedCity News.

Novartis malaria drug Coartem has expanded its approval to include babies. The combination drug, originally formulated as a tablet, has a new dose strength and formulation designed for treating newborns and young infants who develop malarial infections.

The post Novartis Drug Becomes First Malaria Therapy for Newborns and Infants appeared first on MedCity News.

Novartis’s Cosentyx failed to beat a placebo in a Phase 3 clinical trial in giant cell arteritis. The antibody drug was being developed as an alternative to Roche and AbbVie drugs whose approved uses include treating this autoimmune disorder affecting blood vessels.

The post Blockbuster Novartis Drug Fails Key Test Hoped to Expand Its Use to Rare Blood Vessel Disorder appeared first on MedCity News.

Regulus Therapeutics drug farabursen is a potential first-in-class treatment for a rare kidney disease whose only FDA-approved therapy introduces severe toxicity risks. Farabursen is joining a Novartis drug lineup spanning several therapies for rare renal disorders.

The post Novartis Gets Phase 3-Ready Rare Kidney Disease Drug via $800M Regulus Acquisition appeared first on MedCity News.

Novartis’s Fabhalta is the first FDA-approved therapy for C3 glomerulopathy. But Apellis Pharmaceuticals’ Empaveli has superior clinical data, and that drug has been submitted for FDA review in the same rare kidney disease as well as another one that does not yet have an approved therapy.

The post Novartis Nabs First FDA Nod in Rare Kidney Disease, But Apellis Pharma Is on Its Heels appeared first on MedCity News.

The Anthos Therapeutics acquisition represents a homecoming for its drug abelacimab, which originated in Novartis’s labs. The antibody offers the potential to prevent blood clots without the bleeding risks associated with currently available anticoagulants.

The post Novartis’s $925M Anthos Acquisition Brings Back Cardio Drug That Stops Blood Clots appeared first on MedCity News.

Novartis is securing global rights to a PTC Therapeutics Huntington’s disease drug candidate that has encouraging Phase 2 data that will be discussed with the FDA to plan a pivotal study. Last year, Novartis discontinued its Huntington’s program after safety issues emerged in Phase 2 testing.

The post Novartis Tries Again in Huntington’s, Putting Up $1B to Partner on a PTC Therapeutics Drug appeared first on MedCity News.

Novartis is getting global rights to a Monte Rosa Therapeutic molecular glue degrader drug in early clinical testing as a potential treatment for autoimmune disorders. The deal comes months after the pharma giant landed rights to an Arvinas targeted protein degrader for cancer.

The post Novartis to Pay $150M for Monte Rosa Glue Drug in the Clinic for Immunology Indications appeared first on MedCity News.

Mariana Oncology brings Novartis a lead radiopharmaceutical program in development for small cell lung cancer. The deal is the latest in a string of big pharma M&A moves in the red-hot radiopharmaceuticals space.

The post Novartis Extends Its Reach in Radiopharmaceuticals With $1B Mariana Oncology Acquisition appeared first on MedCity News.

Novartis gains global rights to an Arvinas protein degrading drug that targets the androgen receptor to treat prostate cancer. The deal also includes a preclinical molecule addressing an androgen receptor variant.

The post Novartis Pays $150M to Nab a Phase 3-Ready Protein Degrader for Prostate Cancer appeared first on MedCity News.

Placing research in the hands of a large pharmaceutical company is a goal of many biotech companies. IFM Therapeutics has now done it three times and its latest deal is the second time Novartis is the acquirer.

The post Novartis Pays $90M for Molecules That Could Take STING Out of Inflammation appeared first on MedCity News.

Novartis’s €2.7B acquisition of MorphoSys brings two cancer drug candidates, one of which would give the pharmaceutical giant a way to stand apart from other myelofibrosis treatments. In a separate deal, MorphoSys sold to Incyte its rights to a partnered blood cancer drug.

The post Novartis’s MorphoSys Acquisition Comes With Cancer Drugs & Antitrust Questions appeared first on MedCity News.

Two months after announcing an inquiry into reports of new cancers in patients treated with CAR T-cell therapies, the FDA is directing makers of these therapies to add new safety warnings to product labels describing this risk. Companies have 30 calendar days to comply.

The post FDA Calls for New Safety Warning for the Class of CAR T Cancer Therapies appeared first on MedCity News.

Johnson & Johnson’s acquisition of antibody drug conjugate developer Ambrx Biopharma comes as Novartis and Merck also unveiled M&A deals on the first day of the J.P. Morgan Healthcare conference. In a report, the bank said big pharmas are looking for deals involving de-risked assets.

The post J&J Joins the Cancer ADC Dealmaking Spree With $2B Ambrx Acquisition appeared first on MedCity News.

Novartis is paying Voyager Therapeutics $100 million up front to collaborate on gene therapies for Huntington’s disease and spinal muscular atrophy. The deal builds on a relationship the companies started in 2022.

The post Novartis Returns to Voyager Therapeutics to Reach New Gene Therapy Destinations appeared first on MedCity News.

Novartis drug iptacopan, which won its first FDA approval in early December in a rare blood disorder, has met the main goal of a pivotal test in an ultra-rare kidney disease. The small molecule’s potential to address many diseases has stirred up blockbuster expectations.

The post With More 2024 FDA Filings Planned, Novartis Drug Starts Showing Blockbuster Potential appeared first on MedCity News.

FDA approval of Novartis’s Fabhalta makes the drug the first approved oral therapy for rare blood disorder paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria. With clinical data showing superiority versus two infused AstraZeneca drugs, Novartis’s pill is well-positioned to take market share from those blockbuster products.

The post Novartis Nabs FDA Nod for Rare Disease Drug Rival to AstraZeneca Meds appeared first on MedCity News.

Novartis gains global rights to Legend Biotech cell therapies that address DLL3, a promising target for lung cancers and other types of solid tumors. The pharmaceutical giant may make these therapies using T-Charge, its next-generation CAR T-cell therapy manufacturing technology.

The post Novartis to Pay Legend Biotech $100M in Pact Bringing Cell Therapy to Solid Tumors appeared first on MedCity News.

Celldex drug barzolvolimab has mid-stage results in a chronic inflammatory skin disease that top those of an approved Genentech drug and two experimental Novartis therapies. The biotech is preparing to advance its drug to Phase 3 testing in 2024.

The post Celldex Drug Flashes Potential to Compete With, Maybe Beat Rival Big Pharma Meds appeared first on MedCity News.