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Servier's $1.55 Billion Muscular Dystrophy Drug Fails the Trial It Was Bought For
Servier paid $1.55 billion upfront for Edgewise Therapeutics' muscular dystrophy business, and the deal closed in July. Less than four months later, its lead drug flunked. Sevasemten, a pill meant to shield fragile muscle from contraction damage, failed the 18-month GRAND CANYON trial in 175 adults with Becker muscular dystrophy, an inherited muscle-wasting disease with no specifically approved treatment. It missed its primary endpoint (a 17-item test of walking, standing and stair climbing) and its secondary endpoints. Safety held up, and Servier is still analyzing the data. The Phase 2 had a warning sign: it cut a blood marker of muscle damage, but its function scores didn't beat placebo significantly.
Why it matters: It's a costly reminder that a drug that moves a biomarker but not function in Phase 2 is still a gamble, whatever the price tag. It also clouds sevasemten's Phase 2 work in Duchenne, the more severe form, where Servier hasn't said what happens next.
European Biotechnology Magazine →Clinical & Regulatory
Sanofi Drops Nurix's STAT6 Pill During Its First Human Trial
Sanofi is stopping the first-in-human Phase 1 trial of SAR448272, an oral STAT6 degrader from its Nurix partnership, and ending the program. It was licensed for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. No reason was given, which leaves investors guessing. Nurix loses any future milestones and royalties on the drug, but says its $1.1 billion in cash still lasts into the second half of 2029.
Nurix Therapeutics via Yahoo Finance →Ultragenyx Cuts 20% of Staff and Drops Its Wilson Disease Gene Therapy
Ultragenyx is laying off about 20% of its staff, leaving roughly 1,000 employees, and ending UX701, its gene therapy for Wilson disease. It showed activity in some patients, but most didn't respond well enough to drop their standard treatment, the bar for moving into Phase 3. It is also winding down its Angelman syndrome studies of GTX-102. The goal is full-year GAAP profitability in 2027.
Ultragenyx (SEC filing) →Deals & Money
Novo's Obesity Sales Jump 22% and It Raises Its Forecast, Despite a Big Write-Down
Novo Nordisk's obesity sales rose 22% at constant exchange rates, and it now expects 2026 sales between a 2% dip and 2% growth, up from a 6% decline to flat. Not everything sparkled: it wrote down its experimental drug ziltivekimab by 4.6 billion Danish crowns, a sign it now values the drug less. In January, its U.S. list prices for Wegovy and Ozempic fall to $675.
Investing.com via Yahoo Finance →A Chinese Biotech Gets $110 Million Upfront for Japan Rights Alone
Minghui Pharmaceutical licensed Japanese rights to MHB018A, an under-the-skin antibody for thyroid eye disease, to ASKA Pharmaceutical for $110 million upfront and up to $330 million in milestones, plus royalties up to the mid-30s percent. That's a hefty sum for one country, and Minghui keeps the rest of the world. Four pivotal trials are running, two in China and two global.
Minghui Pharmaceutical (PR Newswire) →Policy
Democrats Win Both Houses of Congress, and Health Care Is First in Line
Democrats won the House and Senate on Tuesday, breaking the Republican trifecta in Washington: at least 54 Senate seats and 228 House seats by the AP's early Wednesday count, with ballots still being counted. Reversing Medicaid cuts and restoring ACA subsidies are likely first targets. Expect more oversight of the administration's health agenda, and possible rollbacks through legislation.
STAT →Medicare Drug Plan Premiums Jump 50% Next Year for Seniors Who Don't Switch
Standalone Medicare Part D premiums will rise from $34 to $51 a month on average in 2027 if seniors keep their current plans, KFF finds, and no zero-premium plans remain. The Trump administration's early end to a program that limited premium increases may have played a role. Open enrollment ends Dec. 7, so shopping around matters more than usual.
BioPharma Dive →