BioPharmaBrief

The discoveries, the decisions, and the capital moving biotech and pharma forward

Takeda Sets the Benchmark for a New Class of Sleep-Wake Medicines

Takeda Sets the Benchmark for a New Class of Sleep-Wake Medicines

Logan Mavar ―

Takeda secured the first U.S. approval. Alkermes and Lilly are testing how far orexin receptor agonists can extend beyond narcolepsy type 1. Takeda’s Orzeyful recently became the first orexin receptor agonist approved in the United States for narcolepsy type 1, introducing a treatment that directly targets the biological pathway disrupted by the disease. Narcolepsy type 1 is caused by the loss of neurons that produce orexin, a signaling

Two Pills Take on Markets Built by Injections

Two Pills Take on Markets Built by Injections

Logan Mavar ―

Two pills use different molecular strategies to compete in markets established by injected therapies. In less than four months, the FDA approved two pills built around different approaches to oral drug design. Eli Lilly’s Foundayo⁠ activates the GLP-1 receptor with a nonpeptide small molecule. Merck’s Lipfendra⁠ delivers a macrocyclic peptide orally to block PCSK9. Both drugs enter classes whose clinical value was established largely by injected therapies.