Today, a brief rundown of news involving the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, as well as updates from Alector, CSL, Eli Lilly and Bayer that you may have missed.
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has gone to a trio of scientists working in “optogenetics,” a method of using light to study the behavior of neurons. Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel were credited with unearthing a “channelrhodopsin,” a light-sensing protein in algae, while Karl Deisseroth figured out how to turn that protein into a kind of switch that can turn nerve cells on or off. Those discoveries have “laid the foundation of a new era in neuroscience,” the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden announced on Monday.
Alector has licensed to Roche’s Genentech division full rights to an enzyme replacement therapy for Parkinson’s disease and other brain disorders. Called AL050, the therapy is designed to address a particular enzyme deficiency known to drive neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s, especially among those with the “GBA1” mutations linked to more aggressive disease. Per deal terms, Alector is getting $100 million in guaranteed cash and is eligible for another $1.17 billion, plus sales royalties, should the treatment reach market. It’s currently in preclinical development.
CSL has agreed to pay Alentis Therapeutics up to $1.6 billion to co-develop a kidney disease drug in mid-stage testing. Basel, Switzerland-based Alentis has been advancing the therapy, known as lixudebart, for a form of the rare autoimmune disease ANCA-associated vasculitis that causes irreparable kidney damage. CSL will shell out $355 million up front to split ownership rights and could add another $1.2 billion in future payouts if certain milestones are met. It’ll earn 55% of global profits if lixudebart is approved, with Alentis receiving the remainder.
The Food and Drug Administration has expanded use of Eli Lilly’s blood cancer drug Jaypirca. The medicine was initially approved for use in people who had previously received two treatments for chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic leukemia. It’s since been cleared for use earlier and, on Friday, was greenlit as a first-line treatment for patients without a “17p deletion” — a genetic change that’s associated with fast-moving disease. Lilly acquired Jaypirca in its $8 billion buyout of Loxo Oncology. The drug generated $192 million in sales in the second quarter, a 56% jump over the same period the prior year.
Bayer on Friday announced plans to invest $2.2 billion on a drug manufacturing site in New Albany, Ohio. The new facility will support production of medicines for cancer, cardiovascular disease and kidney conditions and is expected to employ around 600 workers. The site, which will become operational in two phases in 2031 and 2034, will add to a U.S. presence that spans six other states.
