Frank Vinluan

Drug spending continues to grow, but that doesn't mean that everyone is getting the medicines that they need. A panel at MedCity News' Bullseye event discussed the evolution of the prescription drug marketplace.

Crystalys's dotinurad is currently in pivotal testing for gout, a prevalent inflammatory disorder with few treatment options. The drug has the same mechanism of action as molecule that Sobi added to its pipeline through a $950 million acquisition.

Argenx's first acquisition is the buyout of Forte Biosciences, a company with a lead drug that has early clinical validation in celiac disease and vitiligo. Argenx executives say this antibody complements its blockbuster product Vyvgart, offering a different mechanism of action but similar pipeline-in-a-product potential.

Altimmune's pemvidutide achieved a statistically significant reduction in heavy drinking days compared to a placebo in a Phase 2 trial. This peptide drug, which is designed to activate the GLP-1 and glucagon receptors, is also on track to begin a pivotal test in the fatty liver disease MASH.

With the merger, Processa's new lead asset is a Vidya Therapeutics immunology drug that offers pipeline-in-a-product potential addressing a target that has clinical and regulatory validation from a recently approved Novartis drug. Vidya's molecule is a next-generation drug that could have advantages over Novartis's pill.

Johnson & Johnson also gains an exclusive option to acquire Sail Biosciences for $2.85 billion. The deal puts J&J in the mix of pharmaceutical companies developing next-generation cell therapies for applications in autoimmune diseases.

Grove AI's technology uses voice agents to recruit eligible patients for clinical trials. Formed in 2024, the startup's rapid growth led to its acquisition by Hippocratic AI earlier this year.

Apnimed will apply the IPO proceeds toward the regulatory process and launch plans of Oxnimbi, a once-nightly pill developed for obstructive sleep apnea. This drug is under FDA review with a February 2027 target date for a regulatory decision.

M&A activity is going beyond big pharma acquisitions with Supernus Pharmaceuticals and Indivior Pharmaceuticals reaching a stock deal that the companies call a merger of equals. The combined company's portfolio will have 11 commercialized products in addiction, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, and Parkinson's disease.

Pathos AI struck a deal for rights to a bispecific antibody drug conjugate from Alphamab that could become first in a new class of cancer drugs. Separately, the startup began a partnership with AstraZeneca on a protein degrader from the pharma company's cancer drug pipeline.