Asundexian

Novartis has entered into an agreement to acquire Anthos Therapeutics for $925 million upfront, with potential additional payments of up to $2.15 billion based on milestone achievements.

Bayer is proceeding with Phase 3 trials for asundexian, an oral Factor XIa inhibitor, despite it failing to meet primary efficacy endpoints in Phase 2 studies for ischemic stroke and acute myocardial infarction.

The phase 3 OCEANIC-AF trial, comparing the novel factor XI inhibitor asundexian with apixaban in atrial fibrillation patients, was halted early due to futility, raising questions about the future of factor XI inhibitors. Despite early promise, asundexian showed inferior stroke prevention compared to apixaban, with a higher risk of ischemic stroke. Experts suggest the trial's outcome may be due to insufficient factor XI inhibition and emphasize the importance of ongoing research and clinical trials to address the unmet need in anticoagulation therapy.

Acoramidis (Attruby), developed by Stanford Medicine and BridgeBio, receives FDA approval for transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) treatment, marking a significant milestone.