Sage Therapeutics

Sage Therapeutics announces restructuring, laying off 1/3 of workforce & cutting 5 senior execs. This follows FDA approval for Zurzuvae (postpartum depression) but not MDD, & clinical failures in Parkinson’s & Alzheimer’s treatments. Sage plans to prioritize Zurzuvae launch & focus on pipeline development.

Sage Therapeutics to lay off 165 employees, 55% of R&D team, to restructure and focus on Zurzuvae, an FDA-approved oral treatment for postpartum depression. The restructuring aims to strengthen financial and operational positions, incurring $26–28m in Q4 2024. Sage also discontinued dalzanemdor development in Alzheimer’s after Phase II trial failure.

Sage Therapeutics announces broad restructuring, including departures of CFO, GC, and CTO, and layoffs of 165 employees (33% of workforce, 55% of R&D team), aimed at reducing operating expenses and extending cash runway. COO Chris Benecchi to oversee expanded roles in finance, IT, and technical operations. Non-recurring charge of $26-28 million expected for severance and employee costs, primarily in Q4.

Sage Therapeutics to cut 33% of workforce, focus on postpartum depression drug launch and Huntington's disease study.

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FDA grants Biogen's monoclonal antibody felzartamab breakthrough therapy designation for treating late antibody-mediated rejection in kidney transplant patients, based on positive Phase II trial data. Biogen plans to initiate Phase III trials for felzartamab in multiple indications next year. The therapy, acquired through the $1.15bn HI-Bio acquisition, is expected to generate over $776m by 2032 if approved.

City Therapeutics, led by John Maraganore, aims to advance RNAi-based medicine through next-generation siRNA engineering, targeting novel RNAi triggers and enhanced delivery. The company secured $135 million in Series A funding and plans to initiate clinical development by 2025, aiming for one to two new INDs per year starting in 2026.

Imaging revealed the brain's glymphatic system's waste clearance. Apitegromab improved motor function in spinal muscular atrophy. Masked tapering helped older adults discontinue benzodiazepine receptor agonists. Allogeneic virus-specific T cells may benefit progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. The BBC explored microglia, and Nature mapped fruit fly brain neurons. Brainstem changes from inflammation were seen in COVID-19 patients. Identifying SOD1 gene variants is a barrier to tofersen treatment in ALS. Lessons from multiple sclerosis could guide Parkinson's disease research. Dalzanemdor failed to improve cognition in Alzheimer's disease.