Bayer said it is halting a trial for asundexian, an experimental cardiovascular drug, due to a lack of efficacy in treating patients with atrial fibrillation, a condition that causes an irregular heartbeat. The setback for Bayer, the German chemical and drug giant, bodes poorly for a similar experimental drug at Bristol Myers Squibb, known as milvexian. (The Wall Street Journal)
Breakthrough Alzheimer’s treatments that remove toxic proteins from the brain have revived interest in vaccines to treat the memory-robbing disease. These shots could potentially offer a cheaper, easy-to-administer option for millions of people, according to scientists and company executives. (Reuters)
People who have large amounts of fat stored around their organs as they age may be at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, a recent study suggested. Visceral fat, which can accumulate around the organs of even people at healthy BMIs, is associated with changes in the brain potentially decades before any symptoms of cognitive decline are seen. (NBC News)
Shares of Mira Pharmaceuticals nearly doubled after it entered into an exclusive licensing agreement to develop and commercialize a ketamine regimen to treat depression. The Baltimore-based company has partnered with Miralogix on an agreement for the exclusive rights to commercialize Ketamir-2 in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. (MarketWatch)
After Snoop Dogg announced he was giving up “smoke,” the rapper unveiled a partnership with Solo Stove, a smokeless fire pit brand. Snoop’s initial announcement, which had some wondering if he was quitting smoking cannabis, was part of a brand partnership announcement. (USA Today)
See yesterday’s edition of Five things for pharma marketers to know.
