The July/August issue reviews the first half of 2014 for the neurotherapeutics area, and examining the major events and dynamics to come during the second half. Highlights for 1H:14 include the dramatic increase in external investment in small CNS companies, which has already reached a level not seen in over a decade; the heightened salience of CGRP-antibody therapeutics, capped by the Teva/Labrys partnership that garnered Labrys $200 million upfront; and preliminary indications of success for Isis‘ highly targeted therapeutic candidates. The first half was more of a ‘mixed bag’ for Prana and Raptor vis-a-vis their Huntington’s programs, with data releases that ranged from ambiguous to highly incomplete. Low points thus far include the assault on Allergan by Valeant/Pershing Square and the risks of drug pricing (Gilead, Vanda) that appears more greedy than strategic. The July/August issue also includes summaries of 2014 events and prospects for 81 pharma and biotech companies with CNS programs, and an overview of BioTie in their post-UCB partnership era.
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