NeuroPerspective capsules

NI Research has released the March/April 2020 issue of NeuroPerspective, which features comprehensive reviews for Huntington’s and Epilepsy.

The HD review includes an appraisal of the current thinking around pathophysiology and therapeutic targets, including the varying approaches to modifying the production of mutant huntington, considered the core pathology of this monogenic neurodegenerative disorder. Isoform selective and nonselective gene therapy approaches are considered in detail, given the preliminary indications of promise from the Roche/Ionis program. Neuroinflammation and other mechanisms of current interest are included. The Huntington’s review includes 40+ programs, including programs from Takeda with Wave Life Sciences, Voyager, Triplet Therapeutics; Affiris, Celgene, Locana, Prilenia, UniQure, Vaccinex, and Vybion.

The Epilepsy review considers the two major areas of contemporary work in the area; programs for rare genetically determined epilepsies, such as Dravet Syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, including the first attempt to utilize gene therapy for disease modification rather than settling for seizure-suppression . The second area addresses novel approaches to sporadic epilepsy, with an eye towards the treatment-refractory patient population for whom current anti seizure medications have not provided sufficient control. The review includes 35+ programs, including those from Stoke Therapeutics, Encoded Therapeutics, Marinus Pharmaceuticals, Xenon, UCB Pharma, Zogenix, GW Pharma, and AskBio.

Xenon Pharmaceuticals is the focus of the Company Spotlight. Sidebars include what has become a perennial, rolling appraisal of Biogen‘s complicated relationship with aducanumab and the early trends in CNS investment activity.

NI Research is the leading publisher of independent research on the neurotherapeutics industry, and has developed an unmatched information base regarding both publicly and privately held CNS companies. 

NeuroPerspective is the authoritative, independent, monthly review of the neurotherapeutics area, providing critical analyses of therapeutics-in-development.  A one-year (1-5 user) subscription to NeuroPerspective is $2850. A 6-10 user subscription is $4950. Other customized userbase and  startup pricing options are available. The Huntington’s/Epilepsy  review issue of NeuroPerspective is available as a single-issue purchase for $600.

NI Research has also published the 2020 edition of NeuroLicensing, which comprehensively reviews current licensing trends in the CNS area, and assesses large and midsize pharma companies in terms of their licensing agendas and performance.

The January/February 2020 issue of NeuroPerspective has been released. It provides a comprehensive review of 2019, and a candid appraisal of what to anticipate in 2020. 115 companies have capsule summaries of current activities and coming events, including AbbVie, Acorda, Adamas, Alkahest,  Alkermes, Aptinyx,  ATAI Life Sciences, Axon-Neuroscience, Axsome, Biogen, Biohaven, Blackthorn, Centrexion, Cognition Therapeutics, Denali,  JNJ, Karuna, Lilly, Lundbeck, Marinus,  Minerva,  Neurocrine Biosciences,  Novartis, Ovid, Prevail Therapeutics, Roche, Sage Therapeutics, Sunovion, Takeda, Voyager Therapeutics, Wave Life Sciences, Xenon, Yumanity, Zogenix, and eighty more.

Highlights and Lowlights from 2019 are assessed, with particular consideration of 2019’s inflow of financial resources from both investors and pharma partners, which fell short of 2018’s record-breaking pace, but comes in second all-time; the advent of Sage’s Zulresso and JNJ‘s Spravato, the progress in drugs for schizophrenia, with Intra-Cellular‘s approval and Karuna Therapeutics‘ PhIIb success; Lundbeck‘s improved risk-tolerance; the new generation of psychedelic compounds in pharma-grade clinical trials, via Compass Pathways and Atai Life Sciences; the introduction of new options for narcolepsy, from Harmony and potentially Axsome; and Axsome‘s unexpectedly spectacular year, along with some caveats.

The Jan/Feb NP also reviews the current status of Biogen‘s aducanumab marathon and the pharmacotherapy of Borderline Personality Disorder.

The Company Spotlight covers  Cerevel Therapeutics, developing a portfolio of compounds spun out by Pfizer.

38 pages.

NI Research has released the November/December issue of NeuroPerspective, which features comprehensive reviews for two major neurodegenerative disorders: Parkinson’s and ALS. These reviews include a consideration of the current thinking around pathophysiology and therapeutic targets, including the protein aggregates considered to be associated with these disorders: Alpha-synuclein, TDP-43, and c9orf72.  Neuroinflammation, GBA as a target, the gut-brain microbiome, and other mechanisms of current interest are included. Progress in the delineation of biomarkers and models is discussed.

The Parkinson’s review includes 160+ programs, including programs from AbbVie with Mission, Voyager, and BioArctic; AC Immune, Affiris, Lysosomal, Biogen, Cantabio,  Caraway, Denali, Roche/Genentech, ImStar, Inflazome, Intra-Cellular, JNJ, Lundbeck, Neuropore,  Prothena/Roche, Sage Therapeutics, UCB Pharma, Axial Biotherapeutics, Yumanity, Cerevel, and Neurocrine/Voyager. The ALS review includes 85+ programs, including those from AC Immune, Aquinnah Pharma, Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics, Astellas/Cytokinetics, Biogen/Ionis, Sanofi/Denali, Neuropore, Gladstone Institute, MediciNova, ImStar, Locana, Neurimmune, Voyager Therapeutics, and Wave Life Sciences. 

Merck is the focus of the sample Company Review from NeuroLicensing 2020. Sidebars include a more detailed look at Biogen‘s decision to revive aducanumab and the end of the Ehlers era at Biogen, events that are likely more than just temporally correlated. 66 pages.

NI Research is the leading publisher of independent research on the neurotherapeutics industry, and has developed an unmatched information base regarding both publicly and privately held CNS companies. The November/December review of PD and ALS is the continuation of a two-issue sequence on neurodegeneration, with the September/October 2019 issue having comprehensively covered Alzheimer’s and Frontotemporal Dementia.

NeuroPerspective is the authoritative, independent, monthly review of the neurotherapeutics area, providing critical analyses of therapeutics-in-development.  A one-year (1-5 user) subscription to NeuroPerspective is $2800. A 6-10 user subscription is $4900. Other customized userbase and  startup pricing options are available. The Parkinson’s/ALS  review issue of NeuroPerspective is available as a single-issue purchase for $600.

NI Research has also just released the 2020 edition of NeuroLicensing, which comprehensively reviews current licensing trends in the CNS area, and assesses large and midsize pharma companies in terms of their licensing agendas and performance.

The September/October 2019 issue of NeuroPerspective features our  comprehensive annual review of the Alzheimer’s space, including a review of the current conceptual trends vis-a-vis pathophysiology, mechanisms, and therapeutic targets. 2019 has seen greatly expanded efforts aimed at harnessing neuroimmunological components in the service of avoiding toxic levels of inflammation, while promoting microglial clearance of aberrant protein aggregates. There has also been a willingness to fund novel models for AD and its treatment, including infection models. This is not to completely dismiss the most recent iterations of the ‘amyloid theory’, beta amyloid oligomers are clearly toxic and play some role in the Alzheimer’s process, including setting the stage for tau aggregates to inflict damage. The original amyloid hypothesis, featuring plaque as the active edge of pathology, is an anachronism, we are just beginning the process of vetting the role of tau and tau therapeutics in clinical AD.

Among the 200+ programs assessed are those from: AbbVie, Alector, AC Immune, Allergan, Alkahest/Grifols, Anavex, Asceneuron,  Axon-Neuroscience, Biogen, Cognition Therapeutics, Cortexyme, Denali, EIP Pharma, Eisai, E-Scape, Genentech, JNJ, Klogene, Lilly, Lundbeck, Merck, Novartis, Oryzon, ProMIS, Roche, Rodin Therapeutics, Takeda, TauRx, Tetra Drug Discovery, and Voyager. Cortexyme and Rodin Therapeutics are the foci of the two Company Review sections; sidebars include coverage of the current state of the AD Biomarker art and an overview of the POC timelines for major AD programs.

The Sept/Oct issue also includes a full review of Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), including an evaluation of the complex heterogeneity within this umbrella category, with marked divergences in genotype and phenotypic signs. FTD programs are evaluated, including those from AbbVie/Alector, Biogen, Aquinnah, and Wave Life Sciences/Takeda.

Commentary covers such diverse topics as Novartis‘ Zolgensma faux pas; Marinus‘ lackluster PPD results; AbbVie‘s PSP failure, Vanda‘s ‘perplexity’, and the impending battle between Jazz and Harmony in the narcolepsy space.

83 pages.

The July/August 2019 issue overviews developments in the neuro sector YTD, including coverage of paradigm shifts in the treatment of depression, SMA, and migraine. Capsule summaries for 80+ companies are included, plus commentary regarding trends in investment and partnership dynamics. Migraine is reviewed in full for the first time in four years, with an assessment of the CGRP-target reconfiguration of the migraine market, both via the injectibles and the coming oral options from Allergan and Biohaven. The July/August issue also provides an overview of E-Scape Bio.

The May/June 2019 issue of NeuroPerspective  has been released, offering detailed reviews of two therapeutic areas, as well as coverage and commentary regarding significant developments in the CNS therapeutics space.

The first therapeutic sector review covers Multiple Sclerosis, which to some degree represents the kind of therapeutic efficacy and choices that the rest of the neurotherapeutics area aspires to achieve, but remains problematic for some populations and in the risk-benefit profiles available for the disease modifiers. Biogen‘s commercial dominance is  being threatened by the highly successful advent of Roche‘s Ocrevus and what will eventually turn into a  parade of patent expirations.  Progressive MS, both Primary and Secondary, has only begun to be addressed by Ocrevus and Mayzent, and with far less impact than can be brought to bear on Relapsing-Remitting MS. Even in RRMS, patients have generally had to confront a choice between efficacy and safety, where the most impactful therapeutics also come with the most dire adverse event risks (e.g. Tysabri and PML). Beyond disease-slowing, MS is the context where regenerative therapies are most likely to first make their mark in the neuro field, with remyelination high on the priority list. In terms of high profile programs, the development of new targets in neuroinflammation is very applicable to MS, with programs from Sanofi/Denali, Merck KGa, Annexon, and Disarm Therapeutics among the most interesting approaches. Remyelination/regeneration is the goal of programs from AbbVie, Biogen, and Roche/Inception 5, with ‘inhibiting the inhibitors’ and fostering oligodendrocyte differentiation standing out as the primary tactics.

The second therapeutic sector review covers Insomnia, an area which is dominated by GABAergic generics, but is also the context for the therapeutic elucidation of the orexin receptor system as a means of modulating wakefulness and sleep. There is  an active debate as to how best utilize the orexin system, via dual receptor agonists, as was the case with Merck’s Belsomra (as well as Eisai/Purdue, Idorsia), or selective orexin-2 agonists, such as Minerva Neuroscience’s seltorexant. The FDA’s priorities have gone somewhat askew in the insomnia field, with a preoccupation with rare side effects and subtle decrements in ‘next-day driving’, which are less of a real-life problem than untreated insomnia and the heavy reliance upon OTC soporifics which have substantial next-day residual effects.

The May/June issue also includes discussion of recent developments for companies addressing depression (JNJ/Janssen, Allergan); substantial doubts regarding the viability of NGF mAbs in pain; and the obstacles the FDA has been presenting to pain companies, particularly in the ‘abuse-deterrent’ space.

More than 150 pharma and biotech firms, VCs, NIH researchers,  and academic tech transfer offices subscribe to NeuroPerspective to ensure that they are up-to-date with the coverage of developments in the neurotherapeutics industry. NI Research is the leading publisher of independent research on the neurotherapeutics industry, and has developed an unmatched information base regarding both publicly and privately held CNS companies. NeuroPerspective is the authoritative, independent, monthly review of the neurotherapeutics area, providing critical analyses of therapeutics-in-development.  A one-year (1-5 user) subscription to NeuroPerspective is $2800.  Special startup, nonprofit, and academic pricing is available. The May/June issue of NeuroPerspective is available as a single-issue purchase for $600.