Pharmaceutical Industry News Roundup: Pipeline Changes, Clinical Trials, and Acquisitions

Incyte Streamlines Pipeline as Zenas Reports Positive MS Drug Results

Incyte Corporation has announced a significant restructuring of its research and development pipeline, discontinuing three drug prospects to focus on what CEO Bill Meury calls "high-value programs." The company has halted development of povorcitinib for chronic urticarias, as well as two other compounds, INCA034460 for vitiligo and INCB57643 for myelofibrosis. This strategic shift comes as Incyte prepares for the expiration of the main patent protecting its top-selling drug, Jakafi, later this decade.

In contrast, Zenas BioPharma reported promising results from a Phase 2 study of obeleximab in relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The drug demonstrated a 95% relative reduction in new T1 brain lesions compared to placebo after 8 or 12 weeks of treatment. Jefferies analyst Roger Song described the data as "best-in-disease," potentially matching or surpassing results seen with established MS treatments like Ocrevus and Kesimpta. Zenas plans to report longer-term data next year, coinciding with expected Phase 3 results for obeleximab in IgG4-related disease.

Merck's Winrevair Receives Expanded FDA Approval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has broadened the label for Merck & Co.'s pulmonary arterial hypertension drug, Winrevair. The new approval allows for its use in improving exercise capacity, reducing disease severity, and lowering the risk of serious events such as lung transplants or death in severely ill patients. This decision was based on the Zenith trial, which showed a 76% reduction in the risk of these events compared to placebo in patients with class III or IV disease. Winrevair was initially approved based on data showing improved walking speed in patients with class II or III disease.

GSK Acquires Antibody-Drug Conjugate for Prostate Cancer Treatment

GSK has secured worldwide rights to an antibody-drug conjugate from French biotech company Syndivia, targeting metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. The pharmaceutical giant believes the treatment could have a "best-in-class" profile, with preclinical data suggesting tumor shrinkage without proportional increases in significant side effects, even at higher doses. The deal could be worth up to £268 million (approximately $357 million) to Syndivia, though the exact upfront payment was not disclosed.