| |NOVEMBER 20248PHARMA INDUSTRY DEAL VALUE DROPS 69 PERCENT IN OCTOBER 2024EMA APPROVES DUPIXENT AS TREATMENT FOR EOSINOPHILIC ESOPHAGITIS IN CHILDRENIn October 2024, the pharmaceutical sector disclosed 102 transactions worth $8.9 billion, representing a 69 percent decrease in deal value relative to October 2023. GlobalData reports that this deal activity also did not meet the average from the previous 12 months (October 2023 to September 2024), during which there was an average of 97 deals valued at $17.5 billion.Three major acquisitions accounted for 59 percent of the overall deal value in October 2024. H. Lundbeck A/S, a biopharmaceutical firm, declared the purchase of Longboard Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical enterprise, for roughly $2.6 billion. AbbVie announced its purchase of Aliada Therapeutics, a biotech company specializing in Central Nervous System (CNS) medication delivery issues, for $1.4 billion. Furthermore, Merck & Co. purchased Modifi Biosciences, a biotech firm, for approximately $1.3 billion.Although the total deal value experienced a decline, venture capital (VC) funding demonstrated an increase. In October 2024, the healthcare sector recorded 114 VC transactions totaling $3.6 billion, representing a 55.7 percent increase compared to the same month last year and exceeding the 12-month average of 103 deals worth $2.6 billion.Among the significant VC deals was Kailera Therapeutics, which secured $400 million in a series A funding round to develop treatments for obesity and associated conditions. Seaport Therapeutics secured $225 million in a series B funding round to advance its clinical-stage pipeline and improve its Glyph technology platform. Alpha 9 Theranostics secured $175 million in series C funding to advance its radiopharmaceutical pipeline. POThe European Medicines Agency has authorized Dupixent (dupilumab) for the treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) in children starting from one year old. The approval specifically pertains to children between the ages of one and 11 years who weigh a minimum of 15 kg and who are either inadequately managed by, intolerant of, or not suitable for standard medical treatment. This broadens the original authorization in the European Union (EU) for EoE in adolescents and adults, establishing Dupixent as the first and sole medication approved for these younger patients.Roberta Giodice, president, ESEO Italia, said: "Young children with eosinophilic esophagitis are at the beginning of their life-long journey with a disease that challenges their ability to eat. Parents of these children have often relied on restrictive diets that do not specifically address the disease and can stunt their growth at a critical time in development that could impact them for years to come. We are pleased that research continues and offers new treatment options to improve the quality of their care."Houman Ashrafian, MD, PhD, executive vice president, head of research and development, Sanofi, said: "Up to half of all children in the EU with eosinophilic esophagitis remain uncontrolled despite existing standard of care treatment options, and, as a result, many of these young patients struggle to maintain weight due to serious symptoms such as difficulty swallowing and vomiting. This milestone provides an important new treatment for paediatric patients who were previously without options specifically approved for their disease. With this novel approach to addressing an underlying cause of eosinophilic esophagitis, Dupixent has the potential to give these young children a better chance to thrive." POTOP STORIES
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