The Week of

Jazz Pharmaceuticals announced the acquisition of privately held Actio Biosciences in a deal worth $820 million upfront, with up to $500 million in additional milestone payments.

The acquisition gives Jazz ownership of ABS-1230, an experimental precision therapy for KCNT1-related epilepsy, a rare genetic disorder that causes severe, drug-resistant seizures in children and currently has no FDA-approved treatments. Jazz expects the deal to strengthen its epilepsy franchise alongside Epidiolex while accelerating development of a potential first-in-class therapy for patients with few treatment options. Check it out: https://substack.com/home/post/p-210694287.

AC Immune received FDA Fast Track designation for ACI-7104, its experimental Parkinson's disease immunotherapy that targets the alpha-synuclein protein believed to play a central role in disease progression. The designation follows encouraging mid-stage clinical results showing the therapy was well tolerated and generated an immune response in every treated participant. The company will also expand its ongoing Phase 2 VacSYn trial into the U.S., with full 100-week data expected later this year. Here’s more: https://substack.com/home/post/p-210769730

Definium Therapeutics announced that its LSD-based therapy, DT120 ODT, met its primary endpoint in a second Phase 3 trial for generalized anxiety disorder, producing one of the largest placebo-adjusted improvements ever reported in a pivotal anxiety study.

The treatment reduced anxiety symptoms after a single supervised dose, with benefits lasting for at least 12 weeks. The results strengthen Definium's position as a leader in the emerging psychedelic medicine field and could pave the way for FDA filings in both anxiety and major depressive disorder if a second Phase 3 anxiety trial is also successful. Check it out: https://jlsfund.substack.com/p/experimental-lsd-therapy-shows-strong

Did you know that exercise could actually help protect the brain cells most vulnerable to Parkinson's disease?

New research found that regular physical activity preserved dopamine-producing neurons, reduced the buildup of harmful alpha-synuclein protein, and maintained healthy communication between brain cells in animal models of Parkinson's. The findings add to growing evidence that exercise may help slow disease progression, not just manage symptoms. You can check out all the details here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/nep3.70032.