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The FDA approves Juvmo, a first-of-its-kind Parkinson's treatment from AbbVie. The drug is expected to launch in the U.S. later this month.
The FDA approved AbbVie's Juvmo (tavapadon), a once-daily pill for adults with Parkinson's disease. It's the first FDA-approved Parkinson's treatment to selectively target D1/D5 dopamine receptors and can be used alone or alongside levodopa.
Juvmo came from AbbVie's $8.7 billion acquisition of Cerevel Therapeutics and gives its growing neuroscience business another commercial product. AbbVie expects to launch the drug in the U.S. this month. Here’s more: https://substack.com/home/post/p-217901426.
Psyence BioMed has secured exclusive U.S. rights to pharmaceutical-grade ibogaine as it moves toward developing the psychedelic compound as a potential treatment for opioid addiction.
The company is evaluating a clinical trial in Texas for opioid-use disorder and has agreed to invest up to $5 million in PsyLabs to support manufacturing and development. The companies have until Nov. 30 to finalize the licensing agreement. Check it out: https://substack.com/home/post/p-21790945.6
Pharmazz received FDA clearance to begin a Phase 3 trial of sovateltide, an experimental drug designed to help the brain repair itself after a traumatic brain injury.
The trial will enroll 214 adults with moderate-to-severe brain injuries and measure recovery after 90 days. Sovateltide is already approved in India for ischemic stroke and is also being tested in a global Phase 3 stroke trial. Here’s more: https://substack.com/home/post/p-2182139.04
Did you know that AI can now predict whether something will taste bitter before anyone actually tastes it?
Researchers in South Korea developed an AI system that analyzes the molecular structure of peptides and predicts whether they'll taste bitter. When scientists tested 31 newly created peptides on humans, the AI correctly classified 25 of them as bitter or non-bitter.
Beyond affecting the taste of food, this technology could eventually help drug developers identify bitter medicines earlier and design treatments that patients, particularly children, are more willing to take. Here’s a link to the study: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41538-026-00942-0.
