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IntellaTurn's Weekly Scoop
By Erin at IntellaTurn ● Oct 02, 2025
This week: Latest drug approvals | Q4 approval decisions to watch | Shutdown prevents new drug filings | Inside TrumpRx
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Palsonify pills (Source: Crinetics)
✅ Crinetics’ PALSONIFY: First once-daily oral therapy to treat acromegaly
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The new approval brings acromegaly patients the choice of a once-daily pill that also gives its developer, Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, the opportunity to compete with and take market share from blockbuster products that are well-established in the acromegaly space.
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The drug, paltusotine, is the first commercial product for Crinetics, which specializes in developing therapies for endocrine disorders.
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The regulatory decision covers the pill’s use as a first-line acromegaly treatment, putting it on par with the first-line injectable peptides currently sold by Novartis and Ipsen. (MedCity News)
✅ Eli Lilly’s INLURIYO: Expanded approval for ESR1-mutated breast cancer
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The FDA approved the oral estrogen receptor antagonist Inluriyo (imlunestrant) for previously treated ESR1-mutated advanced/metastatic breast cancer.
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The approval stipulates use in adults with estrogen receptor-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer that has progressed on at least one line of endocrine therapy.
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Inluriyo joins Orserdu (elacestrant) as the only FDA-approved oral therapies for ESR1-mutant breast cancer.
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In contrast to Orserdu, which is approved for use in postmenopausal women, imlunestrant’s approval is not limited by menopausal status. (MedPage Today)
✅ Regeneron’s EVKEEZA: Expanded approval for homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia in children
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The FDA expanded the approval of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals’ fully human monoclonal antibody, Evkeeza (evinacumab-dgnb), for the treatment of HoFH in children aged between one and four.
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The approval allows Evkeeza to be used as an adjunct with dietary adjustments, exercise and other lipid-lowering therapies.
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The decision to broaden the antibody’s indication was based on clinical efficacy and safety data from six children with HoFH who participated in either the US expanded access program or the compassionate use program outside the US.
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HoFH is the most extreme form of familial hypercholesterolemia. (Pharmaceutical Technology)
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Approval decisions to watch in Q4
Axios
What’s happening: In the next three months, the FDA is set to decide on at least 30 regulatory applications, many of which could help shift the treatment landscape for hard-to-treat diseases or push the boundaries for novel modalities.
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One upcoming verdict, for instance, could mark another industry first for CAR T therapies, while another could mean the comeback of a previously-pulled cancer drug.
The round-up: Below are six of the most highly anticipated decisions in Q4, looking at the data backing their bids and what their approvals could mean for the industry. (BioSpace)
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FDA stops accepting new drug submissions during shutdown
iStock / XtockImages
Where things stand: With the federal government shut down, the FDA is expected to feel a smaller hit than other agencies because it has user fee funding to fall back on.
However, the FDA will not be accepting new drug applications during the shutdown.
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That could affect Moderna, Avidity Biosciences, Viridian Therapeutics, Cogent Biosciences, and Vera Therapeutics, which were all expected to complete their filings before the end of this year. (STAT)
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Interesting read: Inside TrumpRx and its unusual launch
iStock / Tippapatt
What’s new: The president announced “TrumpRx” on Tuesday, a government-run website with Pfizer as its first partner, offering select drugs at discounts.
Why it matters: TrumpRx is the administration’s latest move to bring down US drug prices, but it’s unlikely to save much for the 92% of Americans with health insurance.
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The site, intended to launch next year, functions as a sidecar to recent White House agreements with drugmakers meant to cut US costs.
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The Wall Street Journal reported that most insured patients probably pay less through their plans than they would at cash prices on TrumpRx.
Driving the news: Trump and Pfizer said that certain drug prices will drop as the two move closer toward the president's “most-favored-nation” pricing plan.
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Pfizer plans to offer nearly all drugs to Medicaid at “most-favored-nation” prices, and Pfizer agreed it won’t charge more in the US for new drugs compared to other wealthy countries.
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Pfizer said its drugs will be available through TrumpRx at discounted rates, but only for patients not using insurance.
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Pfizer said it will also invest $70 billion in US manufacturing and research. The drugmaker will also be exempt from tariffs — which Trump has threatened on companies that don’t come to the table on drug prices — for three years.
Reality check: Direct-to-consumer websites like TrumpRx already exist. Generally, these sites offer lower prices for cash, but still higher than when using insurance, per ABC News.
What to watch: TrumpRx isn’t expected to launch until early next year, officials said. The actual site, TrumpRx.gov, currently isn’t active.
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The site will not sell or distribute medications directly.
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Instead, customers can search for medications on the site, CNN reports.
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