Half of the FDA’s upcoming 2024 user fee goals target rare diseases, but highly prevalent conditions like uncomplicated urinary tract infections and atopic dermatitis are also up for agency action in the second half of the year.

The second quarter in South Korea was marked by the return of several assets by licensing partners, including Thea Open Innovation, which gave back rights to two ophthalmic programs in-licensed from OliX. Merck & Co. also cancelled a co-research deal with Artiva Biotherapeutics.

The Mereo-partnered drug is in pivotal development for osteogenesis imperfecta. Ultragenyx also recently reported positive Phase III data for a rare disease gene therapy.

Bukwang and subsidiary Contera have become the latest to fail to progress a novel Parkinson's therapy to late-stage trials after a Phase II miss, although several other Korean firms remain in the race for the challenging indication, albeit mainly in Phase I-II.