Ensho Therapeutics is raising series A cash to develop Phase II-ready NSHO-101 (EA1080), a third oral ɑ4β7 integrin inhibitor attempting to take on Takeda’s blockbuster injectable Entyvio.

Rahul Rao, the deputy director of the FTC Bureau of Competition, discussed the agency’s thinking on recent pharma deals that it viewed as anti-competitive.

The Federal Trade Commission broke new ground last year in its opposition to M&A transactions and challenge of Orange Book patent listings. The biopharma community is waiting to see if deals will face similar hurdles in 2024 and whether there will be legal battles if manufacturers of drug-device combination products decline to delist their patents. Researchers advocate that the FTC extend its inquiry to device patents on GLP-1 receptor agonists, including Wegovy and Ozempic.

The Federal Trade Commission blocked or restricted several deals last year, broadening what it considers to be anticompetitive transactions. Stakeholders are looking to see if the agency will bring similar cases this year and what remedies it will seek to allow deals to go forward.