Novo Nordisk is paying Valo Health $60 million up front to gain three preclinical cardiovascular disease programs. Milestone payments for those programs and others covered under the artificial intelligence drug discovery pact could reach up to $2.7 billion.

Magnet Biomedicine builds on decades of molecular glue research from its scientific co-founder, Harvard University Professor Stuart Schreiber. The startup is developing drugs that take these glues beyond the biotech industry’s current focus on targeted protein degradation.

Novo Nordisk weight-loss drug Wegovy reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events by 20% in a large clinical trial. The company said the results support expanding the drug’s label, but the looming question is whether the data will persuade payers to cover the pricey chronic therapy.

Hims & Hers can now provide treatment to men for cardiovascular issues, the company recently announced. This treatment combines sexual health and heart health together in a single pill.

Novartis and Ionis Pharmaceuticals, already partners in cardiovascular disease R&D, are expanding their alliance to see if they can develop a next-generation therapy offering efficacy and dosing advantages. But competitors are already in the mix with programs addressing the same cardiovascular disease target.

The restructuring of cardiovascular drugmaker Amarin means the layoff of about 30% of staff. Sales of Vascepa, the company’s only commercialized product, have suffered as generic versions gain traction in the market.

Eli Lilly’s partnership with Verve Therapeutics covers the development of a preclinical therapy addressing a protein associated with cardiovascular disease risk. The in vivo gene-editing therapy is a potential one-time treatment.

Eko recently launched an AI-powered software that its CEO describes as “Shazam for heartbeats.” The platform connects with Eko’s digital stethoscopes and identifies whether or not a patient’s heart sounds are indicative of disease.

A new treatment under development by HeartPoint Global seeks to provide a minimally invasive and cheaper alternative to current treatments for pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Abbott recently earned FDA approval for its latest transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) system, which is named Navitor. Abbott will have to fight for its place the U.S. TAVI device space, as the systems made by Edwards and Medtronic have a steadfast command of the market share.

Amgen posted positive Phase 2 data for olpasiran, further building the case for the drug’s blockbuster potential in heart disease as it proceeds to a pivotal test. Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, which originally developed olpasiran and licensed it to the big pharma company, is cashing in now by selling its royalty rights to the molecule.

By placing the power to detect atrial fibrillation into the hands of 6 billion global smartphone users, validation of further physiological parameters will be expedited and the subsequent adoption of this technology into DTx will enable the low-cost tools required to remove barriers to care and improve heart health across the globe.

A better coronary artery stent cannot help a patient who cannot afford it, does not know they need it, doesn’t have a doctor who can make a diagnosis and identify that need. To help these patients, we urgently need to look at health equity.

Novartis is partnering with algorithms startup Anumana to develop a new artificial intelligence-based solution for cardiovascular diseases. The goal is to find ways to detect heart conditions years before symptoms develop in order to enable earlier intervention.

Dewpoint is developing drugs targeting biomolecular condensates, tiny droplets in cells that contain proteins and nucleic acids. Dysfunction of these organelles can play a role in a wide range of diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders and cardiovascular disease.

After reviewing Phase 2B clinical data, the New York drugmaker and its partner Ionis Pharmaceuticals announced that Pfizer was abandoning the development of a cardiovascular drug, thereby returning the rights to Ionis.

TenSixteen Bio has emerged from stealth aiming to develop drugs for diseases caused by genetic mutations accumulated as we age. The startup has been incubating within Foresite Labs and it now has $40 million to finance its research into this new realm of biology.

The app lets people track their metrics through connected devices, and access health coaching and educational materials. It’s one of multiple that Bayer and One Drop plan to develop together in the future. 

CVS Caremark recently launched efforts to better prevent, detect and treat sickle cell disease, HIV and cardiovascular disease. CVS Caremark CMO Sree Chaguturu shared how the PBM launched this effort at the engagement track at HLTH, hosted by MedCity News

ShouTi Pharmaceuticals, a startup that brings computational techniques to drug discovery, has raised $100 million in Series B financing. The clinical-stage biotech designs small molecules intended to do the work of biologic and peptide drugs.

Merck is looking for products that diversify its portfolio beyond reliance on cancer drug Keytruda, and it sees a potential blockbuster cardiovascular drug from Acceleron Pharma as fitting the bill. The pharma giant is paying $11.5 billion to acquire the biotech, and executives say they’re still on the hunt for more deals.

Novo Nordisk is paying $100 million up front to acquire an experimental Prothena drug being developed to treat heart problems stemming from a misfolded protein. The deal is part of a broader strategy to expand into drugs for cardiovascular disease.

Lyell Immunopharma and Verve Therapeutics are still preclinical, but they’re bringing novel genetic approaches to the treatment of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Now the two companies can claim two of the biggest biotech IPOs of 2021 so far.

The FDA approval clears Regeneron’s drug, Evkeeza, as a treatment for the rarer of two forms of an inherited disease that causes high cholesterol levels. The company already markets Praluent, which treats the more common form of familial hypercholesterolemia.

The San Diego-based biopharma firm has several oncology therapies in development and has partnered in the past with the likes of Astellas, BeiGene and Bristol-Myers Squibb.

The companies expect the deal to close in the fourth quarter. MyoKardia’s lead drug candidate is mavacamten, which it is developing for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and plans to submit to the FDA in the first quarter of next year.

The drug, Nexletol, is designed for use with maximally tolerated statins for lowering LDL cholesterol in patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

The algorithm is not designed to replace consumer-facing devices. But while most smart watches track electrical signals from the heart, Eko focuses on sound as a means to improve the work of front-line clinicians.

The algorithm — which measures variations in heart rate — is designed to predict heart problems, but a cardiologist wonders whether it can outperform other risk factors.

An analyst wrote that while the data are positive, the bigger question is how the drug will be priced, based on another drug already on the market for the same disease, HoFH, which affects about 1,300 people in the U.S.