STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about a Sanofi drug shortage, a Jazz Pharma deal, and more

Good morning, everyone, and welcome back to another busy workweek. The weekend may have provided a well-deserved break, but now the usual cycle of meetings and deadlines has returned. To help you get through, we're offering a special blend of honeybush vanilla turmeric. Feel free to join us, as there are important updates to share.

Firstly, Sanofi is currently facing a shortage of two medicines used to treat Pompe disease. This issue arose following warnings from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration about manufacturing problems at the company's Irish facility. Myozyme, an older standard of care, and Nexviazyme, a newer treatment, are experiencing a bottleneck in the final manufacturing phase and quality control issues at the Waterford plant.

The drugmaker has informed patient groups and physicians in both the U.S. and Europe about the dwindling supplies, per STAT.

In other pharmaceutical news, Jazz Pharmaceuticals has agreed to acquire Actio Biosciences in a deal worth up to $1.32 billion. This acquisition will add an experimental treatment for KCNT1-related epilepsy, a rare inherited form of epilepsy with no approved therapies. The experimental treatment, called ABS-1230, has shown promise in early studies of children, reducing seizures and improving developmental problems.

The company is evaluating ABS-1230 in a study aimed at supporting a U.S. approval application, as reported by Reuters.