Novartis (NVS): The stock has been tumbling after the company announced interim data from the Phase 2 STR1VE trial of Zolgensma/AVXS-101 in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) Type 1. While it's true that prolonged event-free survival and rapid increase in CHOP-INTEND scores were encouraging, this was overshadowed by a second patient death that was deemed "possibly related to treatment" by the investigator. Specifically, the six-month-old patient experienced a severe respiratory infection followed by neurological complications. An autopsy already has been performed and results will be disclosed when they are ready.
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