Fulcrum Therapeutics said it is laying off 85% of staff after discontinuing development of its lead sickle cell disease candidate, citing an FDA decision that left “no viable regulatory path.” The company plans to reduce its workforce to nine full-time employees following the restructure. Fulcrum tied the decision to regulator concerns about an unexpectedly high rate of secondary hematologic malignancies associated with Tazverik (a PRC2 inhibitor) after it was pulled worldwide by Ipsen. Fulcrum also said it has sought strategic alternatives as it stops clinical development.