US Stocks: Viridian Shares Plunge 34% as Eye Disease Drug Disappoints on Efficacy Despite Trial Success
Viridian Therapeutics’ shares tumbled 34% to $18.66 after its late‑stage trial of elegrobart for thyroid eye disease (TED) fell short of investor efficacy expectations, despite meeting the primary endpoint of reducing eye bulging. The four‑week regimen showed a 54% improvement versus 18% for placebo, while the eight‑week schedule posted 63% improvement, but double‑vision gains were less clear. Analysts flagged concerns over commercial feasibility and safety differentials between dosing schedules. Viridian plans to file a U.S. marketing application in Q1 2027, entering a market dominated by Amgen’s Tepezza.
Avutometinib and Defactinib
The FDA granted accelerated approval to the oral co‑pack Avutometinib and Defactinib for adults with KRAS‑mutated, recurrent low‑grade serous ovarian cancer (LGSOC) after prior therapy. The regimen pairs a RAF/MEK inhibitor with a FAK inhibitor, marking a rare “novel‑novel” combination...
MedCity Pivot Podcast: How Fujifilm Tackled An Existential Crisis
Fujifilm faced a 60% revenue collapse in 2006 as digital cameras displaced film, prompting a strategic pivot toward healthcare. The company launched a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) in 2011, acquiring Biogen’s large‑scale site and expanding its biotech capabilities....
Transcatheter ViV a Solid Option for Failed Mitral Bioprostheses: SURViV
The SURViV randomized trial compared transcatheter mitral valve‑in‑valve (ViV) with redo surgical replacement in 150 patients with failed bioprosthetic mitral valves, many of whom had rheumatic disease. At one year, ViV showed a markedly lower all‑cause mortality (5.3% vs 20.8%)...
InvestorTalk Alert: Brent Willis From Voyageur Pharmaceuticals Ltd. To Host on Tuesday, March 31, 2026
InvestorNews announced an InvestorTalk on March 31, 2026 at 9 AM EST featuring Brent Willis, President and CEO of Voyageur Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (TSXV:VM). Voyageur is advancing a vertically integrated strategy to produce barium and iodine contrast agents, highlighted by a 132,000‑tonne, 98.8% pure barium...
Inflammaging in Clinical Practice: GlycanAge’s New Data
GlycanAge is translating two decades of glycan research into clinical tools that measure inflammaging, the chronic low‑grade inflammation linked to age‑related disease. By profiling complex sugar structures on proteins, the company offers a long‑term biomarker that differs from short‑term markers...
Abbott Integrates Precision Oncology Portfolio Into Flatiron Health’s OncoEMR to Streamline Cancer Care
Abbott has partnered with Flatiron Health to embed its Precision Oncology testing suite directly into Flatiron’s cloud‑based OncoEMR platform. The integration lets oncologists order tests such as Oncotype DX, OncoExTra, Oncodetect and Riskguard from within the patient chart, with results automatically...
Beyond Glyphosate: Quercus Bio Targets Weeds with Designer Proteins
Herbicide resistance is driving a search for new weed‑control tools, and Quercus Biosolutions is pioneering AI‑designed mini proteins that act like chemicals while offering biological benefits. Using protein‑structure prediction technology from drug discovery, the startup creates proteins that can enter...
The Crucial Role of Payload Linker Innovation in the Growth of ADCs
Antibody‑drug conjugates (ADCs) are becoming a cornerstone of oncology, with the global market expected to reach $65.2 billion by 2031. The number of ADC programs has more than tripled, rising from 557 in 2020 to 1,643 in 2025, driven by advances...
The Dosing Problem That Precision Medicine Has Yet to Solve
Only about 45% of cancer patients receive a dose within the optimal therapeutic window, leaving many under‑dosed or over‑dosed. True Dose is introducing an at‑home capillary blood‑spot kit that lets patients collect finger‑prick samples for therapeutic drug monitoring, with results...
Lilly Races to Become First Longevity Big Pharma
Eli Lilly has signed a deal with AI‑focused biotech Insilico Medicine valued up to $2.75 billion, with $115 million paid upfront and the remainder tied to milestones. The agreement grants Lilly an exclusive worldwide license to several preclinical oral candidates and access...
Prilenia and Ferrer Announce First Participant Enrolled in the “PREVAiLS” Phase 3 Study of Pridopidine in ALS
Prilenia Therapeutics and Ferrer have enrolled the first participant in PREVAiLS, a pivotal Phase 3, 500‑patient, randomized, placebo‑controlled trial of the sigma‑1 receptor agonist pridopidine for rapidly progressive ALS. The study, launched at Mass General Brigham, will span 48 weeks with...
Meiji Seika Pharma Invests in Centivax to Develop Next Generation Universal Vaccine Platform
Meiji Seika Pharma announced a strategic investment in U.S. biotech Centivax to accelerate its universal influenza vaccine, Centi‑Flu 01, currently in Phase 1 trials. The partnership leverages Meiji’s pharmaceutical expertise and Centivax’s computational immune‑engineering platform to target conserved viral regions, aiming for...
Biocytogen Grants Taisho Pharmaceutical a License to Its RenNano® Fully Human Heavy Chain-Only Antibody Discovery Platform
Biocytogen has licensed its RenNano® fully human heavy‑chain‑only antibody discovery platform to Japan’s Taisho Pharmaceutical, granting access to RenNano mice for in‑vivo generation and screening of VHH candidates. The agreement, whose financial terms remain undisclosed, adds to Biocytogen’s expanding portfolio...
Kardigan Blood Pressure Drug Proves Hypothesis Despite Split Phase 2 Readout
Kardigan reported that its experimental hypertension drug tonlamarsen achieved a 67% average reduction in the angiotensinogen biomarker after five monthly doses, confirming target engagement. However, the Phase 2 trial showed no statistically significant difference in office systolic blood pressure between the...
Fermentation Growth Collides with Manufacturing Shortage – iFAB Aims to Fix It
The iFAB accelerator in central Illinois secured a $51 million federal grant and $30 million state contribution to build a precision‑fermentation hub. Partnering with corn giants ADM and Primient, iFAB creates contract‑manufacturing pathways that let startups use large‑scale facilities instead of building...
Biogen Bounces Back With FDA Nod for High-Dose Spinal Muscular Atrophy Drug
The FDA approved a high‑dose formulation of Biogen’s SMA drug Spinraza, cutting the loading phase from four to two injections and adding a four‑month maintenance schedule. The new regimen, backed by the DEVOTE study, showed significant motor‑skill gains versus sham...
Triple Therapy Momentum: Caterina Brindicci of AstraZeneca on Breztri in Asthma
AstraZeneca is testing its COPD triple‑inhaler Breztri Aerosphere in uncontrolled asthma. Phase III KALOS and LOGOS trials showed 76‑90 mL improvements in FEV₁ and a 14% reduction in severe exacerbations versus standard ICS/LABA therapy. The studies enrolled about 4,300 patients across 20...
Red Light Therapy’s Regulatory Implications
Red and near‑infrared light therapy, known as photobiomodulation, has shifted from clinics to the consumer health market, prompting a surge in device sales and investor interest. In the United States, products reach consumers via distinct FDA pathways: 510(k) clearance for...
Human E3‑ome Atlas Maps 672 High‑Confidence Enzymes, Redefining Biology and Drug Targets
An international team of more than 40 scientists released the human E3‑ome, a curated atlas that consolidates 672 high‑confidence E3 ligases from over 1,100 candidates. The resource offers a gold‑standard reference for basic research and drug discovery, addressing long‑standing inconsistencies...
New Hope for Children with Severe Epilepsy
Scientists at Manchester University have identified a recessive RNU2‑2‑related neurodevelopmental disorder as one of the most common genetic causes of childhood epilepsy. The condition, which manifests with seizures and severe delays in speech and walking before age one, has been...
Why CREST-2 Trial Results Should Inform, Not Replace, Clinical Judgment
The New England Journal of Medicine released the CREST‑2 results, a pair of parallel randomized trials that compared intensive medical management (IMM) alone with IMM plus either carotid stenting (TFCAS) or carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in patients with asymptomatic high‑grade carotid...
Examining the Architecture of Next-Gen Biotherapeutic Modalities
BioPharm Drug Digest will host a free webinar on April 17, 2026, exploring how the biopharma sector is redesigning antibodies, RNA therapies, and cell therapies with multifunctional architectures. The session highlights programmable biology, next‑generation delivery platforms, and digitized biology models...
Module 3, Section 1: HitID Screens
The module introduces HitID screens, outlining key strategies for early-stage drug discovery. It references recent literature on medicinal chemistry optimization, successful hit‑to‑clinical transitions, DNA‑encoded library (DEL) approaches, ultra‑low‑molecular‑weight crystallographic screening, and fragment‑based drug discovery (FBDD). By consolidating these sources, the...
Biotech in New Jersey, Seven Companies Leading the Charge
New Jersey remains a heavyweight pharma cluster, home to giants like Johnson & Johnson and Merck, while nurturing a growing biotech startup scene. Companies such as ArrePath, BioAegis, Celularity, Enalare, EpiBone, Inaedis and Rocket Pharmaceuticals are advancing AI‑driven antibiotics, plasma‑protein...
Zongertinib a ‘Breakthrough’ for NSCLC with HER2 Mutations
Zongertinib (Hernexeos) received FDA accelerated approval for first‑line treatment of HER2‑mutant advanced NSCLC, based on Beamion LUNG‑1 data presented at the European Lung Cancer Congress. In previously untreated patients (cohort 2), the drug achieved a 76% objective response rate and a...
Epigenetic Disruption, Not DNA Damage, Drives Accelerated Aging
As a medical school professor, I taught that aging was caused by DNA mutations accumulating over time. A landmark study from my friend Dave Sinclair's team in Cell just overturned that entire framework. The researchers created mice that age faster --...
Gates Foundation Funds TesseraTx's Gene‑editing HIV Cure Research
1/🚨@TesseraTx has announced that it has received a grant from the Gates Foundation to fund an early-stage research which is aimed to develop a Gene Editing-based cure for HIV. This grant is build upon Tessera’s existing investment 🧵👇 from the Gates...
UK Biotech Day 2026 | May 27-28 | London, UK
UK Biotech Day 2026 will take place on May 27‑28 at the Radisson Hotel & Conference Centre London Heathrow. The two‑day conference convenes executives, R&D scientists, investors, legal and finance professionals from pharma, biotech, medtech, and tech‑bio sectors. Positioned as...
Key FDA Decisions Shaping Biotech Q2 2026
New: 5 FDA decisions to watch in the second quarter of 2026 https://t.co/AVvu8i9kgh $REPL $LLY $AXSM $PFE $ARVN $IONS $ARWR #biotech
R3 Bio's Push for Brainless Human Clones Sparks Ethical Debate
Here's our story about R3 Bio and the entrepreneur dreaming of brainless human clones. https://t.co/ZJpdffTKNP
BIO CEO Hails Congressional Report on Threat of China Dominating Biotech
At a March 25 reception marking the first anniversary of the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology report, BIO President John F. Crowley warned that China’s rapid biotech expansion threatens U.S. health security. The commission’s findings cite a 400‑fold rise...
IMMX Completes NEXICART‑2 Enrollment, Paving Path
$IMMX hits a big milestone: NEXICART-2 enrollment complete BLA-enabling Strong prior efficacy (~75% CR) No approved therapies in R/R AL https://t.co/0iUBMaSetC
Senescent Endothelial Cells Direct Plaque Communication Network
Senescent endothelial cells: key commanders of the cellular communication network within atherosclerotic plaques https://t.co/yzyxR0KPAL https://t.co/RBqSrKkvks
US FDA Approves Higher-Dose of Biogen’s Genetic Disorder Drug
The U.S. FDA has approved a higher‑dose version of Biogen’s gene‑replacement therapy for a rare genetic muscle‑weakening disorder, likely spinal muscular atrophy. The new regimen starts with two 50 mg loading doses two weeks apart, followed by a 28 mg maintenance dose...
Meta‑Analysis Finds Collagen Supplements Boost Skin, Joint and Muscle Health
A comprehensive 2026 meta‑analysis of 113 clinical trials and nearly 8,000 participants concludes that hydrolysed collagen supplements produce moderate improvements in muscle health, lessen osteoarthritis pain, and enhance skin elasticity and hydration. The findings revive scientific and consumer interest in...
A Novel G9a Inhibitor Reduces Symptoms in Mouse Models of Alzheimer's Disease
Researchers have unveiled FLAV-27, a novel G9a histone methyltransferase inhibitor that readily crosses the blood‑brain barrier and exhibits subnanomolar potency. The compound demonstrates high selectivity for G9a over related enzymes and a favorable safety profile, addressing the limitations of earlier...
SLIT3 Protein Identified as Boost for Brown-Fat Calorie Burning, Opening New Biohacking Path
Researchers analyzing more than 15,000 human fat samples have identified the SLIT3 protein as a potent enhancer of brown‑fat calorie burning. The discovery suggests a novel, metabolism‑focused avenue for obesity treatment and biohacking beyond appetite‑suppressing drugs.
GLP-1s Are Not Going to Change Food Forever
GLP‑1 weight‑loss drugs are generating buzz as potential appetite suppressants, but current adoption remains modest—about 12% of U.S. adults and even lower in Europe. While the drugs can mute the so‑called “food noise” and trim a few percentage points off...
First-in-Human Hepatitis D Antibody Administered in Beijing Amid Mixed Pharma Outlook
A Chinese biotech company administered the first-in-human dose of a hepatitis D‑targeted monoclonal antibody in Beijing, marking a world‑first for the disease. The trial details were not disclosed, and it comes as the broader pharma sector grapples with earnings pressure,...
Microneedle Patch Enables Real‑Time Immune Monitoring, Could Replace Blood Draws
Researchers at The Jackson Laboratory and MIT unveiled a polymer‑based microneedle skin patch that captures immune cells and inflammatory biomarkers within 15‑30 minutes. The device could transform vaccine response tracking and chronic disease monitoring by eliminating the need for blood...
Reviewing the Aging of Heart Muscle
Researchers review the biological mechanisms behind cardiac aging, highlighting molecular changes such as mitochondrial dysfunction, non‑coding RNA activity, and cellular senescence that impair myocardial energetics and regeneration. The article links these alterations to clinical outcomes like fibrosis, hypertrophy, valve calcification,...
AstraZeneca’s Tozorakimab Cuts COPD Flare‑Ups, Shares Jump 3.8%
AstraZeneca announced that its experimental monoclonal antibody tozorakimab met primary endpoints in two late‑stage COPD trials, delivering a clinically meaningful reduction in moderate‑to‑severe flare‑ups. The data lifted the company’s shares as much as 3.8% and underpin a sales outlook of...
Eli Lilly Signs $2.75 B AI Drug Deal with Insilico Medicine, $115 M Upfront
Eli Lilly and Hong Kong‑listed Insilico Medicine have sealed a partnership that could be worth up to $2.75 billion, including a $115 million upfront payment. The deal gives Lilly exclusive global rights to Insilico’s pre‑clinical oral candidates and taps the biotech’s generative‑AI platform....
KAIST Study Shows Graphene Oxide Kills Bacteria While Sparing Human Cells
Researchers at South Korea's KAIST have demonstrated that graphene oxide can selectively eradicate bacterial cells while leaving human cells intact. The finding points to a new class of nanomaterial‑based antibiotics that could help combat the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance.
Bioventix Plc Posts 4% Profit Decline, Revenue Slides 8.6% in H1
Bioventix Plc announced first‑half earnings that fell 4% year‑over‑year to £3.62 million, with earnings per share slipping to £0.6845. Revenue contracted 8.6% to £6.15 million, highlighting mounting headwinds for the UK biotech sector amid tighter investor scrutiny and pending regulatory decisions.
Study: Breath Test Could Transform Microbiome Diagnostics for Clinical Labs
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia have demonstrated that volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath mirror gut microbiome activity. Published in Cell Metabolism, the proof‑of‑concept study showed breath profiles could differentiate children with...
African Trypanosomes Use a Molecular Shredder to Avoid Detection in the Bloodstream
Researchers at the University of York have identified ESB2, an RNA endonuclease that acts as a molecular shredder within Trypanosoma brucei. By selectively degrading transcripts, ESB2 fine‑tunes Variant Surface Glycoprotein expression, allowing the parasite to evade host immunity. The finding,...
Pharma Pulse: A Call for U.K. Pricing Reform and the Latest FDA-Approved Biosimilar for Bone Health
Eli Lilly is urging the United Kingdom to overhaul its drug‑pricing framework, warning that persistently low prices could deter future investment and calling for outcomes‑based reimbursement models, especially for obesity therapies. At the same time, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration...
Something of a Shopping Spree: Novartis to Acquire US-Based Excellergy for up to $2bn
Novartis announced a deal to acquire California‑based Excellergy for up to $2 bn, securing the Phase I antibody Exl‑111 that targets both free and cell‑bound IgE. The acquisition bolsters Novartis’ allergy pipeline, positioning the drug as a next‑generation complement to its existing...