Tralokinumab Shows Strong Real-World Efficacy in Atopic Dermatitis for Patients With Skin of Color: April Armstrong, MD, MPH
At the American Academy of Dermatology 2026 meeting, researchers presented TRACE, a real‑world study of tralokinumab in atopic dermatitis. The trial enrolled over 800 patients, with roughly 16% representing skin‑of‑color individuals (Fitzpatrick types 4‑6). After 12 months, 80% of this subgroup achieved a clinical response, defined as clear/almost clear skin or an EASI score below 7. Efficacy and patient‑reported outcomes were comparable to the overall cohort, indicating consistent benefit across diverse populations.
Eli Lilly’s Oral GLP‑1 Pill Beats Wegovy in Trial, Shows 73% More Weight Loss
Eli Lilly’s once‑daily oral GLP‑1 agonist orforglipron outperformed oral semaglutide (Wegovy) in a 52‑week Phase 3 trial of 1,698 adults, delivering 73.6% greater relative weight loss and a three‑fold higher rate of A1c normalization. The data, published in The Lancet, could reshape...
DNA‑Based Nanorobots Detect and Target COVID‑19 Viruses
Researchers have engineered microscopic DNA nanorobots that can recognize and bind to COVID‑19 viral particles. The breakthrough, described in a recent SmartBot feature, points to a future where nanotech diagnostics and therapeutics operate inside the human body with unprecedented precision.
Johnson & Johnson's ICOTYDE Shows 52‑Week PASI 100 Rates up to 49% in Psoriasis Trials
Johnson & Johnson unveiled 52‑week Phase 3 data for ICOTYDE™ (icotrokinra), revealing PASI 100 clearance rates of 41‑49% in adults and 57% in adolescents, with no new safety signals. The results position the oral peptide as a possible disease‑modifying first‑line option for...
Patenting Stem Cell Therapies in the US: The Role and Risks of Product-by-Process Claims (Restem v Jadi Cell)
The U.S. Federal Circuit affirmed that product‑by‑process claims for stem‑cell therapies are novel when the underlying product itself is novel, rejecting Restem LLC’s challenge to US 9803176 covering an umbilical‑cord‑derived mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) product called JadiCell. The court interpreted the...
Deeper Insights Into RT Could Help Spark New CLL/SLL Therapies
Researchers report that Richter transformation (RT) can be identified years before clinical onset in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic leukemia (SLL) patients through multi‑omics profiling of tiny subclones. Current anthracycline‑based chemoimmunotherapy delivers median overall survival under one year,...
New Advances in Diabetes Drugs Are Transforming Treatment of Liver Disease
Emerging diabetes therapies are reshaping treatment of metabolic dysfunction‑associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), especially its severe form MASH. GLP‑1 receptor agonists such as semaglutide and dual‑action agents like tirzepatide have shown significant liver‑fat reduction and histologic improvement. SGLT2 inhibitors and...
Eli Lilly to Sign $2bn Deal for AI Drug Development with Hong Kong Biotech
Eli Lilly has agreed to a roughly $2 billion partnership with a Hong Kong‑based biotech firm to develop new medicines using artificial‑intelligence platforms. The deal will give Lilly access to the startup’s AI‑driven discovery tools while providing the biotech with Lilly’s clinical expertise...
Meta‑analysis of 113 Trials Finds Collagen Supplements Boost Muscle, Joint and Skin Health
A comprehensive review of 113 clinical trials involving nearly 8,000 participants reports moderate gains in muscle strength, lower osteoarthritis pain, and enhanced skin elasticity and hydration from hydrolysed collagen supplements. The findings give the first robust, quantitative backing to a...
Chinese Team Maps Inflammatory Aging and Unveils Multi‑dimensional Anti‑aging Interventions
A research team led by Liu Guanghui at the Chinese Academy of Sciences released a comprehensive map of inflammatory aging across multiple organs and introduced two anti‑aging strategies—a betaine‑based small‑molecule and engineered FOXO3‑edited stem cells. The work was named one...
World's First Hepatitis D Antibody Administered in Beijing Marks New Therapeutic Era
A Beijing hospital has given the first prescription of Libevitug, the inaugural monoclonal antibody targeting hepatitis D. Developed by Tsinghua University researchers and Huahui Health, the drug received conditional approval in January 2026 and could transform care for an estimated...
WATCHMAN FLX Beats Blood Thinners in CHAMPION-AF Trial, Cutting Bleeding Risk by 45%
Boston Scientific announced that its WATCHMAN FLX left atrial appendage closure device met all primary and secondary safety and efficacy endpoints in the CHAMPION-AF trial, delivering a 45% relative reduction in non‑procedural bleeding versus NOACs while matching stroke‑prevention efficacy. The...
New Scalable Platform Illuminates Mechanisms of Cancer Spread
Rice University researchers unveiled the Advanced Tumor Landscape Analysis System (ATLAS), a superhydrophobic 3D‑printed microwell platform that reliably generates large numbers of three‑dimensional cancer‑cell clusters mimicking metastatic conditions. The system reproduces mechanical stresses of blood flow and enables co‑culture with...
Liposomal Nanotech Boosts Light‑Powered Cancer Therapy
Researchers led by Prof. Heidi Abrahamse at the University of Johannesburg have unveiled a liposome‑based nanotechnology platform that upgrades photodynamic therapy (PDT). The platform protects photosensitizers in the bloodstream, targets tumors more precisely and releases the drug only where light...
Eli Lilly's Phase 3b Shows Taltz + Zepbound Improves Psoriatic Arthritis, Weight
Eli Lilly reported that its open‑label Phase 3b TOGETHER‑PsA trial met its primary and all key secondary endpoints, demonstrating that adding Zepbound (tirzepatide) to Taltz (ixekizumab) significantly reduced psoriatic arthritis activity and body weight versus Taltz alone. The data, presented...
Weekly Reads: Gattaca Stack, Animal Sacks, Custom iPS Cells, ImmunityBio FDA Warning, Mouse Cloning Limit
Weekly reads highlight several frontier biotech developments. The Gattaca Stack, a new database, tracks firms working on embryo models and artificial‑womb technologies. R3 Bio’s stem‑cell “organ sacks” aim to replace animal testing and could evolve into human organ bags, while...
DNA Repair Drives Aging; OSK Reverses Epigenetic Decline
Loss of epigenetic information as a cause of mammalian aging “we find that the act of faithful DNA repair advances aging at physiological, cognitive, and molecular levels, including erosion of the epigenetic landscape, cellular exdifferentiation, senescence, and advancement of the DNA...
SLIT3 Protein System Unveiled as Blueprint for Brown‑Fat Calorie Burning, Study Finds
Scientists led by Farnaz Shamsi identified the SLIT3 protein system that constructs the nerve and blood‑vessel networks essential for brown‑fat thermogenesis. Published in Nature Communications, the work links SLIT3 activity to metabolic health in over 15,000 human tissue samples, positioning...
This New Therapy Turns Off Pain without Opioids or Addiction
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and collaborators have developed a preclinical gene therapy that selectively silences pain‑processing circuits in the brain, mimicking morphine’s analgesic effect without activating reward pathways. Using an AI‑driven system to map morphine‑responsive neurons in mice,...
Eli Lilly’s Retatrutide Shows Strong Weight‑Loss Results, Poised to Disrupt Obesity Market
Eli Lilly’s experimental injectable retatrutide has reported substantial weight‑loss outcomes in a 2023 trial, positioning it as a potential challenger to existing GLP‑1 drugs. The triple‑agonist targets three metabolic receptors, and large Phase 3 studies are now under way, drawing attention...
Chinese AI Firms Turn Niche Data Play Into Profit, XtalPi Posts $19.5M Gain
Chinese AI companies XtalPi and Blacklake have moved from loss‑making research to sustainable profitability by targeting specialized data‑driven markets. XtalPi reported a 134.6 million‑yuan ($19.5 million) profit in 2025, while Blacklake achieved its first profit in late 2024, underscoring a shift in...
Nektar's Rezpegaldesleukin Shows Strong Gains in Atopic Dermatitis and Alopecia Areata at AAD 2026
Nektar Therapeutics presented Phase 2b data for its regulatory T‑cell agonist rezpegaldesleukin at the 2026 American Academy of Dermatology meeting, showing statistically significant EASI improvements in 393 atopic dermatitis patients and a 28.2% mean SALT reduction in severe alopecia areata....
Hib Vaccine Shields Against Meningitis, Pneumonia, Epiglottitis
The Hib vaccine protects against Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) bacteria, which can cause severe illnesses like meningitis, pneumonia, and epiglottitis. Th
Writing Genomes Opens Post‑Darwinian Era of ABI
Artificial Biological Intelligence (ABI) In a post-Darwinian era of being able to write genomes, the implications—both for good and harm—are profound. In conversation with @AdrianWoolfson on his new book On the Future of Species https://t.co/2OahzzxAAa
Kardigan Announces Positive Phase 2 Data for Tonlamarsen in Patients with Uncontrolled Hypertension Presented as Late-Breaker at ACC.26 and Simultaneously...
Kardigan reported positive Phase 2 data for its antisense drug tonlamarsen in the KARDINAL trial, showing a dose‑dependent 67% reduction in plasma angiotensinogen and a mean 6.7 mmHg drop in office systolic blood pressure after 20 weeks. Both a single 90 mg dose...
Published Errors Survive; Faulty Experiments Kill
You can publish a paper with wrong data. You can't make a working drug with a wrong experiment. I wrote about HeLa contamination a few days ago. Then an Oxford researcher told me his story. https://t.co/77vvQQ8kq0
Rejuvenating Blood Stem Cells Boosts Whole‑Body Health
Hematopoietic (stem) cells—The elixir of life? "In this perspective article, we discuss the evidence that supports that rejuvenating or delaying aging of the blood system has a beneficial and systemic impact on human health..." @FEBS_Letters https://t.co/Y9sYcwXp1A @FEBSJournal
Very Low LDL Levels Best in Secondary Prevention: Ez-PAVE
New randomized data from the Ez‑PAVE trial in South Korea show that lowering LDL cholesterol to below 55 mg/dL in patients with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease reduces major cardiovascular events by 33% compared with a target of less than 70 mg/dL. The...
Epigenetic Dysregulation Fuels Aging, Offers Therapeutic Target
Systemic epigenetic dysregulation as a driver of ageing and a therapeutic target 👉 “By providing mechanistic clarity on how epigenetic dysregulation drives ageing phenotypes, we aim to enable rational design of therapeutics that target the epigenetic systems that fail during ageing,...
Intranasal 5-MeO-DMT Boosts Depression Relief with SSRIs
The results of this first phase 2a clinical trial of intranasal 5-MeO-DMT administered adjunctively to SSRIs demonstrated acceptable safety and tolerability with promising improvements in depressive symptoms. https://t.co/m15DkPP4qX
#AAD26: Biogen Declares Phase 2 Lupus Success for Anti-BDCA2 Antibody
Biogen announced positive Phase 2 results for litifilimab, its anti‑BDCA2 antibody targeting systemic lupus erythematosus. After 24 weeks, 14.7% of patients achieved complete clearance of skin lesions, meeting the trial’s primary endpoint. The data suggest the drug could become a...
Senescent Immune Cells Guard Tissues, Delay Aging
Senescent immune cells protect against damage, inflammation and disease 🤯 In mice, p16-expressing immune cells delay age-related organ deterioration and preserve tissue homeostasis. More evidence of the physiological roles of senescent cells? https://t.co/UtBKDF00P1
Supercomputer Maps Spliceosome Dynamics, Advancing Gene‑Splicing Drug Design
Supercomputer simulations of a two-million-atom human cell model have mapped the dynamic motions of the spliceosome, offering detailed insights into gene splicing mechanisms and informing future drug development. computationalbiology
KARDINAL: Monthly Tonlamarsen May Not Enhance BP Lowering in Resistant Hypertension
The phase II KARDINAL trial evaluated monthly versus single‑dose tonlamarsen, an angiotensinogen‑targeted nucleic‑acid therapy, in patients with resistant hypertension on multiple drugs. While monthly injections achieved a 67% reduction in plasma AGT compared with 23% after a single dose, both regimens...
Merck Buys TERN, CORT Gets FDA Cancer Nod as Trials Split, Anavex Pulls EU Filing
Merck announced a cash deal to acquire TERN, while CORT secured FDA clearance for its cancer therapy. In parallel, INSM reported positive trial data, VALN fell short of expectations, and Anavex withdrew its EU filing for an Alzheimer’s candidate.
Thousands of Americans Treated With Psilocybin in 2025
Psilocybin therapy is rapidly expanding across U.S. states, with Oregon reporting 5,935 patients in 2025 and Colorado opening its first regulated healing center. New Mexico is developing its own medical program while the federal government maintains prohibition. Scientific evidence shows...
Takeda’s Zasocitinib Delivered Rapid and Durable Skin Clearance in a Convenient Once-Daily Pill, Affirming Promise to Reshape Psoriasis Care
Takeda announced Phase 3 data for its oral TYK2 inhibitor, zasocitinib, showing rapid and durable skin clearance in moderate‑to‑severe plaque psoriasis. At week 16, 71% of patients achieved clear or almost clear skin (sPGA 0/1) versus roughly 10% on placebo and 30% on...
Takeda’s Zasocitinib Delivered Rapid and Durable Skin Clearance in a Convenient Once-Daily Pill, Affirming Promise to Reshape Psoriasis Care
Takeda announced that its oral TYK2 inhibitor zasocitinib delivered rapid and durable skin clearance in two global Phase 3 LATITUDE trials involving 693 and 1,108 moderate‑to‑severe plaque psoriasis patients. The drug met both co‑primary endpoints—sPGA 0/1 and PASI 75 at week 16—showing statistically significant...
Icotrokinra Delivers Complete Skin Clearance Through Week 52 With Strong Safety Profile: Linda Stein Gold, MD
FDA approval of icotrokinra introduces a new oral therapy for moderate‑to‑severe psoriasis. In the ICONIC‑ADVANCE trials, 100 % of patients achieved complete skin clearance through week 52, outperforming the oral benchmark deucravacitinib. The drug’s safety profile matched placebo, with fewer infections and...
Biogen Announces Second Positive Phase 2 Litifilimab Trial in Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus at 2026 American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting,...
Biogen announced that litifilimab, an anti‑BDCA2 monoclonal antibody, achieved its primary endpoint in the Phase 2 portion of the AMETHYST study for cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE). The drug showed an 11.8% greater reduction in disease activity versus placebo, with 14.7% of...
New England Journal of Medicine Publishes Positive Phase 3 VALOR Trial Results of Brepocitinib in Dermatomyositis
Priovant Therapeutics announced that its TYK2/JAK1 inhibitor brepocitinib met the primary endpoint in the Phase 3 VALOR trial for dermatomyositis, showing a 15.3‑point improvement in Total Improvement Score at week 52 versus placebo. The 30 mg dose also delivered significant steroid‑sparing effects, with...
Combining Modest Therapies Unlocks Big Benefits, Reduces Waste
Adam, I used to think this way. Then gene therapy & IO worked. IL2 has consumed a lot of hope; but new variations make it hard to quit. Abeta worked. And synergy: combine modest drugs, unlock big benefits. Invest or...
Retatrutide's Sales Potential Tempered by Heart Risks
I'm fairly sure retatrutide will be the largest peak-sales drug in history (inflation-adjusted). My lingering question is the resting HR elevation of ~5–7 bpm and a 4–14% arrhythmia rate (vs. 2–3% placebo) seen in Phase 2 data, plus insomnia reported...
New Atlas Maps All Human E3 Ligases, Unifying Research
A comprehensive atlas now defines all human E3 ligases, resolving decades of inconsistencies and providing a unified framework to advance research and therapeutic development for diseases linked to these essential enzymes. biotechnology
FDA Greenlights Viagra: A Pivotal HealthTech Milestone
#ThisDayInTechHistory. March 27, 1998. The FDA approved Viagra developed by Pfizer. (Untold Story) #HealthTech #JVGpost https://t.co/GJea9vd0v9
FDA Confirms Myocarditis Risk, Validating Parents' COVID Concerns
Great thread and one addition: Increased risk of myocarditis in young boys. The demonization of parents who asked, the denials by healthcare professionals and bureaucrats, and ultimately, the admission and subsequent FDA warning proving parents worst fears correct. It will take...
Microbial Phenolics Mediate Oats' Cholesterol‑lowering Power
Cholesterol-lowering effects of oats induced by microbially produced phenolic metabolites in metabolic syndrome: a randomized controlled trial "Here we show that microbial phenolic metabolites are driving factors for the cholesterol-lowering effect of oats.." https://t.co/Y6fmNYStmZ
PCSK9 Inhibitor Cuts Cardiovascular Events in Diabetics
In a randomized trial of a PCSK9 inhibitor [for LDL cholesterol lowering] vs placebo for patients with diabetes and no known heart disease, there was significant reduction of major cardiovascular events including deaths #ACC26 @JAMA_current https://t.co/mzuI79c4IN https://t.co/16Cpxf7IBx
Intensive LDL < 55 Mg/dL Cuts Cardiovascular Events
Validation of aggressive LDL lowering to reduce major adverse cardiovascular events, a randomized trial targeting LDL < 55 mg/dl. In participants with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (secondary prevention) @NEJM #ACC26 https://t.co/oLnkqhawOd
AI Meets Scalable Single-Cell Data, Transforming Medicine
AI needs data. And biology is finally generating it at scale. I spoke with @10xGenomics CEO Serge Saxonov about the single-cell and spatial biology revolution — and why the convergence of AI + biological measurement could transform medicine. Read the full profile...