After Apellis Deal, Biogen Looks to Fill Early-Stage Pipeline
Biogen announced a $5.6 billion acquisition of Apellis Pharmaceuticals, adding a complement‑inhibition platform to its portfolio. While the deal closes this month, the company emphasized that its growth engine will now hinge on early‑stage development and research rather than late‑stage launches. Executives indicated a continued appetite for strategic deals to bolster the pipeline. The move reflects Biogen’s effort to diversify beyond its traditional neuro‑degeneration assets and address a slowing pipeline of late‑stage candidates.
Brenntag Pharma Unveiled BYPHAR, the New Regulated Biopharma Manufacturing Brand
Brenntag Pharma introduced BYPHAR, a new regulated biopharma manufacturing brand that consolidates high‑quality raw materials, advanced facilities, and value‑added services into a single, compliance‑ready portfolio. The brand groups materials into three tiers—Explore, Enhance, and Excel—covering non‑GMP to LBLE critical grades,...
With Growth Curve Trending up, Biogen Looks to Early-Stage Assets for ‘Next Generation’
Biogen, fresh from its $5.6 billion acquisition of Apellis, announced on its Q1 earnings call that it will pivot toward early‑stage assets to thicken a pipeline it described as “quite thin.” The shift comes as Alzheimer’s patients transition off Eli Lilly’s Kisunla,...
Circio Partners with TraffikGene Project to Advance Non-Viral circVec Delivery
Circio, an Oslo‑based circular RNA company, has partnered with the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela’s TraffikGene project to explore non‑viral delivery of its circVec circular RNA expression vectors. The collaboration merges Circio’s circVec platform with TraffikGene’s peptide amphiphile carrier system...
Infinite Epigenetics Acquires Tally Health in ‘Largest Epigenetic Testing Deal to Date’
Infinite Epigenetics announced the acquisition of Tally Health, creating the largest private‑sector DNA methylation database. The deal merges Infinite's TruDiagnostic biological‑age platform with Tally's at‑home epigenetic test and supplement program, forming a vertically integrated measurement‑to‑intervention stack. Executives say the combined...
Biogen Ready to Catch Alzheimer’s Patients Transitioning Off Lilly’s Kisunla
Biogen is positioning its Leqembi therapy to capture Alzheimer’s patients who will finish Eli Lilly’s 18‑month Kisunla regimen and need a maintenance option. Leqembi, approved in January 2023, saw a 74% year‑over‑year sales jump to $168 million in Q1 2026, beating expectations. Biogen is...
Inside Servier’s New €200M Venture Fund
Servier has unveiled a new corporate venture fund, committing roughly $216 million to back early‑stage biotech focused on oncology and neurology. The fund, Servier Ventures, will target late pre‑clinical and Series A assets where it can add capital and industrial expertise, especially...
Candel Therapeutics Announces Commercial Agreement with EVERSANA to Support U.S. Launch of Prostate Cancer Therapy
Candel Therapeutics announced a commercialization agreement with EVERSANA to support the potential U.S. launch of its gene‑therapy candidate aglatimagene besadenovec (CAN‑2409) for intermediate‑ to high‑risk localized prostate cancer. EVERSANA will deliver a full suite of services, including data analytics, medical...
Chiesi Signs $1.9B Deal to Acquire KalVista and Its Approved Drug
Italian pharmaceutical group Chiesi announced a $1.9 billion cash acquisition of U.S. biotech KalVista Pharmaceuticals, paying $27 per share. KalVista brings an FDA‑approved therapy for a rare disease into Chiesi’s portfolio, bolstering its specialty drug offerings. The deal is part of...
Chiesi Expands Rare Disease Portfolio, Acquires KalVista for $1.9 Billion
Chiesi Group announced a $1.9 billion cash acquisition of KalVista Pharmaceuticals, its largest deal to date. The purchase adds EKTERLY (sebetralstat), the first oral, on‑demand therapy for hereditary angioedema (HAE), to Chiesi’s rare‑disease pipeline. EKTERLY is already approved in major markets...
When ADCs Meet Targeted Protein Degraders: The Emerging Field of Degrader-Antibody Conjugates
The biotech sector is exploring degrader‑antibody conjugates (DACs), a hybrid that merges antibody‑drug conjugate targeting with catalytic protein‑degradation payloads. C4 Therapeutics has expanded its partnership with Roche to co‑develop two undisclosed oncology DAC programs, while Orum Therapeutics secured $100 million to...
Teva to Acquire Emalex Biosciences for ~$900M
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Emalex Biosciences for an estimated $900 million, comprising $700 million upfront and up to $200 million in commercial milestones. The purchase brings Emalex’s lead asset, ecopipam—a selective dopamine D1 receptor antagonist—into Teva’s neuroscience...
Psychedelics Go Mainstream: Medicine, Mania Or Both?
Psychedelics are re‑emerging as a potential breakthrough in behavioral health, spurred by loosening regulations and a Trump‑issued executive order that accelerated research. Early clinical data suggest benefits for depression, PTSD and other conditions, prompting biotech stocks to rally after FDA...
Amgen, AZ Will Pilot FDA's Real-Time Clinical Trial Plan
The FDA unveiled a plan to receive clinical‑trial data in real time, aiming to accelerate drug development. AstraZeneca and Amgen have agreed to pilot the model with two studies that will stream endpoints and safety signals to regulators as they...
EPA Approves Soilcea’s CarriCea T1: The First CRISPR-Edited Rootstock to Offer Greening Tolerance for Florida Citrus
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved Soilcea’s CarriCea T1, the first CRISPR‑edited citrus rootstock engineered for tolerance to Huanglongbing (HLB) disease. Developed by University of Florida researchers and Soilcea, the rootstock blocks the bacterium’s interaction with the tree, limiting infection....
Robotics
Ekso Bionics' Ekso GT™ exoskeleton became the first FDA‑cleared wearable robot for stroke rehabilitation in May 2016. The device enables individuals with lower‑limb paralysis to stand and walk during therapy sessions. It also secured clearance for certain spinal‑cord‑injury patients, marking a...
Revolution’s on a Pancreatic Cancer Winning Streak. What Comes Next for the Biotech?
Revolution Medicines announced that its oral RAS(ON) inhibitor daraxonrasib nearly doubled overall survival in previously treated metastatic pancreatic cancer, while its second candidate zoldonrasib showed tumor shrinkage in over half of KRAS‑driven lung cancer patients. The breakthrough data sent the...
The 20 Enterprise AI Drug Discovery & Life Sciences CEOs You Need to Know in 2026
The AI Insider has compiled a roster of the 20 most influential CEOs steering enterprise AI drug discovery and life‑sciences firms in 2026. The list showcases companies that are compressing decade‑long development cycles into months through generative protein design, AI‑optimized...
Drug Trials Snapshot: DAXXIFY
Revance Therapeutics’ DAXXIFY, a daxibotulinumtoxin A formulation, received FDA approval on September 7 2022 for temporary reduction of moderate to severe glabellar lines. Approval was based on two randomized, double‑blind, placebo‑controlled trials (GL‑1 and GL‑2) that enrolled 609 adults across the United States...
HUTCHMED Reports NMPA’s NDA Acceptance Under Priority Review for Sovleplenib to Treat wAIHA
HUTCHMED’s oral JAK2 inhibitor sovleplenib has received NDA acceptance and priority review from China’s National Medical Products Administration for warm‑antibody autoimmune hemolytic anemia (wAIHA). The submission is backed by Phase II/III data showing a 43.8% overall response rate versus 0%...
Drug Trials Snapshots: VOQUEZNA TRIPLE PAK, VOQUEZNA DUAL PAK
Phathom Pharmaceuticals’ VOQUEZNA TRIPLE PAK (vonoprazan, amoxicillin, clarithromycin) and VOQUEZNA DUAL PAK (vonoprazan, amoxicillin) received FDA approval for adult Helicobacter pylori infection based on a 992‑patient trial across six countries. In the modified intent‑to‑treat population, the triple regimen eradicated the...
Drug Trials Snapshot: OPDUALAG
OPDUALAG, a fixed‑dose combo of nivolumab and relatlimab, received FDA approval in March 2022 for adults and adolescents with unresectable or metastatic melanoma. The pivotal trial enrolled 714 patients and showed a median progression‑free survival of 10.1 months versus 4.6...
Drug Trials Snapshots: VONJO
VONJO (pacritinib) received FDA accelerated approval on Feb. 28, 2022 for adult myelofibrosis patients with platelet counts ≤50,000/µL. The decision rests on a single trial that enrolled 63 low‑platelet patients, of whom 31 received VONJO and 32 received best available therapy. In...
Drug Trials Snapshot: PYRUKYND
AGIOS Pharmaceuticals’ mitapivat, marketed as PYRUKYND, received FDA approval in February 2022 for treating hemolytic anemia caused by pyruvate kinase deficiency. In pivotal trials, 40% of non‑transfused adults achieved a ≥1.5 g/dL hemoglobin increase versus none on placebo, while 33% of...
Drug Trials Snapshots: ENJAYMO
ENJAYMO (sutimlimab‑jome) received FDA approval in February 2022 as the first therapy to reduce red‑blood‑cell transfusions in adults with cold agglutinin disease (CAD). Approval was based on a single open‑label, single‑arm trial (CARDINAL) that enrolled 24 patients across eight countries. After...
Drug Trials Snapshots: VABYSMO
VABYSMO (faricimab‑svoa), approved in January 2022, was evaluated in four pivotal trials involving 2,591 patients with neovascular age‑related macular degeneration (nAMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME). The drug was administered monthly for four doses before transitioning to a personalized schedule based...
Drug Trials Snapshot: CIBINQO
Pfizer's oral JAK inhibitor CIBINQO (abrocitinib) received FDA approval in January 2022 for adults with refractory moderate‑to‑severe atopic dermatitis. The approval rests on three phase‑3 trials involving 1,615 patients across 18 countries, which demonstrated robust skin‑clearance outcomes at week 12, especially with...
Drug Trials Snapshot: IMAAVY
IMAAVY (nipocalimab‑aahu) received FDA approval on April 29, 2025 for generalized myasthenia gravis in patients 12 years and older with AChR or MuSK antibodies. In a pivotal 24‑week Phase III trial of 196 adults, the drug achieved a statistically significant 1.5‑point improvement...
MPM Has Collected Three China Drugs for Its ‘Best of Both Worlds’ Strategy
MPM BioImpact, a biotech investment firm, has finalized the acquisition of three China‑origin drug candidates as part of its "best of both worlds" strategy. The deals were brokered through its portfolio company K2 Therapeutics, which now controls three distinct programs...
Scientists Invented a Chewing Gum That Might Help Fight Cancer Some Day
Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania have engineered an antimicrobial chewing gum from lablab bean protein FRIL that dramatically reduces oral cancer‑associated microbes. Ex vivo tests showed a 93 percent drop in HPV levels and near‑zero counts of Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium...
Battle over DNA Within Fertilized Eggs May Explain Why some IVF Procedures Fail
A new mouse study published in Nature reveals that keeping maternal and paternal pronuclei separate in fertilized eggs promotes normal development. Up to 8% of IVF‑derived zygotes fuse these pronuclei prematurely, creating a single oversized pronucleus with altered DNA methylation....
The Strategic Investments Expanding CDMO Capabilities for HPAPIs and ADCs
Contract development and manufacturing organisations (CDMOs) are accelerating investments to meet soaring demand for highly potent active pharmaceutical ingredients (HPAPIs) and antibody‑drug conjugates (ADCs). The focus is on backward integration, high‑containment infrastructure, and advanced processing such as chromatography and lyophilisation...
Leipzig’s Primogene Raises €4.1 Million to Scale Enzymatic Biomanufacturing of Complex Bioactive Molecules
Leipzig‑based biotech Primogene announced a €4.1 million (≈$4.5 million) seed round led by High‑Tech Gründerfonds to expand its enzymatic biomanufacturing platform. The funding will be used to scale production, grow the team, and broaden its IP portfolio and strategic partnerships. Primogene’s enzyme‑driven...
International News in Brief: IVF Pregnancy Achieved with “Fully Autonomous” System, Prince Edward Island AVT Pilot, Amazon Weight Management Programme
A health‑tech startup, BAIBYS, announced a first‑trimester pregnancy achieved with its fully autonomous AI‑driven system that selects and isolates sperm cells for IVF, cutting procedure time dramatically. In Canada, Prince Edward Island joins a national AI‑scribe pilot that promises clinicians...
Arcera and Fosun Sign MoU for Neuroscience Innovation
Arcera Life Sciences and Fosun Pharma have signed a memorandum of understanding to create a long‑term strategic partnership focused on licensing, technology sharing, and neuroscience innovation. The deal taps Fosun’s research and manufacturing capabilities and Arcera’s access to international markets,...
Massive Bio Partners with OpenAI to Broaden Clinical Trial Access
Massive Bio has teamed up with OpenAI under the Impact Hours programme to automate clinical‑trial eligibility screening. The AI engine translates complex sponsor criteria into machine‑readable parameters, enabling real‑time, automated patient pre‑screening for oncology and haematology studies. The partnership includes...
Rocket to Sell PRV for $180m to Advance Gene Therapy Pipeline
Rocket Pharmaceuticals has agreed to sell its rare‑pediatric disease priority review voucher for $180 million after the FDA granted accelerated approval for its Kresladi gene therapy. The voucher, issued for addressing a rare paediatric condition, can be used to speed up...
CAR-T Cell Therapies Going in Vivo
Ex‑vivo CAR‑T therapies have saved tens of thousands of patients, but the industry is now pivoting to in‑vivo approaches that can be administered off‑the‑shelf. Over the past year, major pharma players have poured billions into in‑vivo CAR‑T platforms, highlighted by...
Tumor/Lymph Node Dual‐Targeting Ultrasonic Nanoconverter Orchestrates Spatiotemporal ROS Regulation for Dual‐Zone Programmed Sono‐STING Immunotherapy
Researchers have engineered a dual‑targeting ultrasonic nanoconverter (OPD@PSF) that co‑delivers the sonosensitizer protoporphyrin IX and the STING agonist Vadimezan to breast tumors and their draining lymph nodes. High‑power ultrasound at the tumor site generates abundant reactive oxygen species, inducing immunogenic...
Independent, Academic Cancer Trials Are Vital to Improve Patient Outcomes Worldwide
A Lancet Oncology Commission has been launched to evaluate the role of independent, academic cancer trials worldwide. The initiative stems from a coalition of 35 investigators and patient advocates spanning six continents, coordinated by the European Organisation for Research and...
Agios Pharmaceuticals Inc (AGIO) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Agios Pharmaceuticals reported a 45% year‑over‑year jump in PYRUKYND net revenue to $12.5 million, driven by stronger PKD sales, an extra ordering week, and higher specialty‑pharmacy processing. The company ends the quarter with roughly $1.3 billion in cash, supporting both commercial rollout...
Adeno-Associated Virus-Based Approaches for Mitochondrial Diseases: Advances and Challenges
Adeno‑associated virus (AAV) vectors are emerging as a versatile platform for treating mitochondrial diseases, especially those caused by nuclear‑encoded gene defects. Pre‑clinical studies have shown that AAV‑mediated delivery of nuclear genes can restore oxidative phosphorylation, extend survival, and improve organ...
Safety and Efficacy of Intratumoural Anti-CTLA4 with Intravenous Anti-PD1
The phase 1b NIVIPIT trial compared intratumoural (IT) ipilimumab at 0.3 mg kg⁻¹ plus intravenous nivolumab with the standard intravenous (IV) ipilimumab‑nivolumab regimen in untreated advanced melanoma. The IT arm achieved a markedly lower rate of grade 3‑4 treatment‑related adverse events (24 % vs 67 %...
Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc (IONS) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Ionis Pharmaceuticals reported record 2025 revenue of $944 million, a 34% year‑over‑year increase driven by strong sales of TRYNGOLZA, the launch of DAWNZERA, and robust R&D collaboration fees. Phase III data for olezarsen demonstrated up to a 72% reduction in triglycerides and...
Urban Edge Properties (UE) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Urban Edge Properties reported Q1 2026 net revenue of $12.5 million, a 45% year‑over‑year increase driven by stronger PKD sales, an extra ordering week, and expanded specialty pharmacy distribution. Patient enrollment rose to 248 completed forms with 142 patients now on...
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc (REGN) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Regeneron reported Q1 2025 revenue of $3 billion, with Dupixent and Libtayo delivering double‑digit growth while U.S. EYLEA sales fell 39% to $736 million amid co‑pay assistance gaps and rising Avastin use. Gross margin guidance was revised to 86‑87% after larger‑than‑expected inventory...
Anika Therapeutics Inc (ANIK) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Anika Therapeutics posted total revenue of $28.2 million for the quarter, an 8% decline driven by manufacturing yield issues and a $900,000 shortfall in international osteoarthritis‑pain sales. Gross margin fell to 51%—down 16 percentage points—after a one‑time $3 million non‑cash charge, though...
How the Immune System Battles Lifelong Viral Infections Acquired at Birth
Researchers at the University of Basel have demonstrated that the immune system does mount a response against chronic hepatitis B infections acquired at birth, contrary to long‑standing assumptions of tolerance. Using a mouse model that mimics perinatal infection, they observed gradual...
AI Model Detects Normally 'Invisible' Tissue Changes of Pancreatic Cancer at Stage 0
Researchers unveiled REDMOD, an AI radiomics framework that identifies stage 0 pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma on routine CT scans. In a multi‑institutional study of 219 cancer cases and 1,243 controls, REDMOD flagged disease an average of 475 days before clinical diagnosis, achieving 73%...
The BioPharm Brief: Expanding Access and Redefining Cancer Treatment
Henlius and Organon received European Commission approval for a pertuzumab biosimilar, expanding HER2‑targeted therapy access across the EU. Pfizer announced Phase 3 data showing its bispecific antibody Elrexfio improves progression‑free survival in relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. Genexine disclosed pre‑clinical activity...