ASCO26: Big Win for Erleada in Perioperative Prostate Cancer
Johnson & Johnson’s Erleada (apalutamide) dramatically improved outcomes when added to radical prostatectomy plus androgen‑deprivation therapy in a 2,109‑patient global trial presented at ASCO. Complete or near‑complete pathological response rose ninefold to 8.9% versus 1% in the control arm. Patients experienced a 29% lower risk of recurrence, a 20% lower risk of metastasis, and median overall survival extended to 57.1 months compared with 38.4 months. The study, the largest ever in localized high‑risk prostate cancer, marks the first peri‑operative use of an ARPI.
ASCO: BMS Hails "Compelling" Phase 3 Celmod Readout
Bristol Myers Squibb presented phase 3 data for mezigdomide, a cereblon E3 ligase modulator, combined with carfilzomib and dexamethasone in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. The SUCCESSOR‑2 trial showed a 52% reduction in progression or death risk and a median progression‑free survival of...
Pharmacy First Prescribing Expanded to Ease GP Pressure
The UK government has unveiled a £340 million (≈ $430 million) programme to broaden the range of medicines community pharmacists in England can prescribe, adding five new therapeutic categories to the existing Pharmacy First list. The move, part of the 2024‑2025 Pharmacy First...
Zuckerberg, Chan's Biohub Launches Protein 'World Model'
The Chan Zuckerberg Biohub has unveiled an AI‑driven "world model" for protein biology, built on an atlas of 6.8 billion proteins and 1.1 billion structures. The open‑source platform combines the ESMC language model with the ESMFold2 design engine to predict structures, design...
FDA Delays Verdict on AZ Breast Cancer Drug
FDA has extended its review of AstraZeneca’s oral SERD camizestrant after the Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee voted against its frontline indication. The agency requested additional analyses, including circulating tumor DNA clearance data, to evaluate long‑term efficacy. Camizestrant, which showed a...
Roche Launches Liver Disease Algorithm Panel
Roche has unveiled the first comprehensive Liver Disease Panel, a suite of certified AI algorithms designed to improve management of chronic liver disease (CLD). The panel, added to Roche’s navify marketplace, features the CE‑marked LiverPRO algorithm and the Elecsys PRO‑C3...
Philanthropic Drive Puts $140m Behind Strep A Vaccine
A $140 million fund launched by Coefficient Giving will finance research and development of vaccines against Strep A, an infection responsible for roughly 639,000 deaths each year and the root cause of rheumatic heart disease affecting 55 million people. The nonprofit, which has...
Lilly Gets Back in Infectious Disease, via Three M&A Deals
Eli Lilly is re‑entering infectious disease with three acquisitions totaling over $3.8 billion: Curevo, LimmaTech Biologics and Vaccine Company. The deals give Lilly a shingles vaccine candidate (CRV‑101) that could challenge GSK’s Shingrix, a portfolio of antibacterial vaccines against resistant pathogens, and...
Arthrosi Drug Trial in Gout Delivers for New Owner Sobi
Swedish biotech Sobi’s $1.5 billion acquisition of Arthrosi is yielding results as its gout drug pozdeutinurad met primary goals in the phase 3 REDUCE‑2 trial. The URAT1 inhibitor lowered serum uric acid to ≤6 mg/dl in 69.2% of patients at a 75 mg dose...
Late-Breakers to Look Out for at ASCO 2026
ASCO 2026’s late‑breaker session will unveil a slate of pivotal trials that could reshape treatment algorithms across liver, bladder, pancreatic, prostate, multiple myeloma and several rare cancers. AstraZeneca will present EMERALD‑3 and POTOMAC data, pushing its Imfinzi‑based combos into first‑line...
Oral Wegovy Backed by CHMP at May Meeting
The European Medicines Agency’s CHMP gave a positive opinion on Novo Nordisk’s oral formulation of Wegovy, marking the first EU approval for an oral GLP‑1 weight‑loss drug. The endorsement paves the way for a launch in select non‑US markets in...
GBL Joins CVC in €10.7bn Takeover Bid for Recordati
Private equity firm CVC, already holding 46.8% of Recordati, has teamed up with Belgian investor GBL to formalise a €51.29‑per‑share, €10.7 billion (~$11.6 billion) takeover bid for the Italian pharma group. The consortium also includes ADIA’s Luxinva, CPPIB and chairman Andrea Recordati,...
NICE Changes Stance on Genmab's Cervical Cancer Drug
Two months after rejecting Genmab’s Tivdak, the UK health technology body NICE has reversed course, recommending the antibody‑drug conjugate for adults with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer. The decision follows a revised economic model that incorporates the innovaTV 301 trial results...
Biogen, Denali Pull Parkinson's Drug After Failed Trial
Biogen has halted development of BIIB122, its LRRK2‑inhibitor partner with Denali, after the phase 2b LUMA trial failed to slow Parkinson’s disease progression despite achieving about 30% target inhibition. The study, which included both LRRK2‑mutated and idiopathic patients, missed its primary...
Infex Chases After Insmed with Bronchiectasis Trial Win
Infex Therapeutics announced that its anti‑PcrV antibody RESP‑X (INFEX702) successfully completed a Phase 2a trial in patients with non‑cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB) colonised by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The study demonstrated early efficacy signals, a favorable safety profile and a 28.8‑day half‑life supporting...