Know What's Happening in Pharma
Know What's Happening in Pharma
Eli Lilly’s oral GLP‑1 pill and triple‑agonist trial reshape obesity drug race
The FDA approved Lilly’s oral GLP‑1 weight‑loss tablet Foundayo (orforglipron), which can be taken without food or water restrictions. In a Phase 3 trial, Lilly’s experimental injectable triple‑hormone agonist retatrutide achieved a 28.7% average body‑weight reduction, outpacing Novo Nordisk’s next‑generation candidates.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Lupin Limited acquires VISUfarma
The FDA launched the AI‑powered Adverse Event Monitoring System (AEMS) on March 11, 2026, consolidating VAERS, FAERS and other databases into a single, real‑time platform. AI automates data entry and categorization, replacing quarterly updates with instant reporting. Early testing showed a 3,000% surge in user access and the system is projected to save about $120 million over five years versus the previous $37 million annual cost. AEMS centralizes 6‑7 million annual adverse‑event reports, giving consumers and clinicians faster, clearer safety information.
Boston Scientific announced that its EKOS™ Endovascular System, combined with anticoagulation, lowered the 7‑day composite endpoint for intermediate‑risk pulmonary embolism to 4.0% versus 10.3% with anticoagulation alone, a 61% relative reduction. The findings, presented at ACC.26 and published in NEJM,...
Australian biotech Cortical Labs demonstrated that 200,000 living human neurons cultured on a silicon chip can learn to play the 1993 shooter Doom. The proof‑of‑concept highlights neuromorphic computing’s potential to cut power use in enterprise AI, prompting CIOs to reassess...
Scientists have demonstrated magnetic nanorobots smaller than blood cells that can be steered by external magnets to deliver chemotherapy directly to tumors. The technology aims to cut side effects and enable new hyperthermia treatments, signaling a potential shift in nanomedicine.
Wall Street analysts project that GLP-1 focused biotech stocks could see their valuations triple before the end of 2026. The forecast highlights market leaders Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, while also flagging Viking Therapeutics as a high‑risk, high‑reward play.
Johns Hopkins Medicine and Unbound Medicine have published the first ever clinical guidance on psychedelic medicine through the Johns Hopkins Psychiatry POC‑IT Guide. The guidance targets clinicians treating treatment‑resistant depression and PTSD, offering evidence‑based recommendations as psychedelic‑assisted therapies near FDA...
A research team led by KAIST has identified how graphene oxide (GO) can selectively attack bacterial membranes while sparing mammalian cells, demonstrating rapid wound‑healing in mouse and pig models. The discovery could accelerate antimicrobial product development without relying on traditional...
Graphene oxide targets and destroys bacterial membranes by binding to a unique lipid absent in human cells, enabling selective antibacterial action and offering a promising alternative to conventional antibiotics. nanotechnology
Kailera Therapeutics, one of biotech’s best‑funded startups, announced plans to go public to finance the Phase 3 trial of its obesity drug co‑developed with China’s Hengrui. The IPO aims to raise capital that will position the company against heavyweight rivals such...
CK Life Sciences, the Li Ka‑shing‑backed unit, has created Sequencio Therapeutics in Hong Kong to fast‑track its cancer‑vaccine pipeline in mainland China using investigator‑initiated trials (IITs). The fast‑track channel can cut trial start‑up time from 18‑24 months to a few months,...
The SPIRIT‑HF trial, designed to test spironolactone in heart‑failure patients with preserved or mildly reduced ejection fraction, enrolled only 730 of the planned 1,564 participants and therefore lacked statistical power. Over two years, the composite of cardiovascular death or total...
Small molecules that alter RNA structure, rather than simply binding to it, have a greater impact on RNA function, highlighting the importance of targeting RNA folding in drug development. molecularbiology
Rocket Pharmaceuticals received FDA approval on March 27 for KRESLADI, its first marketed product and the first gene therapy for a rare pediatric disorder. The clearance also awarded the company a Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher, which can be...
Allogene Therapeutics announced that its lead CAR‑T candidate cemacabtagene ansegedleucel (cema‑cel) stays on track in the pivotal Phase 2 ALPHA3 trial for first‑line consolidation in large B‑cell lymphoma, enrolling over 60 sites globally. An interim futility analysis is slated for April 2026...
Allogene Therapeutics announced that its lead CAR‑T candidate cema‑cel remains on schedule in the pivotal Phase 2 ALPHA3 trial for first‑line consolidation of large B‑cell lymphoma, now enrolling at more than 60 sites worldwide. An interim futility analysis is set for...
Aardvark Therapeutics announced on March 23, 2026 that it is voluntarily pausing its Phase 3 HERO trial of ARD‑101 for Prader‑Willi syndrome and the ARD‑201 obesity program while it consults the FDA. The decision follows cardiac findings in healthy‑volunteer studies, where...
A Cleveland Clinic secondary analysis of a 13,000‑patient trial shows tirzepatide lowers the combined risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure, kidney failure and death by 16% versus dulaglutide. The findings, presented at the ACC meeting, give longevity‑focused biohackers new...
$TENX $TECX 🤔 $MRK sotatercept high dose *missed* stat sig on 6MWT in P2 (and it wasn’t particularly close). The low dose hit stat sig (barely) and was the dose taken to P3. What to make of a...
SGLT2 Inhibitors Act Independently of SGLT2 to Confer Benefit for HFrEF in Mice “The beneficial effects of SGLT2i treatment in gKO mice conclusively demonstrate that in a physiologically relevant preclinical model of HFrEF, SGLT2i can exert therapeutic benefits via off-target pharmacology.3...
Merck announced that its experimental drug Winrevair will move into a pivotal Phase 3 trial for a rare form of heart failure, focusing on the lowest dose tested in Phase 2. The Phase 2 data showed a "pretty profound" efficacy signal at that...
Long-term effect of discontinuing anticholinesterase treatment on cognitive decline and mortality in Alzheimer's disease in France: a quasi-experiment and target trial emulation study https://t.co/YUcSc7w9HG
Network pharmacology approach to unravel the neuroprotective potential of natural products: a narrative review https://t.co/LGgQeHQHwF https://t.co/OiCYu2OxZq
Nektar Therapeutics presented Phase 2b data 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 alopecia areata. The results position rezpegaldesleukin as the first IL‑2‑based...
The list of conditions for which GLP-1 drugs provide benefit independent of weight loss keeps growing. Add psoriatic arthritis #AAD26 @AADskin https://t.co/kJej6osXTS
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...
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...
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 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...
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...
Direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertising in the United States now commands $6‑8 billion in annual TV spend, propelling antipsychotics and biologics into mainstream consumer consciousness. Companies such as Eli Lilly and AbbVie have poured $30 million‑$24 million per month into campaigns for drugs like Rexulti...
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...
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...
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...
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 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 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...
Supply‑chain analysts say the United Kingdom is only weeks away from shortages of essential medicines, from painkillers to cancer therapies, if the Iran war drags on. Disruptions to Gulf air routes and the Strait of Hormuz have forced firms onto...
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
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 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 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 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....
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...
#ThisDayInTechHistory. March 27, 1998. The FDA approved Viagra developed by Pfizer. (Untold Story) #HealthTech #JVGpost https://t.co/GJea9vd0v9
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...
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...
When I started Don't Die in 2021, we evaluated all the scientific evidence for the most powerful anti-aging therapies. Psychedelics were no where to be found. A wild turn of events that they're now front and center for us....
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
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...
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
