Today's Pharma Pulse
Ona lands $86.6M Series B, one of Spain’s biggest biotech rounds
Spanish biotech firm Ona announced an $86.6 million Series B financing, ranking among the largest venture rounds in Spain’s life‑science sector this year. The round was led by Seventure Partners with participation from existing backers and new strategic investors. The funding will be used to scale Ona’s AI‑driven drug discovery platform and accelerate its pre‑clinical programs.
Traws Pharma Shares Surge 30% on Accelerated Hantavirus Drug Push
Traws Pharma (TRAW) saw its Nasdaq price climb roughly 30% to $2.20 after the company disclosed plans to fast‑track clinical candidates for hantavirus treatment and prevention. The move lifted the stock from an opening of $2.04 to a session high of $2.27, underscoring market enthusiasm for a disease with few therapeutic options.
VIDEO: ‘New Era of Oral Therapies’ on Horizon in Psoriasis
At the American Academy of Dermatology meeting, data from phase 3 trials showed that next‑generation TYK2 inhibitors zasocitinib (Takeda) and envudeucitinib (Alumis) achieved significant plaque‑psoriasis reduction by week 24. These oral agents build on the earlier success of deucravacitinib, offering greater specificity...
UCSF Neurologist Finds Psilocybin Can Reset Depressed Brain
UCSF neurologist Robin Carhart‑Harris said a single high‑dose psilocybin treatment produced lasting symptom relief for patients with treatment‑resistant depression, positioning the psychedelic as a structural brain reset rather than a daily chemical tweak.
FDA Approves Veppanu, First PROTAC Therapy for ESR1‑Mutant Breast Cancer
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Veppanu (vepdegestrant), the first PROTAC drug for estrogen‑receptor‑mutant breast cancer. The decision follows the VERITAC‑2 trial, where Veppanu extended median progression‑free survival to five months in the ESR1‑mutant subgroup, compared with 2.1...
Nanoparticle Platform Achieves 100% Survival in Drug‑Resistant Cancer Mice
Researchers led by Prof. Eijiro Miyako at Tohoku University unveiled a multifunctional nanoparticle that first blocks P‑glycoprotein pumps, then releases doxorubicin, and adds near‑infrared photothermal heating. In mouse models of multidrug‑resistant tumors the treatment caused full tumor regression and 100%...
Isomorphic Labs Nears $2 Billion Funding Round Led by Thrive Capital
Isomorphic Labs, the DeepMind‑spun AI drug‑discovery startup, is negotiating a financing round of more than $2 billion. Thrive Capital will lead the round, with Alphabet also participating, positioning the company for global expansion and a next‑generation drug‑design platform.
China's NMPA Grants Breakthrough Therapy Designation to NHWD-870 for Rare NUT Carcinoma
Zhejiang Wenda Pharmaceutical's oral BET inhibitor NHWD-870 has earned breakthrough therapy designation from China's NMPA for advanced thoracic NUT carcinoma, after Phase II data showed a 45% response rate and median survival of 9.33 months. The designation accelerates review and...
Big Apple Exclusive: Dr. McCullough Goes Live to Unveil Potential Cancer Breakthrough
In this episode, Dr. Peter McCullough, chief scientific officer of a wellness company, discusses an observational report on the off‑label use of two generic drugs—ivermectin and mebendazole—in cancer patients. The study, now under peer review, found that nearly half of participants...
Modicus Prime Announces $8M in Funding to Enable AI Audit Readiness Across Pharma
Modicus Prime announced it has closed an additional $4.5 million financing round led by Frist Cressey Ventures, bringing its total capital to $8 million. The funds will be used to scale its Trustworthy AI Compliance Software, which embeds a compliance layer into...
SuperDNA: AI-Driven Biotech Hub Accelerates Drug Discovery
Welcome to SuperDNA Up City - this will be the true automation biotechnology + AI Disneyland with 10 thousand humans in the loop. Most people do not realize that even today, with 30 developmental candidates some of which often trigger...
AI-Driven Method Creates Robust Clinical Trial Surrogate Markers
Super interesting via @oziadias & @DeanKateBaicker on an approach to generating robust surrogate markers, urgently needed but elusive, for clin trials, essentially via channeling the AI-enabled empiric analysis that I associate w PRS (cc @pnatarajanmd) https://t.co/FDP4Ym8ycC
Queensland Funds New Biomedical Manufacturing Projects to Strengthen Sovereign Capability
Queensland has earmarked about US$133 million from its Sovereign Industry Development Fund for its first biomedical manufacturing projects. More than US$12.9 million will support AdvanCell’s Thorium‑228 radiopharmaceutical plant and US$1.6 million will fund Southern RNA’s semi‑automated sterile fill‑finish platform, together creating roughly 100...
Politics Controls Medicare Drug Coverage, Shapes Private Insurers
Politics does determine which drugs Medicare &Medicaid pay for, and through those decisions, most private insurers. Wake up dude.
Low‑Cost Vaccines and Open Science Aren’t Evil
Hmmm, presumably making low-cost vaccines to help humanity, $2-4 per dose, no onerous patent restrictions, pioneering a way to bypass big pharma, helping the nation through a terrible pandemic, writing books with academic presses on history of science/medicine, constitute evil?
New Combo Shows Promise for Unknown Primary Cancer
Researchers reported phase II results of the Fudan CUP‑002 trial, which combines an anti‑PD‑1 checkpoint inhibitor, nab‑paclitaxel chemotherapy, and bevacizumab anti‑angiogenic therapy for cancer of unknown primary (CUP). The triplet achieved higher objective response rates and longer progression‑free survival than historical...
Government Sets Drug Funding, Market Determines Prices
Guess what, the government NOW decides how much it will pay and for which drugs. It will have to decide which lines of research it will support, as is the case now. The price wll be left to the market,...
China’s Rapid Dead-Virus Vaccines Match Severe-Case Protection
small point, but the record time is a bit of exaggeration. China developed two old-fashioned dead virus vaccines in roughly the same time-frame. They were less effective in preventing the original strain, but comparably effective in preventing serious illness and...
Engaging Older Adults in Pragmatic Trial Research
A 2026 multi‑methods study published in BMC Geriatrics examined how researchers involve older adults in pragmatic clinical trials. Using interviews, focus groups and surveys, the authors identified facilitators such as dedicated PPI coordinators and barriers like limited funding and absent...
StuffThatWorks Hires Veteran CRO Exec Caroline Redeker as Chief Commercial Officer
StuffThatWorks announced the appointment of Caroline Redeker as Chief Commercial Officer. The veteran CRO leader will steer commercialization of the company’s AI‑native patient‑generated data platform, which now spans over 3 million patients and 1.3 billion data points, aiming to halve trial timelines.
Regeneron Secures FDA Accelerated Approval for First Neurosensory Gene Therapy
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals has won FDA accelerated approval for Otarmeni, the first in‑vivo gene therapy aimed at restoring hearing in patients with OTOF‑related sensorineural loss. The decision, based on a Phase I/II CHORD trial of 20 children, makes the treatment free...
Asthma Medication Formoterol Shows Promise for Treating Fatty Liver Disease
Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina found that the asthma drug formoterol reverses fatty liver in mouse models of metabolic dysfunction‑associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and is linked to lower liver‑related complications in retrospective patient data. The β‑2 adrenergic agonist...
What Does Cannabis ‘Rescheduling’ Mean for Science and Society?
In April 2026 the U.S. Department of Justice reclassified cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III, ending a federal ban that has hampered scientific study for decades. The move clears a major regulatory hurdle, allowing federally funded researchers to conduct randomized controlled...
FDA Pushes Leqembi Subcutaneous Start‑Dose Review to Aug. 24, 2026
Eisai and Biogen announced that the U.S. FDA has extended the PDUFA deadline for Leqembi® Iqlik™ as a starting dose for early Alzheimer’s disease by three months, moving the decision date to Aug. 24, 2026. The agency cited a major amendment...
Reedley Lab Operator Convicted for $3.8 Million COVID Test Fraud
Jia Bei Zhu, the operator of a Reedley biolab, was convicted of a $3.8 million fraud scheme that sold mislabeled COVID‑19 test kits as U.S.-made. The verdict underscores weaknesses in oversight of small medical‑device firms and raises questions about future enforcement.
University of Michigan Unveils CRYSTAL Nanoassembly to Safely Activate STING in Cancer Therapy
A joint team from the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy and MD Anderson Cancer Center announced CRYSTAL, a manganese‑based nanoassembly that activates the STING pathway at low doses while avoiding systemic inflammation. Preclinical tests in triple‑negative breast cancer showed...
IBM Quantum Simulates 12,635‑Atom Protein Complex, Claiming 210‑Fold Accuracy Boost
IBM Research announced at the 2026 Think conference that its quantum hardware, together with classical supercomputers, simulated a 12,635‑atom protein complex, delivering a 210‑fold accuracy improvement over prior quantum‑centric methods. The breakthrough, demonstrated with partners Cleveland Clinic, RIKEN and Oak...
LSD Microdosing Linked to Acute Mood Improvements in Adults with Depression
A small open‑label pilot gave 19 adults with major depressive disorder sublingual LSD microdoses (4‑20 µg) over eight weeks. Participants reported acute spikes in creativity, energy and social connectedness on dosing days, with a 60% average reduction in overall depression severity...
Trump’s Psychedelic Executive Order Is the Beginning of the End of Prohibition
On April 18, President Trump signed an executive order to accelerate research, regulatory review, and patient access to psychedelic therapies for serious mental illness. The order does not legalize or de‑criminalize psychedelics but directs the FDA to issue priority vouchers...
The BioPharm Brief: Bispecifics, Biocatalysis, and Dual-Pathway Therapies
Harbour BioMed has secured FDA clearance to start a Phase I trial of its B7H4×CD3 bispecific antibody, HBM7004, in patients with advanced solid tumors. Merck published a scalable biocatalytic process for its oral PCSK9 inhibitor, enlicitide decanoate, showcasing a new route...
The Gates Foundation Is Funding A Startup’s Plan To Fight Malnutrition With Bacteria
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged new funding to Kanvas Biosciences to develop a synthetic microbiome pill aimed at treating environmental enteric dysfunction (EED), a gut‑inflammation disease that threatens roughly 150 million children worldwide. Kanvas uses machine‑learning‑driven microbiome mapping to...
Odyssey Completes Journey to NASDAQ: Public Equity Report
Odyssey Therapeutics completed its long‑awaited IPO and debuted on Nasdaq, after withdrawing a previous filing in June 2025. The immunology‑focused company priced its shares in early May 2026, marking a successful market entry. At the same time, three biotech firms—Cytokinetics,...
Tr1X: Inducing Long-Term Immune Tolerance with Allogeneic Tr1 Cells
BioCentury has updated its website privacy framework, detailing the use of strict, functional, marketing, advertising, and analytics cookies. The policy explains that essential cookies enable authentication, registration, and navigation, while functional cookies enhance personalization. Marketing and advertising cookies are used...
Gene Therapy Restores Six-Year-Old's Sight Like Magic
The mother of a six-year-old girl who had life-changing eye gene therapy says it is "like someone waved a magic wand and restored her sight https://t.co/IU3YRMtJSG
Brain Stimulation Boosts Willpower to Quit Smoking
A double‑blind, fMRI‑guided trial found that high‑frequency rTMS targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) cut smokers’ daily consumption by about 11 cigarettes, outperforming sham and orbitofrontal cortex stimulation. The 15‑session protocol boosted prefrontal activity while suppressing reward‑related regions, correlating...
FDA Approves Ocrevus for Relapsing-Remitting MS in Children Aged 10 Years and Up
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Genentech's ocrelizumab (Ocrevus) for children aged 10 and older who weigh at least 55 lb, expanding its use beyond adult multiple sclerosis (MS) populations. The decision follows the OPERETTA II trial, which demonstrated superior...
Addressing Manufacturing and Access Barriers in Advanced Therapeutics
Advanced cell and gene therapies are moving from research to commercial markets, but their complex manufacturing creates variability that delays patient access. Industry leaders are deploying process analytical technologies (PAT) and artificial intelligence (AI) to gain real‑time insight and predictive...
INBX to Release INBRX‑106 Phase 2 Data Monday
$INBX reporting INBRX-106 ph2 data on Monday. This is the ox40 cancer drug that reportedly drew interest from Merck and others?
Economic Assistance and Incentives for Drug Development
The FDA and other federal agencies offer a suite of pre‑approval assistance and post‑approval incentives to lower the financial risk of drug development. Programs such as the Orphan Products Grant, SBIR/STTR funding, and PDUFA fee waivers help sponsors fund clinical...
MRNA Nanoparticles Reprogram T Cells In Vivo, Show Promise
Impressive. In vivo reprogramming of killer T cells with mRNA-nanoparticle packaging in non-human primates. Multiple use cases in the clinic vs pathogens and cancer, no less an alternative version vs autoimmune diseases https://t.co/ddhebnxvkE @SciImmunology
GlycanAge to Launch Inflammaging Conference in Dubrovnik, Targeting Clinical Use
GlycanAge, together with the Mayo Clinic, announced a landmark conference in Dubrovnik, Croatia, opening June 19 with a dedicated clinical day on June 20. The event aims to turn 25 years of inflammaging research into actionable diagnostics for doctors and patients.
AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo Secure Earlier‑Line Enhertu Approvals in South Korea
AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo announced that South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety approved Enhertu for first‑line metastatic HER2‑positive breast cancer and second‑line HER2‑positive gastric cancer. The decisions, based on DESTINY‑Breast09 and DESTINY‑Gastric04 trials, could broaden the drug’s Asian...
Odyssey’s IPO Brings In $304M for Quest to Develop Better Immunology Drugs
Odyssey Therapeutics priced 15.5 million shares at $18, raising $304 million including a $25.2 million private placement. The funds will finance Phase 2a/2b trials of OD‑001, an oral RIPK2 inhibitor for ulcerative colitis, and advance OD‑002, a SLC15A4 inhibitor, toward Phase 1/2a. Odyssey’s platform targets...
Exclusive-Kennedy's Health Officials Explored US Ban of some Widely Used Antidepressants, Sources Say
U.S. Health and Human Services officials recently examined whether to restrict certain selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as Zoloft, Prozac and Lexapro, amid Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s push to curb their use. Kennedy announced reimbursement guidelines for...
Entera Announces First Quarter 2026 Financial Results and Updates Across Its Oral Peptide Programs
Entera Bio reported Q1 2026 results, highlighting a streamlined Phase 3 protocol for its lead osteoporosis candidate EB613 and a completed Phase 1 bridging study that positions a single‑tablet formulation for the upcoming trial. The company also advanced its partnership with OPKO, securing...
Family Offices Surge in April, Allocating One‑Third of Deals to Health‑Tech
Family offices stepped up deal‑making in April, completing 55 direct investments—up from 39 in March—and earmarked almost a third of those for healthcare and life‑science firms. The rebound follows a slowdown triggered by the Iran conflict and reflects a growing...
FDA Grants National Priority Voucher to Partner Therapeutics' BIZENGRI for Rare Liver Cancer
Partner Therapeutics announced that the FDA awarded a Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher for its bispecific antibody BIZENGRI, targeting NRG1‑positive cholangiocarcinoma. The voucher could cut review time to as little as two months, accelerating a therapy for an ultra‑rare liver cancer...
The $1 Trillion Cardiovascular Reset
The blog highlights Eli Lilly's $1.3 billion acquisition of Verve Therapeutics, targeting a one‑shot PCSK9 gene‑editing therapy that could replace daily statins. It underscores the massive adherence problem—up to 75% of statin users stop within two years—and the untapped 1.4 billion‑person market for...
Bristol Myers Squibb Accused of Buying Off Competitors to Delay Development of Generic Cancer Drugs
Centene Corp. filed a federal antitrust lawsuit accusing Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) of conspiring with generic manufacturers to delay competition for lenalidomide and its brand version Revlimid. The complaint says BMS earned $5.2 billion in Revlimid sales in 2023 and raised...
![[Comment] Could Enpatoran Add to Our Therapeutic Toolbox in SLE?](https://hixhlmpcokxhartfkpyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/images/thumbnails/34fb3ece9b6e61491e68aaab9182a7fc.webp)
[Comment] Could Enpatoran Add to Our Therapeutic Toolbox in SLE?
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) remains a heterogeneous disease with only two novel agents—BAFF and type‑1 interferon receptor inhibitors—approved since the 1950s. These drugs often fall short as stand‑alone treatments, are expensive, and are not uniformly accessible worldwide. Clinicians continue to...
![[Comment] RTS,S/AS01 Implementation Reduces Mortality in African Children](https://hixhlmpcokxhartfkpyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/images/thumbnails/421f4ef62893dab4b11bed93097fa02e.webp)
[Comment] RTS,S/AS01 Implementation Reduces Mortality in African Children
A recent Lancet analysis shows that the RTS,S/AS01 (Mosquirix) malaria vaccine rollout in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi cut child mortality by roughly 20% after three years of implementation. The program reached over five million children under five, integrating the vaccine...