DDW Highlights: 9 June 2026

Greywolf Therapeutics’ experimental oral ERAP1 inhibitor GRWD‑5769 demonstrated striking efficacy in the Phase 1 EMIT‑1 trial, achieving up to 55% tumor reduction in non‑small cell lung cancer and notable shrinkage across colorectal, urothelial, head‑and‑neck, liver and cervical cancers. By enhancing antigen presentation, the drug re‑sensitizes tumors to the checkpoint antibody simiplumab, addressing long‑standing challenges of T‑cell exhaustion and tumor invisibility. These results, presented at ASCO 2026, position GRWD‑5769 as a differentiated immuno‑oncology candidate poised for Phase 2 expansion.

Researchers at UCL and Cambridge warned that breakthrough obesity medicines such as semaglutide and terzepatide could exacerbate health disparities without integrated dietary support. With terzepatide priced at roughly £200 per month—about $255—many patients lack affordable access to the accompanying nutrition counseling and healthy food needed for sustained benefit. The authors argue that policy‑level interventions are essential to prevent a widening gap between those who can afford comprehensive care and those who cannot.

Personalized breast‑cancer treatment advanced through the OPTIMA trial, where the Prosigna gene assay identified 68% of patients with low scores who safely omitted chemotherapy, achieving comparable five‑year survival. Meanwhile, AI’s promise in drug development faces trust and regulatory hurdles; a Pistoia Alliance poll found half of respondents cite uncertainty as a barrier, though 42% already see early ROI. The sector’s milestone arrived with Quotient Sciences launching the first AI‑designed oral formulation into a Phase 1 safety study, underscoring a shift toward machine‑learning‑driven development while regulators seek auditable, explainable models.