STAT+: Novartis CEO Joins Anthropic’s Board
Novartis chief executive Vasant Panda has been appointed to the board of AI startup Anthropic, underscoring the growing convergence of pharma and generative‑AI. At the same time, Revolution Medicines secured $2 billion through simultaneous equity and debt offerings after its experimental pancreatic‑cancer drug daraxonrasib doubled median overall survival in a Phase 3 trial. Bain Capital has spun out a new venture, Beeline Medicines, to advance five immunology assets licensed from Bristol Myers Squibb. These moves highlight intensified capital flows and cross‑industry collaborations shaping biotech’s future.
STAT+: New Bain Biotech Startup, Building on BMS Drugs, Gets a Name and a CEO
Bain Capital Life Sciences has launched a new biotech venture, Beeline Medicines, backed by a $300 million investment and five drug assets licensed from Bristol Myers Squibb. The startup will focus on inflammatory and immune‑mediated diseases, beginning with an oral candidate for...
Opinion: My Brother Can’t Access a Just-Approved Breakthrough Drug for His Rare Disease
A newly FDA‑approved breakthrough drug promises to address the neurological degeneration that has long plagued patients with Hunter syndrome, a rare lysosomal disorder. While the approval marks a scientific milestone, patients like the author’s 28‑year‑old twin brother still face barriers...
For Ben Sasse, Revolution Medicines’ Pancreatic Cancer Trial Felt Like His Best, only Option
Former U.S. senator Ben Sasse was diagnosed with metastatic pancreatic cancer in December and promptly enrolled in an early‑phase trial of Revolution Medicines' targeted drug daraxonrasib. The therapy, positioned as a first‑line option, aims to extend both the quantity and...
STAT+: Revolution Medicines Touts ‘Unprecedented’ Data for Pancreatic Cancer Pill
Revolution Medicines reported that its oral KRAS‑G12C inhibitor daraxonrasib more than doubled survival for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. In a head‑to‑head trial, the daily pill yielded a median overall survival of 13.2 months versus 6.7 months for standard chemotherapy....
STAT+: Allogene Therapeutics’ CAR-T Treatment Eliminates Residual Cancer Cells in B-Cell Lymphoma Patients
Allogene Therapeutics reported that its off‑the‑shelf CAR‑T therapy, cema‑cel, eliminated residual cancer cells in B‑cell lymphoma patients at three times the rate of standard care, meeting the interim goal of its Phase 3 trial. In the interim analysis, 58% of treated...
STAT+: Spyre Therapeutics IBD Drug Shows Promise in Early Trial
Spyre Therapeutics reported positive Phase 2 data for its ulcerative colitis candidate SPY001, showing safety and meeting the trial's primary endpoint. In the SKYLINE study, patients experienced a 9.2‑point drop in a disease‑activity index, and roughly 40% entered remission after 12...
STAT+: 5 Years After Lupus Breakthrough, CAR-T Is Still Surprising Autoimmunity Researchers
Five years after a pioneering CAR‑T treatment rescued a teenage lupus patient, the therapy has sustained remission and reshaped expectations for autoimmune disease management. The case, led by German rheumatologist Georg Schett, proved that engineered T cells could safely target...
STAT+: Biotech VCs, Used to a Winning Formula in Drug Development, Face Disruption
For decades, biotech venture capitalists have followed a formula—seed university science, add seasoned pharma executives, and invest tens of millions—to generate drugs and returns. That playbook is now under pressure as Chinese biotech firms deliver research faster and cheaper, and...
STAT+: A Decade Ago, These Drugs Tore Apart the FDA. Today, They Might Be some Patients’ Best Hope
Exon‑skipping therapies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, once a source of controversy at the FDA, are now delivering unexpected clinical benefits. A recent trial involving 39 patients, including 5‑year‑old Hawken Miller, showed functional improvements that have surprised leading experts. The drugs,...
STAT+: Many Cancer Patients Don’t Get Genomic Tests to Guide Treatment, Study Finds
Genomic sequencing, a key component of precision oncology, is underused in metastatic cancer care. A JAMA Network Open study of five cancer types found that only about half of patients received tumor genetic testing, with lower rates among low‑income, Medicare/Medicaid,...
STAT+: Stealth Biotech Stipple Bets on Secretive ADCs
Stealth biotech Stipple is quietly advancing secretive antibody‑drug conjugates (ADCs) as the market races toward targeted cancer therapies. A recent four‑month FDA review delay forced a cash‑strapped small biotech to shut down, underscoring the existential risk of regulatory setbacks for...
STAT+: How a Four-Month FDA Delay Forced a Small Biotech Company to Close Its Doors
Kezar Life Sciences, a small biotech developing a treatment for autoimmune hepatitis, saw a critical FDA meeting cancelled four months late, derailing its trial timeline. The delay forced investors to withdraw, prompting the company to lay off most of its...
STAT+: Lilly’s Obesity Pill Enters the Oral GLP-1 Game, Novo Responds
The FDA approved Eli Lilly’s oral GLP‑1 obesity pill orforglipron, marking the first FDA‑cleared oral weight‑loss drug. The approval puts Lilly into direct competition with Novo Nordisk, which is developing its own oral GLP‑1 candidate. Simultaneously, a draft Trump administration order could...
STAT+: Trump Administration Prepares 100% Tariffs on some Imported Drugs
The Trump administration is poised to issue an order that would levy a 100% tariff on imports of patented medicines and their active pharmaceutical ingredients. A draft of the order suggests the tariffs could be announced as early as Thursday,...
