Curated news and analysis on clinical trials, drug approvals, and medical research.
A major evidence review of 17 clinical trials involving more than 20,000 participants found anti-amyloid Alzheimer’s drugs had absent or trivial effects on cognitive decline and dementia. The review also said the drugs likely increase the risk of brain swelling and bleeding.
A study in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health linked academic pressure at age 15 to higher depressive symptoms through age 22 and self-harm risk through age 24.
A new Cochrane review said anti-amyloid Alzheimer’s drugs show no clinically meaningful benefit, but many researchers said the analysis has major limitations. Newer evidence on lecanemab and donanemab and broader drug development efforts continue to shape the field.
A review of 17 studies involving 20,342 patients found anti-amyloid Alzheimer’s drugs had “trivial” effects after 18 months and increased the risk of brain swelling and bleeding. A separate PET study suggested ARIA-E may mark brain regions with greater amyloid plaque reduction.
Novartis chief executive Vas Narasimhan has joined Anthropic’s board. The appointment adds a pharma executive as Anthropic expands into drug discovery and launches Claude for Life Sciences.
Lunai Bioworks said it received U.S. Patent No. 12,369,861 for debiasing data in drug discovery predictions. The patent covers multimodal data standardization and structural bias removal before predictive modeling.
Louisiana regulators voted to fast-track Entergy’s $21 billion proposal tied to Meta’s planned Richland Parish data center. Analyses cited in the debate say the policy could shift more than half of related power costs to ratepayers and add $14 billion to $26 billion in wholesale electricity system costs over 15 years.
The University of Cincinnati Cancer Center’s Blood Cancer Healing Center added research laboratories and the UC Osher Wellness Suite and Learning Kitchen. The expansion joins clinical services launched in July 2024 and adds new research, wellness and community programming space.
A perspective article says global regulatory frameworks for generative AI medical devices are an urgent priority. It highlights risks, limits of current rules, and the need for multidisciplinary collaboration.
Studies in muscle-invasive bladder cancer found ctDNA predicted metastatic risk after bladder-sparing treatment, while urine tumor DNA was more sensitive for residual bladder disease. Data from RETAIN-2 and a PNAS study support molecular testing to help select patients for bladder preservation.
PDS Biotechnology announced positive interim Phase 2 Stage 1 data for PDS01ADC plus HAIP in MSS/pMMR colorectal liver metastases. The trial showed a 77.8% objective response rate and about 85% 24-month survival in 9 patients.
Heather Quintana Suchan said early biomarker testing and genomic profiling identified an exon 20 mutation and helped match her to Rybrevant for stage 4 lung cancer. She said the treatment is working well with minimal side effects and is urging patients to seek personalized testing early.
Researchers developed an AI-driven drug discovery platform that models protein flexibility during molecular binding. The suite includes YuelDesign, YuelPocket and YuelBond.
Scientists at NTU Singapore developed an AI-powered biochip that detects multiple microRNA biomarkers in 20 minutes. The platform achieved more than 99 per cent accuracy in test channels.
The FDA has expanded animal drug options for New World screwworm through conditional approvals and emergency use authorizations. The agency lists products for cattle, dogs and cats and says its guidance page will be updated as more drugs move through the system.
A study found seniors with screening-detected atrial fibrillation had a roughly threefold higher risk of heart failure. Heart failure was often diagnosed within six months.
Registered nurses at Baystate Franklin Medical Center voted 98.2% to authorize a potential 1-3 day strike after filing an unfair labor practice charge over a staffing proposal. The dispute centers on use of a non-union float pool, nurse-patient limits, wages, and recruitment and retention.
The global healthcare contract research organization market is estimated at USD 60.66 billion in 2025 and is expected to reach USD 124.56 billion by 2035. North America led in 2025, while Asia Pacific is projected to post the fastest growth.
Artificial intelligence is being adopted across clinical development and could shorten drug development timelines by roughly 18 months while lowering R&D spending by about 5%. Data provenance and consent frameworks remain key issues as pharma companies expand AI use.
Johnson & Johnson raised its full-year forecast after stronger-than-expected quarterly results driven by cancer, immunology and neuroscience drugs. Sales were $24.56 billion and adjusted earnings were $2.46 per share, with Innovative Medicines sales rising 10.0% to $15.76 billion.
