Curated news and analysis on clinical trials, drug approvals, and medical research.
A global analysis of early-onset gastric cancer found mortality declining 2.9% annually from 1990 to 2021, while disparities between high- and low-income regions widened. In 2021, the disease accounted for about 125,000 new cases, 78,000 deaths, and 3.86 million DALYs worldwide.
NRx said the FDA issued a positive review letter on its preservative-free ketamine ANDA, requesting only minor administrative changes. The company also received FDA guidance outlining a path to an NDA for NRX-100 using clinical trial data and real-world evidence.
AI is reshaping pharma work by adding roles in drug discovery, commercial analytics and in-house AI teams rather than driving major job losses. Companies are also moving toward always-on intelligence as faster market shifts expose the limits of siloed, episodic insight models.
Ascentage Pharma said six clinical abstracts were selected for ASCO 2026 and four preclinical studies will be presented at AACR 2026. The presentations feature olverembatinib and other pipeline candidates.
mRNA cancer vaccines showed promising pancreatic cancer trial results and boosted tumor-fighting drugs in other research. U.S. officials canceled $500 million in vaccine funding, while the NCI is backing a $200 million cancer vaccine partnership.
PARP inhibitors remain strongest in BRCA1/2-altered tumors as use beyond that group has been uneven. In June 2025, the FDA narrowed Zejula’s first-line ovarian maintenance indication to HRD-positive tumors only.
The mRNA synthesis and manufacturing market is projected to grow from USD 2.23 billion in 2024 to USD 2.96 billion by 2029 at a 5.8% CAGR. Consumables led in 2023, while Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region.
The UK has begun a 4,000-volunteer H5N1 bird flu vaccine trial using mRNA technology. The study will assess safety and immune response, with CEPI providing £40m in funding.
Novartis reported 2025 sales of $54.5 billion, up 8%, while earnings per share rose 15% to $8.98. Amarin reported fiscal 2025 revenue of $213.6 million, down 6.5%, and narrowed its net loss per share to $0.09 from $0.20.
Deutsche Bank upgraded Merck to Buy and raised its price target to $150 from $115, citing a clear path beyond Keytruda’s patent expiration. Merck meanwhile forecast 2026 revenue of $65.5 billion to $67.0 billion and said it faces a $2.5 billion headwind this year.
Three people were arrested after a Hancock County investigation into a December 2024 overdose death. Authorities said the death was caused by fentanyl toxicity and led to indictments returned on February 9.
Peptris has raised INR 70 crore ($7.7 million) in a Series A round to advance programs toward clinical readiness and expand its AI-led drug discovery pipeline over 24 months.
The U.S. pharmaceutical cold chain is under pressure as growth in mRNA, CAR-T and precision biologics outpaces temporary storage capacity. Annual losses near $35 billion are attributed to cold-chain failures.
Atopic dermatitis updates in 2026 included long-term upadacitinib safety, phase 3 amlitelimab and rademikibart data, and 5-year interim dupilumab results in children. A market report also listed multiple emerging therapies in late-stage development.
Regeneron said the Phase 3 NIMBLE trial of cemdisiran in generalized myasthenia gravis met primary and key secondary endpoints at week 24. The company said a U.S. regulatory application has been submitted and EU filings are planned for 2026.
Danaher guided for 3% to 6% revenue growth and adjusted EPS of $8.35 to $8.50 in 2026 as biopharma spending shows signs of recovery. Recent results included $6.8 billion in quarterly sales, 2.5% core revenue growth and $1.8 billion in free cash flow.
The FDA said uniQure’s Phase I/II data for Huntington’s disease gene therapy AMT-130 are not adequate for a marketing application. The agency recommended a new randomised, double-blind, sham surgery-controlled study.
A publication in NEJM AI outlined seven human factors-related risks for AI-enabled medical devices and called for clearer workflows, training, fallback options and post-market monitoring. The analysis said current approval requirements only partially address these risks, while separate evidence cited persistent accuracy and verification problems in medical AI use.
TMEM87A was identified as a mediator of ferroptosis resistance through buffering Golgi pH. In murine tumor models, TMEM87A ablation suppressed tumor progression and potentiated PD1 blockade therapy.
Karmanos and the Detroit Public Library have opened registration for the 2026 Community Conversations on Cancer series. Three sessions will address colon cancer, implicit bias in care, and multiple myeloma.
