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Daily
Every morning
Weekly
Tuesday recap
Shionogi completes $2.5B acquisition of ALS drug Radicava
Shionogi has finalized a $2.5 billion purchase of global rights to the ALS therapy Radicava from Tanabe Pharma, adding a rare‑disease asset and a U.S. commercial platform that is expected to generate roughly $700 million in revenue starting fiscal 2026.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Lupin Limited acquires VISUfarma in undisclosed deal
Rocket Pharmaceuticals received FDA approval on March 27 for KRESLADI, its first marketed product and the first gene therapy for a rare pediatric disorder. The clearance also awarded the company a Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher, which can be monetized for significant non‑dilutive capital. Rocket plans a measured launch through specialized centers, targeting a very small patient pool. As of December 31, 2025, the firm held $188.9 million in cash and equivalents, supporting the rollout and pipeline development.
Allogene Therapeutics announced that its lead CAR‑T candidate cemacabtagene ansegedleucel (cema‑cel) stays on track in the pivotal Phase 2 ALPHA3 trial for first‑line consolidation in large B‑cell lymphoma, enrolling over 60 sites globally. An interim futility analysis is slated for April 2026...
Allogene Therapeutics announced that its lead CAR‑T candidate cema‑cel remains on schedule in the pivotal Phase 2 ALPHA3 trial for first‑line consolidation of large B‑cell lymphoma, now enrolling at more than 60 sites worldwide. An interim futility analysis is set for...
Aardvark Therapeutics announced on March 23, 2026 that it is voluntarily pausing its Phase 3 HERO trial of ARD‑101 for Prader‑Willi syndrome and the ARD‑201 obesity program while it consults the FDA. The decision follows cardiac findings in healthy‑volunteer studies, where...
A Cleveland Clinic secondary analysis of a 13,000‑patient trial shows tirzepatide lowers the combined risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure, kidney failure and death by 16% versus dulaglutide. The findings, presented at the ACC meeting, give longevity‑focused biohackers new...
$TENX $TECX 🤔 $MRK sotatercept high dose *missed* stat sig on 6MWT in P2 (and it wasn’t particularly close). The low dose hit stat sig (barely) and was the dose taken to P3. What to make of a...
SGLT2 Inhibitors Act Independently of SGLT2 to Confer Benefit for HFrEF in Mice “The beneficial effects of SGLT2i treatment in gKO mice conclusively demonstrate that in a physiologically relevant preclinical model of HFrEF, SGLT2i can exert therapeutic benefits via off-target pharmacology.3...
Merck announced that its experimental drug Winrevair will move into a pivotal Phase 3 trial for a rare form of heart failure, focusing on the lowest dose tested in Phase 2. The Phase 2 data showed a "pretty profound" efficacy signal at that...
Network pharmacology approach to unravel the neuroprotective potential of natural products: a narrative review https://t.co/LGgQeHQHwF https://t.co/OiCYu2OxZq
The list of conditions for which GLP-1 drugs provide benefit independent of weight loss keeps growing. Add psoriatic arthritis #AAD26 @AADskin https://t.co/kJej6osXTS
Nektar Therapeutics presented Phase 2b data at the 2026 American Academy of Dermatology meeting showing statistically significant EASI improvements in 393 atopic dermatitis patients and a 28.2% mean SALT reduction in alopecia areata. The results position rezpegaldesleukin as the first IL‑2‑based...
At the American Academy of Dermatology 2026 meeting, researchers presented TRACE, a real‑world study of tralokinumab in atopic dermatitis. The trial enrolled over 800 patients, with roughly 16% representing skin‑of‑color individuals (Fitzpatrick types 4‑6). After 12 months, 80% of this subgroup achieved...
Eli Lilly’s once‑daily oral GLP‑1 agonist orforglipron outperformed oral semaglutide (Wegovy) in a 52‑week Phase 3 trial of 1,698 adults, delivering 73.6% greater relative weight loss and a three‑fold higher rate of A1c normalization. The data, published in The Lancet, could reshape...
Researchers have engineered microscopic DNA nanorobots that can recognize and bind to COVID‑19 viral particles. The breakthrough, described in a recent SmartBot feature, points to a future where nanotech diagnostics and therapeutics operate inside the human body with unprecedented precision.
Johnson & Johnson unveiled 52‑week Phase 3 data for ICOTYDE™ (icotrokinra), revealing PASI 100 clearance rates of 41‑49% in adults and 57% in adolescents, with no new safety signals. The results position the oral peptide as a possible disease‑modifying first‑line option for...
Emerging diabetes therapies are reshaping treatment of metabolic dysfunction‑associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), especially its severe form MASH. GLP‑1 receptor agonists such as semaglutide and dual‑action agents like tirzepatide have shown significant liver‑fat reduction and histologic improvement. SGLT2 inhibitors and...
Direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertising in the United States now commands $6‑8 billion in annual TV spend, propelling antipsychotics and biologics into mainstream consumer consciousness. Companies such as Eli Lilly and AbbVie have poured $30 million‑$24 million per month into campaigns for drugs like Rexulti...
Eli Lilly has agreed to a roughly $2 billion partnership with a Hong Kong‑based biotech firm to develop new medicines using artificial‑intelligence platforms. The deal will give Lilly access to the startup’s AI‑driven discovery tools while providing the biotech with Lilly’s clinical expertise...
A research team led by Liu Guanghui at the Chinese Academy of Sciences released a comprehensive map of inflammatory aging across multiple organs and introduced two anti‑aging strategies—a betaine‑based small‑molecule and engineered FOXO3‑edited stem cells. The work was named one...
A Beijing hospital has given the first prescription of Libevitug, the inaugural monoclonal antibody targeting hepatitis D. Developed by Tsinghua University researchers and Huahui Health, the drug received conditional approval in January 2026 and could transform care for an estimated...
Researchers led by Prof. Heidi Abrahamse at the University of Johannesburg have unveiled a liposome‑based nanotechnology platform that upgrades photodynamic therapy (PDT). The platform protects photosensitizers in the bloodstream, targets tumors more precisely and releases the drug only where light...
Eli Lilly reported that its open‑label Phase 3b TOGETHER‑PsA trial met its primary and all key secondary endpoints, demonstrating that adding Zepbound (tirzepatide) to Taltz (ixekizumab) significantly reduced psoriatic arthritis activity and body weight versus Taltz alone. The data, presented...
Weekly reads highlight several frontier biotech developments. The Gattaca Stack, a new database, tracks firms working on embryo models and artificial‑womb technologies. R3 Bio’s stem‑cell “organ sacks” aim to replace animal testing and could evolve into human organ bags, while...
Supply‑chain analysts say the United Kingdom is only weeks away from shortages of essential medicines, from painkillers to cancer therapies, if the Iran war drags on. Disruptions to Gulf air routes and the Strait of Hormuz have forced firms onto...
The results of this first phase 2a clinical trial of intranasal 5-MeO-DMT administered adjunctively to SSRIs demonstrated acceptable safety and tolerability with promising improvements in depressive symptoms. https://t.co/m15DkPP4qX
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and collaborators have developed a preclinical gene therapy that selectively silences pain‑processing circuits in the brain, mimicking morphine’s analgesic effect without activating reward pathways. Using an AI‑driven system to map morphine‑responsive neurons in mice,...
Eli Lilly’s experimental injectable retatrutide has reported substantial weight‑loss outcomes in a 2023 trial, positioning it as a potential challenger to existing GLP‑1 drugs. The triple‑agonist targets three metabolic receptors, and large Phase 3 studies are now under way, drawing attention...
Chinese AI companies XtalPi and Blacklake have moved from loss‑making research to sustainable profitability by targeting specialized data‑driven markets. XtalPi reported a 134.6 million‑yuan ($19.5 million) profit in 2025, while Blacklake achieved its first profit in late 2024, underscoring a shift in...
Nektar Therapeutics presented Phase 2b data for its regulatory T‑cell agonist rezpegaldesleukin at the 2026 American Academy of Dermatology meeting, showing statistically significant EASI improvements in 393 atopic dermatitis patients and a 28.2% mean SALT reduction in severe alopecia areata....
Kardigan reported positive Phase 2 data for its antisense drug tonlamarsen in the KARDINAL trial, showing a dose‑dependent 67% reduction in plasma angiotensinogen and a mean 6.7 mmHg drop in office systolic blood pressure after 20 weeks. Both a single 90 mg dose...
New randomized data from the Ez‑PAVE trial in South Korea show that lowering LDL cholesterol to below 55 mg/dL in patients with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease reduces major cardiovascular events by 33% compared with a target of less than 70 mg/dL. The...
Biogen announced positive Phase 2 results for litifilimab, its anti‑BDCA2 antibody targeting systemic lupus erythematosus. After 24 weeks, 14.7% of patients achieved complete clearance of skin lesions, meeting the trial’s primary endpoint. The data suggest the drug could become a...
The phase II KARDINAL trial evaluated monthly versus single‑dose tonlamarsen, an angiotensinogen‑targeted nucleic‑acid therapy, in patients with resistant hypertension on multiple drugs. While monthly injections achieved a 67% reduction in plasma AGT compared with 23% after a single dose, both regimens...
Merck announced a cash deal to acquire TERN, while CORT secured FDA clearance for its cancer therapy. In parallel, INSM reported positive trial data, VALN fell short of expectations, and Anavex withdrew its EU filing for an Alzheimer’s candidate.
Psilocybin therapy is rapidly expanding across U.S. states, with Oregon reporting 5,935 patients in 2025 and Colorado opening its first regulated healing center. New Mexico is developing its own medical program while the federal government maintains prohibition. Scientific evidence shows...
Takeda announced Phase 3 data for its oral TYK2 inhibitor, zasocitinib, showing rapid and durable skin clearance in moderate‑to‑severe plaque psoriasis. At week 16, 71% of patients achieved clear or almost clear skin (sPGA 0/1) versus roughly 10% on placebo and 30% on...
Takeda announced that its oral TYK2 inhibitor zasocitinib delivered rapid and durable skin clearance in two global Phase 3 LATITUDE trials involving 693 and 1,108 moderate‑to‑severe plaque psoriasis patients. The drug met both co‑primary endpoints—sPGA 0/1 and PASI 75 at week 16—showing statistically significant...
FDA approval of icotrokinra introduces a new oral therapy for moderate‑to‑severe psoriasis. In the ICONIC‑ADVANCE trials, 100 % of patients achieved complete skin clearance through week 52, outperforming the oral benchmark deucravacitinib. The drug’s safety profile matched placebo, with fewer infections and...
Biogen announced that litifilimab, an anti‑BDCA2 monoclonal antibody, achieved its primary endpoint in the Phase 2 portion of the AMETHYST study for cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE). The drug showed an 11.8% greater reduction in disease activity versus placebo, with 14.7% of...
Priovant Therapeutics announced that its TYK2/JAK1 inhibitor brepocitinib met the primary endpoint in the Phase 3 VALOR trial for dermatomyositis, showing a 15.3‑point improvement in Total Improvement Score at week 52 versus placebo. The 30 mg dose also delivered significant steroid‑sparing effects, with...
Adam, I used to think this way. Then gene therapy & IO worked. IL2 has consumed a lot of hope; but new variations make it hard to quit. Abeta worked. And synergy: combine modest drugs, unlock big benefits. Invest or...
A comprehensive atlas now defines all human E3 ligases, resolving decades of inconsistencies and providing a unified framework to advance research and therapeutic development for diseases linked to these essential enzymes. biotechnology
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals presented two‑year open‑label extension data for plozasiran at the ACC 75th session, showing an 83% median triglyceride reduction in severe hypertriglyceridemia and 96% of patients dropping below the 500 mg/dL pancreatitis threshold. No adjudicated acute pancreatitis events occurred, and...
Our first ever earnings call coming up tomorrow - we are reporting our 2025 annual results. I will start the call with the 5 minute introduction to AI drug discovery and how we measure AI drug discovery productivity. In my...
#ThisDayInTechHistory. March 27, 1998. The FDA approved Viagra developed by Pfizer. (Untold Story) #HealthTech #JVGpost https://t.co/GJea9vd0v9
Great thread and one addition: Increased risk of myocarditis in young boys. The demonization of parents who asked, the denials by healthcare professionals and bureaucrats, and ultimately, the admission and subsequent FDA warning proving parents worst fears correct. It will take...
When I started Don't Die in 2021, we evaluated all the scientific evidence for the most powerful anti-aging therapies. Psychedelics were no where to be found. A wild turn of events that they're now front and center for us....
In a randomized trial of a PCSK9 inhibitor [for LDL cholesterol lowering] vs placebo for patients with diabetes and no known heart disease, there was significant reduction of major cardiovascular events including deaths #ACC26 @JAMA_current https://t.co/mzuI79c4IN https://t.co/16Cpxf7IBx
Validation of aggressive LDL lowering to reduce major adverse cardiovascular events, a randomized trial targeting LDL < 55 mg/dl. In participants with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (secondary prevention) @NEJM #ACC26 https://t.co/oLnkqhawOd
AI needs data. And biology is finally generating it at scale. I spoke with @10xGenomics CEO Serge Saxonov about the single-cell and spatial biology revolution — and why the convergence of AI + biological measurement could transform medicine. Read the full profile...
