Recent News

• Stem Cell Therapy Shows Early Promise in Parkinson’s Disease
  Medscape – July 23, 2026
  Stem cell-derived dopamine cell transplantation appears to be a feasible approach to replacing dopamine-producing neurons lost in Parkinson’s disease (PD), although its long-term clinical benefit and safety remain uncertain. In a small phase 1/2 open-label study involving eight patients, transplanted human embryonic stem cell-derived dopamine progenitor cells survived in the brains of some patients with PD and did not lead to tumor formation or abnormal tissue growth. Seven patients remained clinically stable over 12 months, and six substantially reduced their dopaminergic medication.
• Single-Cell Atlas Simultaneously Maps 3D Genome Architecture and DNA Methylation
  Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News – July 23, 2026
  Scientists at the Salk Institute and the Arc Institute, along with their collaborators, unveiled the first body-wide single-cell atlas of two major epigenetic systems: three-dimensional genome folding and DNA methylation, measured simultaneously in the same cells. The atlas spans 86,689 cells from 16 human tissues, revealing 35 major cell types and 206 subtypes, and is freely available online. The work is part of the National Institutes of Health’s 4D Nucleome (NIH 4DN) program, which aims to understand how the genome is organized in space and time to regulate gene expression in health and disease.
• Lilly’s triple-G drug hits 22.6% weight loss, but impact on reducing cardio risk is less clear
  Fierce Biotech – July 23, 2026
  Eli Lilly’s triple-G drug retatrutide has hit the primary endpoints of a pair of phase 3 obesity trials, although the peak weight loss fell short of previous trials in different patient populations while failing to prove the medication reduces cardiovascular risk. The pharma evaluated various doses of the GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon triple-hormone receptor agonist against placebo in both the TRIUMPH-2 study of 1,152 patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity or overweight, as well as the TRIUMPH-3 study of 1,949 patients with severe obesity and established cardiovascular disease. When looking at the efficacy estimand—which assesses data based on patients who stayed on the trial regimen without starting other “prohibited” weight loss treatments—patients in TRIUMPH-2 receiving the 12 mg dose of retatrutide saw 20.8% weight loss at 80 weeks, compared to 3.2% among the placebo cohort.
• Ivonescimab Plus Chemotherapy Shows Consistent, Favorable Overall Survival Results in Western and Asian Patients in Updated Analysis from Global Phase III HARMONi Study
  BioSpace – July 22, 2026
  Summit Therapeutics Inc. announced results of an updated overall survival (OS) analysis from the global Phase III HARMONi clinical trial featuring the novel, potential first-in-class investigational bispecific antibody ivonescimab. Ivonescimab plus platinum-doublet chemotherapy in this trial continues to show a positive OS trend and a consistent efficacy and safety profile in Asian and western patients when compared to chemotherapy alone. The HARMONi study is evaluating ivonescimab combined with chemotherapy compared to placebo plus chemotherapy in patients with endothelial growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated, locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who were previously treated with a third-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI).
• $10B M&A Deal Pays Off With GSK’s First Lung Cancer Drug Approval
  MedCity News – July 22, 2026
  A drug included in one of the pharmaceutical industry’s largest acquisitions this year is starting to pay dividends for GSK, winning a speedy regulatory nod that continues the pharmaceutical company’s growth strategy in oncology. The approval announcement Wednesday was earlier than expected. The drug, known in development as zidesamtinib, was set to receive a regulatory decision by Sept. 18. This drug, GSK’s first FDA-approved lung cancer medicine, will reach the market under the brand name Jideytro.
• Takeda’s zasocitinib proves ‘top-notch’ for difficult-to-treat psoriasis in phase 3 update
  Fierce Biotech – July 16, 2026
  Takeda has unveiled more data from its phase 3 trials of zasocitinib, demonstrating that the once-daily pill was able to clear or almost clear scalp psoriasis in 75% of patients. The secondary endpoint findings come from a pair of late-stage studies that enrolled a combined 1,801 patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. The Japanese pharma already disclosed last year that more than 50% of patients had a 90% improvement on the PASI scale and that about 30% of participants had clear skin.
• FDA approves Merck’s oral PCSK9 drug, a first
  Stat News – July 16, 2026
  Kalshi is unveiling new biopharma betting markets, we have a deeper understanding of the link between Epstein-Barr virus and multiple sclerosis, and Merck gets an FDA approval on its oral PCSK9. Prediction market giant Kalshi announced that it will not start taking bets on clinical trial outcomes and FDA approvals, STAT’s Elaine Chen writes. It’s starting with a small number of markets selected alongside partner AppliedXL, a tech company that already monitors and predicts clinical trial outcomes.
• Celcuity gains FDA approval for closely watched breast cancer drug
  BioPharma Dive – July 15, 2026
  Celcuity has scored its first regulatory approval, winning a U.S. clearance for a closely watched breast cancer treatment it’ll sell as Revtorpyk. The Food and Drug Administration cleared Revtorpyk for use in two- and three-drug combinations involving hormone therapy and Pfizer’s Ibrance in certain people with a common form of advanced breast cancer. Specifically, Revtorpyk is available for use in the second-line setting among people with ER-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer, but don’t have a so-called PIK3CA mutation. Celcuity expects to begin selling the therapy late in the third quarter.
• Orca Bio bringing more biotech jobs to Sacramento
  KCRA – July 15, 2026
  The approval of a new cell therapy for specific blood cancer transplant patients means more biotech jobs are coming to Sacramento. Orca Bio, a company who’s mission is to transform the lives of patients through high-precision cell therapy, received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for TREGZI -, a precision-engineered cell therapy for use in matched-donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with myeloablative preparative regimen, for hematopoietic and immunologic reconstitution and to improve chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)-free survival (cGFS), in the treatment of adults with hematological malignancies,” according to a new release.
• US FDA approves Sanofi’s wearable injector form of blood cancer drug
  Reuters – July 10, 2026
  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it has ​approved a wearable form of Sanofi’s (SASY.PA), opens new tab blood cancer drug, Sarclisa, offering multiple ‌myeloma patients a less burdensome alternative to intravenous infusions. It is the first cancer drug approved by the FDA that can be delivered through an on-body injector, attached ​to the skin. The approval boosts the French drugmaker as new CEO Belén Garijo ​seeks to address investor concerns about reliance on asthma drug Dupixent, its ⁠biggest-selling medicine.