The Latest
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Tracker
10 clinical trials to watch in the second half of 2026
The biotechnology sector’s upswing accelerated in the first half. Positive results from anticipated trials in lung cancer, Alzheimer’s and multiple autoimmune conditions could add to the momentum.
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BrainChild hauls in $116M to make cell therapies for childhood brain cancers
Spun out of research at Seattle Children’s Hospital, the startup has brought a CAR-T treatment for a rare and deadly pediatric cancer into mid-stage testing.
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News roundup
Ionis’ rare neurology drug approved; Pfizer inks an ADC deal
Zanvastro is now the first approved medicine for Alexander disease. Elsewhere, an immune system specialist posted positive results and a cell therapy developer turned to layoffs.
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Trailing rivals, AbbVie scores win with dual-acting myeloma drug
The drugmaker is leaning on a better side effect profile compared to drugs from J&J, Pfizer and Regeneron as it pushes etentamig toward FDA submission.
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The hidden scale-out problem behind CAR-T’s growth
CAR-T’s commercial challenge is making thousands of patient-specific manufacturing runs behave like one reliable system. "In vivo" production techniques could be one solution.
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Ultragenyx to weigh ‘significant’ cost cuts as Angelman drug fails key study
The failure of what was once considered a potential blockbuster therapy represents a major setback in a tough-to-treat disease and is forcing Ultragenyx to closely examine its expenses.
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Immune reset
Novartis, Bristol Myers pause autoimmune CAR-T trials due to safety concerns
The deaths of three study participants led Novartis to halt development of rap-cel in multiple indications, while “transient” side effects pushed Bristol Myers to voluntarily pause its zola-cel program.
Updated Sept. 1, 2026 -
Akeso, Summit cancer drug confirms lung cancer survival benefit
A new data cut of a trial pitting ivonescimab, a bispecific antibody, against Merck’s Keytruda showed the new drug helped people live longer.
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Emerging biotech
An AI drug specialist zeroes in on rare forms of obesity
Superluminal Medicines banked $60 million in funding to support development of a drug designed to work similarly to — but potentially be more selectively than — Rhythm Pharmaceuticals’ marketed medicine Imcivree.
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ESC ‘26: Cytokinetics’ sell-off, Arrowhead’s edge and a heart drug autopsy
At a big meeting for cardiovascular medicines, Cytokinetics and Arrowhead aimed to separate their drugs from competitors while a failed study pressured Alnylam.
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China competition
GSK wagers up to $1.3B on a different kind of cancer drug
With its latest foray into China, GSK acquired rights from Hutchmed to an “antibody-targeted therapy conjugate” impacting two well-known cancer drivers, EGFR and KRAS.
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UniQure, after setbacks, seeks FDA approval of Huntington’s gene therapy
The company is now hoping for an affirmative answer on its application after an unusually turbulent year dealing with U.S. regulators.
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Novartis says MS pill succeeds in two large studies
Notably, Novartis revealed that remibrutinib wasn’t associated with the kind of liver-related side effects other BTK inhibitors like it have encountered.
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China competition
Drugs from China are reshaping biotech. Track the licensing deals here.
Including a new deal with Roche last week, Simcere Pharmaceutical has now inked five cross-border licensing pacts since the start of 2025 that are collectively worth up to $5.66 billion.
Updated Sept. 2, 2026 -
News roundup
Teva claims success in celiac study; BioMarin, Ascendis settle patent dispute
Teva believes the therapy has “pipeline-in-a-product” potential. Elsewhere, a high-stakes trial was paused and GSK advanced a competitor to Moderna’s flu shot.
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Trump administration
Mid-cap biotechs join Trump’s latest round of drug pricing deals
Focused on Medicaid, the new pacts now involve more than just large pharmaceutical companies, but still aren’t expected to meaningfully impact drugmaker profits.
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Alumis’ TYK2 drug fails in key lupus study
Though Alumis still sees a path forward in lupus, the result made its drug the latest TYK2 blocker to struggle in conditions beyond psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
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This week in charts: Biotech’s rebound is undeniable
Not only is the XBI continuing to hover around a historic high, but drug companies can’t seem to get enough of both large IPOs and big-ticket M&A.
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Lilly adds to immune drug pipeline with $2.9B Merida buyout
The big drugmaker’s latest company acquisition this year is centered around a technology designed to degrade proteins that malfunction in autoimmune disorders.
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Retrieved from Revolution Medicines.
Revolution pancreatic cancer drug should quickly become a blockbuster, analysts say
Rasonque’s $39,800 monthly list price surpassed Wall Street forecasts and led to rosier sales projections ahead of what one analyst described as a “historic” launch.
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Deep Dive // IPO window
Biotech IPOs are the industry’s lifeblood. Track how they’re performing.
ADARx Pharmaceuticals, which is testing RNA interference drugs for conditions ranging from rare genetic disorders to kidney diseases to stroke prevention, has filed plans for an IPO.
Updated 17 hours ago -
FDA OKs Takeda, Protagonist drug for rare blood cancer
The clearance and broader-than-expected label for Mimrylo open up a yearly revenue opportunity for Takeda that some analysts expect to reach $2 billion or more.
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AstraZeneca, Ionis data spark debate about RNA drugs’ impact on deadly heart disease
Results published in NEJM raised questions about the benefits “silencer” medications provide on top of standard therapies for TTR cardiomyopathy and amplified investor pressure on Alnylam.
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FDA green lights Priovant drug for rare skin disease
Lisraya’s clearance marks the first approval of a drug the Roivant subsidiary licensed from Pfizer and has since positioned against multiple rare inflammatory conditions.
Updated Aug. 28, 2026 -
Q&A // Emerging biotech
Michael Polansky has a new, skin-focused biotech. Don’t call it a drug company.
Though its data could be useful for pharmaceutical firms, Polansky’s latest entrepreneurial endeavor, Outer Bio, is serious about steering clear of road bumps that slow biotechs.