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Biophysics of LNPs: mapping structure to function to optimize RNA delivery
A Nature Biotechnology study deployed advanced biophysical analyses to resolve the structural properties that determine lipid nanoparticle (LNP) performance for RNA delivery. The paper provides...
Live embryo imaging: mitotic errors seen in placenta‑fated cells
Two complementary Nature Biotechnology papers described optimized live‑imaging approaches for cultured human preimplantation embryos and reported de novo mitotic errors in cells fated for...
Takeda bets $1.2B upfront — China oncology pact with Innovent
Takeda signed a landmark licensing and co-development pact with Innovent Biologics to acquire rights to up to three immuno-oncology and ADC candidates, paying $1.2 billion up front and leaving...
Alector’s GSK-partnered antibody flops: workforce halved
Alector disclosed that a GSK-partnered antibody failed a Phase III trial in frontotemporal dementia, producing no meaningful effect on clinical endpoints despite biomarker changes. The biotech...
Moderna’s CMV shot fails Phase 3 — company halts most development
Moderna announced its cytomegalovirus (CMV) vaccine missed its primary efficacy goals in a Phase III study and will halt broad development of the candidate. The setback compounds pressure on...
Arcturus interim CF readout disappoints — shares plunge
Arcturus released interim Phase 2 data for ARCT-032, an inhaled mRNA therapy for Class I cystic fibrosis, showing no meaningful improvement in FEV1 over 28 days in the first cohort. The company...
Electra nets $183M — rare‑disease immunology play attracts big backers
Electra Therapeutics closed a $183 million Series C to advance its lead SIRP‑targeting program ELA026 into pivotal testing for secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and to support...
Preclinical CAR‑T advances: safer designs and targeted integration
Two preclinical studies reported distinct advances in engineered cell therapy safety and activity. One group described a targeted gene‑integration strategy designed to reduce the risk of secondary...
Long‑read metagenomics tracks donor strains — new FMT surveillance
Researchers unveiled long‑read sequencing pipelines that resolve donor microbial strains after fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) with high precision. Mount Sinai’s LongTrack workflow and companion...
Retrons move toward precision editing — academic and metagenomic finds
Two separate reports advanced retron‑based genome engineering. University of Texas researchers described a retron‑derived editing method that improves multimutational editing for complex genetic...
mRNA vaccines spark antitumor immunity — clinical and preclinical links
Two independent studies linked SARS‑CoV‑2 mRNA vaccines to enhanced antitumor immunity. A Nature report showed that spike‑encoding RNA‑LNPs can remodel the tumor microenvironment and sensitize...
Alkermes buys Avadel for $2.1B — instant entry to sleep market
Alkermes agreed to acquire Avadel Pharmaceuticals for up to $2.1 billion in cash, gaining commercial rights to Avadel’s sodium oxybate product and an established presence in narcolepsy and sleep...
Moderna’s CMV vaccine fails Phase 3 — program largely halted
Moderna announced a Phase 3 failure for its congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) vaccine, prompting the company to halt most development of the candidate. The mRNA-1647 program missed primary efficacy...
Arcturus inhaled mRNA for cystic fibrosis shows no FEV1 benefit — shares plunge
Arcturus Therapeutics released interim Phase 2 data for ARCT-032, an inhaled mRNA therapy for Class I cystic fibrosis, showing no meaningful improvement in forced expiratory volume in one second...
Alector’s dementia antibody fails late‑stage test — company slashes workforce
Alector said its GSK-partnered antibody missed co-primary clinical endpoints in a Phase III dementia study, producing biomarker changes without corresponding clinical benefit. The company will...
Takeda jets $11.4B deal for Innovent oncology assets — $1.2B up front
Takeda agreed a transformative licensing and co-development deal with Innovent Biologics covering up to three immuno‑oncology and ADC candidates, with $1.2 billion paid up front and up to $10.2...
Alkermes buys Avadel for $2.1B — instant commercial foothold in sleep medicine
Alkermes agreed to acquire Avadel Pharmaceuticals for up to $2.1 billion in cash, acquiring a marketed daytime sleepiness therapy and resolving related patent issues. The deal gives Alkermes an...
Electra raises $183M Series C to push rare‑disease immunotherapy into pivotal testing
Electra Therapeutics closed a $183 million Series C to advance its lead program, ELA026, into pivotal clinical testing for secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and to develop...
Flagship births Expedition with $50M to hunt covalent binders — AI and pharma tie‑ups
Flagship Pioneering launched Expedition Medicines with a $50 million commitment to develop a covalent‑binding small‑molecule discovery platform targeting cancer and immune diseases. The newly...
ESMO shows ctDNA can guide treatment decisions — tumor microenvironment drives new first‑in‑human work
Presentations at ESMO highlighted two actionable developments: circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) assays are demonstrating utility in guiding adjuvant therapy decisions and reducing overtreatment in...