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Sharper gene tools: CAST engineering and new CRISPR advances
Researchers reported engineering CRISPR‑associated transposons (CASTs) with mutations that boost on‑site gene insertion activity up to fourfold while preserving high targeting specificity,...
New genomic tests aim to spare melanoma patients lymph‑node surgery
Two multicenter efforts unveiled genomic approaches that predict sentinel lymph‑node metastasis risk in melanoma patients and could reduce the need for surgical biopsies. One study led by nine...
Alector halves staff – GSK‑partnered antibody fails late trial
Alector announced that an antibody developed under its $700 million deal with GlaxoSmithKline failed to meet its primary endpoint in a Phase 3 dementia study, prompting an immediate strategic...
Takeda pays $1.2B upfront – Buys China cancer candidates in multi‑billion pact
Takeda struck a licensing and development agreement with Innovent Biologics that includes $1.2 billion upfront for rights to two next‑generation cancer candidates and potential milestone and...
Electra secures $183M — Sanofi and life‑science investors back rare‑disease push
Electra Therapeutics closed a $183 million Series C to advance its lead program, ELA026, into a pivotal trial for secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and to progress other pipeline...
Flagship launches Expedition: $50M bet on AI drug discovery with Pfizer tie
Flagship Pioneering unveiled Expedition Medicines with an initial $50 million investment to build an AI‑driven drug discovery company focused on cancer and immune diseases. The new startup already...
Biodesix and Bio‑Rad expand ddPCR pact to validate cancer liquid‑biopsy kits
Biodesix expanded its collaboration with Bio‑Rad to develop, clinically validate and seek regulatory clearance for cancer in vitro diagnostic assays using Bio‑Rad’s QX600 Droplet Digital PCR...
WHO launches global forum to boost clinical‑trial transparency
The World Health Organization established a new international forum designed to strengthen transparency around clinical‑trial reporting and to promote the generation of high‑quality evidence for...
ctDNA proves actionable at ESMO — blood tests guide post‑surgery therapy
Data presented at ESMO reinforced the clinical utility of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) to personalize postsurgical cancer care. Multiple studies showed ctDNA assays can identify minimal residual...
CRISPR claims a leap over prime editing — rivals publicly dispute
CRISPR Therapeutics announced a new gene‑editing tool it described as a “significant advance” over prime editing, setting off a public disagreement with Prime Medicine, which challenged the claim....
Multiplex epigenetic editing rewires T cells — path to safer CAR‑T
Researchers published integrated methods for simultaneous, multiplexed epigenetic and genetic programming of primary human T cells, showcasing a platform that can stably silence or activate...
Replimune resubmits RP1 — FDA sets April review date, stock pops
Replimune resubmitted a biologics license application for its oncolytic viral therapy RP1 after a July rejection, supplying additional analyses and data to address prior FDA concerns. The agency...
Takeda doubles down on China oncology: $1.2B upfront, bigger strategic push
Takeda struck a series of high-value licensing deals with Innovent Biologics, handing over roughly $1.2 billion upfront for rights to two oncology candidates and signaling a major pivot toward...
Electra raises $183M: Series C funds pivotal rare-disease trial
Electra Therapeutics closed a $183 million Series C to fund a pivotal trial of ELA026, its monoclonal antibody for secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), and to advance a second...
Replimune pushes FDA resubmission; stock surges on acceptance
Replimune resubmitted its biologics license application for RP1, an engineered oncolytic herpesvirus given with checkpoint inhibition, and the FDA accepted the filing — triggering a near-doubling...
Flagship launches Expedition: $50M for AI drug discovery partnership with Pfizer
Flagship Pioneering unveiled Expedition (also called Expedition Medicines), an AI-driven drug discovery company seeded with $50 million and an early collaboration with Pfizer to target cancer and...
Hologic sale confirmed: Blackstone and TPG agree up to $18.3B take‑private
Private-equity firms Blackstone and TPG agreed to acquire Hologic for $76 a share, plus up to $3 in contingent payments, valuing the diagnostic and med‑tech firm at as much as $18.3 billion. The...
Grail raises $325M ahead of FDA bid — Blood test data show big lift
Grail secured $325 million in a private placement to bolster its balance sheet ahead of regulatory filings for its multi‑cancer blood test. The company also released Pathfinder 2 data showing...
Sanofi inks NanoDisc deal with Evoq — $500M in milestones for autoimmune platform
Sanofi signed a collaboration and license agreement with Evoq Therapeutics, gaining rights to Evoq’s NanoDisc dendritic cell technology in exchange for up to $500 million in milestones. Sanofi...
GSK and Spero send oral tebipenem toward FDA after positive Phase 3
GSK and Spero Therapeutics reported Phase 3 non‑inferiority results for tebipenem HBr versus the standard of care, validating the oral antibiotic’s potential to match IV therapy and prompting...