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AI Advances in Drug Discovery: Merck and Variational AI Collaboration
Merck has entered a $349 million collaboration with Variational AI to accelerate small molecule drug discovery via generative artificial intelligence. The partnership will deploy Variational AI’s...
Breakthrough in Long-Read Whole-Genome Sequencing Diagnostics
Researchers at Children’s Mercy Kansas City published data demonstrating that clinical long-read whole-genome sequencing (WGS) increases diagnostic yield to 37% compared to 27% for conventional...
Innovative Bacterial Engineering Enhances Colorectal Cancer Survival
Scientists from the National University of Singapore and Central South University have engineered gut bacteria that enhance immune response against colorectal cancer. This synthetic biology...
New PET Tracer for Same-Day Imaging of Aggressive Cancers
Researchers have developed a novel positron emission tomography (PET) tracer targeting nectin-4, allowing same-day immuno-PET imaging of triple-negative breast cancer and urothelial bladder...
Pfizer’s $4.9B Metsera Acquisition Shakes Up Obesity Drug Market
Pfizer has agreed to acquire Metsera for an initial $4.9 billion, with potential additional contingent value rights pushing the total deal up to $7.3 billion. Metsera’s pipeline includes...
FDA Clears Merck’s Keytruda Subcutaneous Injection for Solid Tumors
The U.S. FDA has approved Merck’s Keytruda Qlex, a subcutaneous formulation of the blockbuster immunotherapy, enabling administration in about one minute compared to the 30-minute intravenous...
Ionis Pharmaceuticals’ Antisense Drug Meets Pivotal Trial Goals for Alexander Disease
Ionis Pharmaceuticals reported positive pivotal Phase 3 trial results for zilganersen, an antisense oligonucleotide for Alexander disease, a rare and fatal neurogenetic disorder with no prior...
Scholar Rock’s Spinal Muscular Atrophy Drug Faces FDA Rejection Amid Manufacturing Issues
Scholar Rock’s application for apitegromab, a selective anti-latent myostatin antibody targeting spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), was rejected by the FDA due to unresolved quality control problems...
Scientists Develop Sustainable Rice Growing Technique with Nanotechnology
A collaborative research effort by University of Massachusetts Amherst and Jiangnan University has demonstrated a novel method to enhance rice nutrition and yield while reducing fertilizer usage....
Merck Strikes $349M AI Drug Discovery Deal with Variational AI
Merck & Co. has expanded its partnership with Variational AI through a deal potentially worth $349 million, focusing on applying the Enki generative AI platform to design novel small molecule...
Lonza Scales Manufacturing for RION’s Exosome Therapeutics
Lonza and RION have entered a collaboration to scale commercial manufacturing of RION’s Purified Exosome Product (PEP), a platform candidate with immunomodulatory and regenerative properties....
New AI-Powered Tools to Optimize Clinical Trial Protocols from Advarra
Advarra has launched Study Design, an AI-driven and data-based solution designed to optimize clinical trial protocols by analyzing 30,000 historical studies to identify inefficiencies and refine...
FDA Approves Stealth BioTherapeutics’ Barth Syndrome Drug After Previous Setbacks
After earlier regulatory challenges including a complete response letter in May, the FDA has granted accelerated approval to Stealth BioTherapeutics’ elamipretide (Forzinity) for treating Barth...
Pfizer Ramps Up Obesity Pipeline With $4.9B Metsera Acquisition
Pfizer has significantly bolstered its position in the obesity therapeutics market by acquiring Metsera Inc. for an upfront $4.9 billion with contingent value rights potentially raising the deal...
Merck's Keytruda Gains FDA Nod for One-Minute Subcutaneous Injection
Merck & Co. secured FDA approval for Keytruda Qlex, a subcutaneous injection formulation of its blockbuster anti-PD-1 cancer immunotherapy. This SC version can be administered in about one minute,...
Bristol Myers Squibb’s Iberdomide Hits Primary Endpoint in Multiple Myeloma Phase 3 Trial
Bristol Myers Squibb reported that its investigational drug iberdomide in combination with Darzalex and dexamethasone met a key primary endpoint in a Phase 3 trial for relapsed or refractory...
Stealth BioTherapeutics’ Barth Syndrome Drug Secures FDA Approval After Previous Rejection
After a prolonged regulatory pathway including an earlier complete response letter, Stealth BioTherapeutics received accelerated approval from the U.S. FDA for elamipretide (Forzinity) for...
Ionis Pharmaceuticals Advances Alexander Disease Treatment with Positive Phase 3 Results
Ionis Pharmaceuticals announced that its antisense oligonucleotide candidate, zilganersen, demonstrated significant clinical benefits in a pivotal phase 3 trial for Alexander disease, a rare...
Genentech Inks $569M Deal with Starpharma to Expand Dendrimer Technology Use
Starpharma Holdings Ltd. reached a substantial outlicensing agreement with Genentech, valued at over $569 million, lifting Starpharma’s stock by 73%. The deal grants Genentech access to...
VedaBio Secures $25M in Funding and Siemens Healthineers Partnership for CRISPR Diagnostics
VedaBio, a developer of amplification-free CRISPR diagnostics, announced the extension of its Series A funding round and a strategic partnership with Siemens Healthineers totaling up to $25...