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Biotech

All articles tagged with #biotech

Lp(a) sparks biotech's next wave of cardiovascular drug development
biotech20 hours ago

Lp(a) sparks biotech's next wave of cardiovascular drug development

Lipoprotein(a), a genetically driven molecule linked to heart attacks, strokes, and valve disease, is poised to become a major target in biotech as firms race to develop Lp(a)-lowering therapies using siRNA and ASO approaches. The pivotal Horizon trial of pelacarsen from Novartis/Ionis is expected to read out soon and could trigger a surge in Lp(a) testing and treatment if positive, though questions remain about its ultimate market size and whether primary prevention is feasible. Competition is intensifying, with Amgen, Lilly, AstraZeneca, and others pursuing more potent or oral options, suggesting a broad, high-stakes field regardless of Horizon's outcome.

via Fierce Biotech|
#antisense-oligonucleotides#biotech#cardiovascular-disease
Frozen Brain Fragments Raise Hopes and Questions About Revival
science12 days ago

Frozen Brain Fragments Raise Hopes and Questions About Revival

Biogerontologist L. Stephen Coles’ brain was cryopreserved after death and stored for over a decade at -146°C. Greg Fahy later biopsied the preserved tissue and found the fragments to be surprisingly well preserved, suggesting future studies might learn from the brain; however, experts caution the brain is not alive and revival remains unproven, with a peer‑reviewed report still forthcoming.

via Futurism|
#biotech#brain#cryonics
Mini Pancreas Devices, AI Echo Chambers, and Epstein Files: A 2026 News Roundup
science13 days ago

Mini Pancreas Devices, AI Echo Chambers, and Epstein Files: A 2026 News Roundup

A four-story roundup covers MIT's implantable device that encapsulates insulin-producing pancreatic islet cells with an onboard oxygen generator to potentially treat Type 1 diabetes, a study showing AI chatbots bias users toward being right and undermining accountability, a Maryland homeowner allegedly calling ICE on immigrant roofers, and newly released Epstein files detailing guard conduct and related financial records that fuel ongoing speculation and scrutiny.

via jezebel.com|
#artificial-intelligence#biotech#crime
AI-Driven Repurposing Stakes a New Path for Rare Diseases
health15 days ago

AI-Driven Repurposing Stakes a New Path for Rare Diseases

Every Cure, founded by Dr. David Fajgenbaum, uses AI to scan existing drugs for new uses across thousands of rare diseases, pursuing a disease-agnostic approach that links patients with potential treatments rather than funding specific conditions; after early fundraising hurdles, it gained major support from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Lydia Hill Foundation, Flagship Pioneering, Arnold Ventures, TED’s Audacious Project, and ARPA-H, enabling 10 active programs and a goal of 15–25 diseases treated by 2030. The AI process cuts screening time from 100 days to about 17 hours, evaluating roughly 4,000 drugs against 18,000 diseases (about 75 million matches) before a medical team selects candidates for lab work and trials costing roughly $3–7 million per drug. A recent success example is Bachmann-Bupp syndrome, where an old drug produced meaningful improvements in five of six treated patients. Fajgenbaum stresses repurposing complements novel drug development, though patent life, manufacturing, FDA/insurance hurdles, and off-label prescribing shape the path to patient access.

via CNBC|
#ai#biotech#drug-repurposing
Merck poised to buy Terns Pharma for about $6bn to boost cancer pipeline
business17 days ago

Merck poised to buy Terns Pharma for about $6bn to boost cancer pipeline

Merck is nearing an all-cash roughly $6 billion deal to acquire Terns Pharma to strengthen its cancer-drug pipeline ahead of Keytruda’s patent expiry around 2028. Terns’ early-stage treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia could advance to late-stage trials by year-end or early 2027. The deal follows Merck’s recent biotech acquisitions (Verona Pharma, Cidara) as the pharma industry braces for patent cliffs and mounting dealmaking in biotechnology.

via Financial Times|
#biotech#business#merck-and-co-inc
Organs Without Brains: A Startup’s Bold Plan to Replace Animal Testing
science18 days ago

Organs Without Brains: A Startup’s Bold Plan to Replace Animal Testing

A Bay Area biotech startup, R3 Bio, backed by Immortal Dragons and billionaire Tim Draper, is pursuing nonsentient “organ sacks”—genetically engineered, brainless whole-organ systems—to replace animal testing and someday provide human tissues and organs. Initially targeting monkey organ sacks for toxicology testing, the company envisions using stem cells and gene editing to grow complex organ structures, addressing both ethical concerns with animal use and rising demand for organs amid shortages. Experts note the concept is theoretical and raise ethical questions about how such entities would be created, stored, or whether they could have awareness, but proponents argue the approach could offer a scalable alternative to current models. The effort aligns with a broader shift away from primate testing in the US and seeks to expand beyond testing to potential future replacement parts for humans.

via WIRED|
#animal-testing#biotech#ethics
Biotech investors wary as FDA shifts stance on rare-disease drugs
business1 month ago

Biotech investors wary as FDA shifts stance on rare-disease drugs

Over the past year the FDA has denied or discouraged at least eight drug applications, including UniQure’s Huntington’s gene therapy and Regenxbio’s Hunter syndrome, and even reversed course on Moderna’s flu vaccine review, prompting investors to doubt whether the agency’s rare-disease flexibility will endure and to worry about the fate of other pipeline drugs; upcoming decisions (e.g., Denali Therapeutics) will test whether current standards remain consistent amid broader regulatory uncertainty.

via CNBC|
#biotech#business#drug-approval
Petrelintide Delivers Up to 10.7% Weight Loss in Zealand‑Roche Phase 2 Trial
biotech1 month ago

Petrelintide Delivers Up to 10.7% Weight Loss in Zealand‑Roche Phase 2 Trial

Zealand Pharma's Roche-partnered amylin analog petrelintide achieved statistically significant weight loss versus placebo in a 493-person phase 2 obesity trial (Zupreme-1), with up to 10.7% mean weight reduction at 42 weeks and a tolerable safety profile (no vomiting at the maximally effective dose; mild GI adverse events); the results support moving toward phase 3 (Zupreme-2) and related combination studies, though some analysts question its potential impact in a crowded obesity market, and the stock fell on the news.

via Fierce Biotech|
#biotech#obesity#petrelintide
AI-powered Generate Biomedicines targets record biotech IPO with a $400M raise
business1 month ago

AI-powered Generate Biomedicines targets record biotech IPO with a $400M raise

Generate Biomedicines is launching an Nasdaq IPO by selling 25 million shares at $16 (potentially up to 3.75 million more shares), targeting about $400 million in proceeds and up to $460 million with the underwriters’ option. The funds will advance Phase 3 asthma trials for its AI-designed GB-0895 and support other programs, as investor interest in biotech IPOs rebounds. The company emphasized its AI-driven drug discovery platform and partnerships with Amgen and Novartis, while aiming for capital efficiency amid a renewed funding environment.

via Fierce Biotech|
#ai-in-drug-discovery#biotech#business