All articles tagged with #biotech
Billions are pouring into AI-enabled scientific research, but early experiments—such as AI models used to select mRNA at Lila Sciences—produce puzzling results, highlighting ongoing debates about whether AI can truly conduct scientific discovery.
Eli Lilly’s high-dose, one-time gene-editing therapy VERVE-102 lowered LDL cholesterol by 62% in a Phase 1 trial, with no treatment-related serious adverse events, signaling potential for a single-shot approach to prevent heart disease after Lilly’s $1 billion acquisition of Verve Therapeutics.
Bristol Myers Squibb is striking a broad deal with Hengrui Pharma worth up to $15.2 billion, featuring $600 million upfront for 13 early-stage programs, ex-China rights to four oncology/hematology assets, and joint discovery on five candidates; Hengrui will gain access to BMS immunology assets in China, Hong Kong and Macau and lead early development to proof of concept, in a move that leverages China's reportedly faster timelines (50–70% quicker) to clinical proof of concept.
AurB, a bacteria-derived peptide, enters tumor cell mitochondria and blocks ATP production, starving cancer cells; in preclinical prostate cancer models, its activity is strongest when combined with radiation, slowing tumor growth and prompting plans for clinical trials.
Odyssey Therapeutics priced a 15.5 million-share IPO at $18 to raise about $304 million (including a 1.4 million-share private placement with a TPG Life Sciences affiliate; the deal could grow by roughly $41.8 million if underwriters exercise the greenshoe). The proceeds will fund OD-001, a RIPK2 inhibitor for ulcerative colitis in phase 2, and move the preclinical SLC15A4 program into phase 1/2a, among other assets, as CEO Gary Glick pursues a 'little large pharma' model. Odyssey has raised about $726.5 million to date and will list on Nasdaq as ODTX.
Erasca reported preliminary data showing its RAS-targeting pill ERAS-0015 shrank tumors in 40% of advanced pancreatic cancer patients and 62% of advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients from studies in the U.S. and China, suggesting potential advantages over a rival drug from Revolution Medicines. While the data are early and the lung results appear more definitive, Erasca says the clinical benefit and tolerability are promising and that all strategic options remain under consideration.
Intellia Therapeutics’ Phase 3 study of lonvo-z, its in vivo CRISPR-based treatment for hereditary angioedema, showed an 87% reduction in attack rates versus placebo after a single dose, with over 60% of patients attack-free, prompting an FDA rolling submission and positioning lonvo-z as the second approved CRISPR medicine and the first in vivo gene-editing therapy.
Veradermics announced that its oral hair-loss medicine VDPHL01 significantly boosted hair growth in a six-month late-stage trial, with men on the drug gaining 30–33 more hairs per cm² versus about 7 in the placebo; 79–86% of participants and 72–84% of investigators reported improvement, signaling promising efficacy for the therapy.
Utah-based Paterna Biosciences says it has found a way to coax sperm-forming stem cells from testicular tissue to become mature, functional sperm in a lab and used this sperm to create embryos; the work has not yet been peer-reviewed or independently verified, and the company plans larger studies to compare lab-made and natural sperm in men with infertility before attempting pregnancies; if validated, the approach could offer a biological option for some infertile men, but questions of cost and safety remain.
Life sciences lab real estate is clawing back from disaster, signaling renewed demand and potential opportunities for investors as the market stabilizes.
Philanthropists Michael and Susan Dell pledged $750 million to establish a life sciences hub, a landmark gift intended to accelerate biomedical research, biotech innovation, and related workforce development.
Immortal Dragons, a Singapore‑based longevity fund led by 34‑year‑old Boyang Wang, has raised about $40 million to back high‑risk, high‑reward biotech projects aimed at extending healthspan and potentially delaying death. Its portfolio includes Frontier Bio’s 3D organ fabrication, a project to create nonsentient mammals for research, and Unlimited Bio’s gene therapies, plus a neuroscience collaboration with Stanford and advocacy like New Hampshire’s Right to Try law. The effort sits within billionaire‑driven bets on longevity while raising ethical, cost and access questions about making “death optional.”
Eli Lilly agreed to acquire Kelonia Therapeutics for $3.25 billion, with potential additional payments tied to clinical, regulatory, and commercial milestones. Kelonia—formerly Elcano Therapeutics—had survived on about $60 million over five years and nearly ran out of cash on three occasions, aided by Venrock’s early backing. The deal highlights the volatile, milestone-driven journey of biotech startups and the race to capitalize on cell-therapy advances.
Nektar Therapeutics reported that extended treatment with its experimental drug rezpeg led to meaningful hair growth in severe alopecia areata after one year, with 27% of participants reaching SALT Score 20 (80%+ scalp coverage). The response is comparable to or better than low-dose Olumiant, though not tested head-to-head, and Nektar plans to begin a Phase 3 trial later this year.
Four Boston-area researchers were honored at the 2026 Breakthrough Prize ceremonies: Stuart Orkin and Lee Roberts received Breakthrough Prizes of $3 million each for gene editing and muon physics, while Dillon Brout (Boston University) and Shu-Heng Shao (MIT) were New Horizon Prize recipients, each $100,000, for cosmology and generalized symmetries in quantum field theory. The awards, called the 'Oscars of Science' and cofounded by Zuckerberg and Chan, celebrate long-term breakthroughs—from sickle cell gene-editing therapies to precision cosmology data and new physics ideas.