All articles tagged with #oncology
A widely used asthma medication may enhance the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapies, potentially improving patient responses when used in combination, though further clinical validation is needed.
A new pancreatic cancer drug, daraxonrasib, paired with chemotherapy, nearly doubles survival in advanced disease. In Phase 3, overall survival was 13.2 months with the combo vs 6.7 months with chemo alone, and earlier data showed progression-free survival around 8 months at the highest dose. The FDA has fast-tracked the drug and allowed expanded access, with potential use beyond KRAS-mutant tumors and possible earlier-line therapy consideration.
Eli Lilly will acquire Kelonia Therapeutics for up to $7 billion in cash (upfront $3.25B) to gain Kelonia's in vivo gene delivery platform and KLN-1010, an in vivo anti-BCMA CAR-T therapy for multiple myeloma in Phase 1, with the aim of simplifying manufacturing and broadening access versus ex vivo CAR-T; the deal is expected to close in the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals and milestone-driven payments.
Regeneron pays Telix $40 million upfront to co-develop four radiopharmaceutical programs for solid tumors, with an option to add four more. If milestones are met, Telix could earn up to $2.1 billion in biobucks, or opt for milestone-based payments under a cost-sharing model, with shared global commercialization and potential co-promotion. Regeneron will select targets from its antibody portfolio and may pair these agents with Libtayo; the deal also covers diagnostics, with Telix leading commercialization. The collaboration follows Telix’s recent radiopharma expansion and comes amid regulatory headwinds for Telix’s imaging assets.
Rural Americans face longer journeys for cancer care due to sparse oncologists, hospital closures, and rising drug costs. In Wellington and nearby Childress, Texas, a local infusion center began delivering chemotherapy so patients could stay close to home, a model that contrasts with the nation’s trend of shrinking rural services (448 rural hospitals halted chemo from 2014–2024) and a shortage of rural oncologists. Policy efforts and grants aim to expand access (telehealth, incentives for foreign-trained clinicians), but Medicaid changes and coverage gaps threaten to worsen outcomes, underscoring how distance and capacity shape rural cancer survival.
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.
An experimental cell therapy for a rare post-transplant blood cancer, developed by Atara Biotherapeutics and Pierre Fabre, was on track for FDA approval after internal reviewers recommended clearance, but the agency unexpectedly rejected it last month, citing deficient clinical data. Anonymous former agency sources say the decision may reflect leadership changes, marking a sharp reversal that disrupts a treatment expected to help roughly 500 patients in the US each year with a grim prognosis.
Illumina announced an 18‑month roadmap for the NovaSeq X system featuring a Q70 quality score, a 40% output increase to 35 billion reads, and 30% faster runtimes (14B reads in 20–22 hours). The plan adds staggered starts, new flow cells and DRAGEN software to broaden multiomics, oncology and genetics applications. Rollout will span all NovaSeq X installations (~890 systems) and aims to enable higher-quality data at lower cost, advancing oncology, MRD testing and rare-disease research.
Gilead agreed to acquire Arcellx for about $7.8 billion in cash to take full control of the BCMA-targeted CAR-T therapy anito-cel as FDA review proceeds, paying $115 a share—a 68% premium to Arcellx's 30-day VWAP with a $5-per-share contingent payout if global sales reach $6 billion by 2029; the deal aims to sharpen Gilead's cell-therapy portfolio and compete with J&J/Legend's Carvykti, with analysts noting anito-cel's safety profile and potential to restore momentum for Gilead's Kite unit.
Merck is splitting its human health business into two divisions—a dedicated oncology unit to oversee cancer therapies (including Keytruda) and a separate specialty pharma and infectious diseases unit for non-cancer products and vaccines—part of a strategy to sharpen growth after Keytruda's looming patent cliff. The company cites expectations of continued leadership in oncology and potential multi-brand growth, highlighting leadership changes: Jannie Oosthuizen will run the oncology and international unit, while Brian Foard heads the new specialty/pharma/infectious diseases unit, with Chirfi Guindo in a policy/communications role. Merck aims to sustain long-term oncology leadership and push growth through its pipeline, with executives signaling potential of more than $70B in annual revenue mid-decade.
Merck is reorganizing its Human Health unit into two business units—Oncology and Specialty, Pharma & Infectious Diseases—to sharpen commercial execution for a broader portfolio. New leaders Jannie Oosthuizen (Oncology) and Brian Foard (Specialty, Pharma & Infectious Diseases) will report to CEO Robert Davis, while Chirfi Guindo leads Strategic Access, Policy & Communications. The move aims to better advance Merck’s widening pipeline, with about 80 Phase 3 trials and more than 20 growth drivers anticipated in the coming years.
ImmunityBio reported 2025 revenue of about $113 million, a 700% year-over-year increase, with Q4 revenue of $38.3 million up 431% driven by rapid scaling of lead oncology therapy Anktiva; major funds such as Citadel and Renaissance increased their holdings, signaling investors are betting on faster commercialization rather than trial risk as the stock climbs year-to-date.
Dr. Sue Hwang, a radiation oncologist, is diagnosed with breast cancer at 46 despite having no symptoms. She endures extensive treatment—including bilateral mastectomies, chemotherapy, radiation, and hormone therapy—and, now in remission, writes a memoir about how becoming a patient reshaped her approach to care, embracing vulnerability to connect with patients and redefine her identity.
Amgen has acquired Dark Blue Therapeutics for up to $840 million, adding a novel investigational molecule targeting proteins MLLT1/3 to its oncology pipeline, aiming to improve treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
Amgen has acquired Dark Blue Therapeutics, a UK biotech specializing in targeted protein degraders for oncology, for up to $840 million, to enhance its pipeline for treating acute myeloid leukemia with a novel investigational molecule showing promising preclinical results.