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The FDA greenlit 26 novel therapies in the first half of 2026, including four for cancer and six for orphan indications. Meanwhile, AstraZeneca and Johnson and Johnson took home a combined 11 of the agency’s 79 total approvals, including supplemental nods.
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Even as FDA approvals for biologic therapies fell in the first half of 2026, regulatory experts are optimistic about a turnaround in the rare disease space after the departure of key leaders at the agency. Still, there will continue to be tension between science and politics.
Early-stage financing rounds are on track to hit their lowest dollar value in years as funders continue to eschew risky investments, experts told BioSpace.
A mostly black box since emerging with more than a billion dollars in hand, Xaira Therapeutics is slowly pulling back the curtain, revealing plans to find partners and validate its pipeline.
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Congressional letters sent to the CEOs of Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Merck, BMS and AbbVie this week voicing concerns about the pharmas’ clinical trials in China highlight an ongoing discrepancy in how government and industry think about the rise of the Asian country’s biotech industry.
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Boehringer Ingelheim will launch three Phase III studies for its obesity drug candidate; third time is a charm for Ipsen as it gets FDA approval; and Pfizer takes multiple myeloma battle to J&J.
The company is continuing its renal cell carcinoma push for its oral HIF-2α inhibitor Welireg with promising Phase III data showing significant progression-free survival improvements in patients.
In a European Phase I/II clinical trial, the experimental drug for treating Crigler-Najjar syndrome reduced bilirubin below toxic threshold in the liver with a single intravenous injection.
After the company’s investigational eye therapy recently failed two late-stage studies, Kodiak Sciences’ Chief Medical Officer and Chief Development Officer Jason Ehrlich has resigned from his roles.
The companies contend that their updated COVID-19 vaccines for the fall vaccination season can elicit strong immune responses against the virus’ currently dominant and emerging subvariants.
The company disclosed Thursday in a second-quarter report that it will continue advancing its chronic refractory gout treatment but is suspending further investments in its pipeline.
The German company on Thursday said it is launching three late-stage studies of its obesity drug candidate after the injectable showed up to 19% weight loss after 46 weeks in a mid-stage trial.
Some experts question the value of recently issued FDA guidance that aims to address gaps in the quality of unapproved laboratory tests for cancer.
After two prior setbacks, the regulator has finally approved Ipsen’s palovarotene to treat fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva. It’s the first treatment for the ultra-rare bone disease.
Mifepristone’s legal saga continues as the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled for steep restrictions on the drug’s access, though its effectivity is pending the Supreme Court’s review.