Endpoints News✓

Exclusive: Dren Bio raised $350M to get its lead blood cancer drug onto the market by the end of 2027.

The landmark daraxonrasib approval in August marked a huge step forward in treatment of pancreatic cancer. But it also opened up gaps in access for some patients waiting for treatment. Tomorrow during the Endpoints at ESMO event, Russ Reed, a pancreatic cancer patient, and his wife and advocate Marnie will share their experiences with those gaps. Join us for that and other key conversations on this moment in oncology:

Analysts pressed Biogen on lupus drug litifilimab ahead of Phase 3 readouts pivotal to CEO Chris Viehbacher’s turnaround.

⚡️Breaking: HHS says compounders can now make six peptides.

Scientists have come around on AI: 78% now expect it to speed drug discovery in the next year, up from 59%, per Endpoints’ Signal survey.

Backed by Amish and Mennonite families, gene therapy startup Plowshare is rethinking how rare disease treatments get funded and priced.

Anthropic acquired Mithril Medicine, a one-person biotech run by the man behind the pseudonymous X account “Professor Oak.”

Astellas took an option on Audax’s preclinical cancer drug, with $285M covering the upfront and exercise fees.

A loosely defined joint venture ban in Treasury’s draft COINS rule could sharply curtail China biotech deals, experts say.

Artiva is effectively shutting down and cutting almost all staff after two patient deaths in its autoimmune cell therapy trials.

Investors are warming to the post-Makary FDA, but scientists and Big Pharma remain guarded, per Endpoints’ Signal survey.

Thursday: Merck and Moderna’s cancer vaccine cut the risk of melanoma recurrence or death by 42%, yet Moderna’s shares fell. Join us to discuss the results, the reaction and what’s next for cancer vaccines. Register free:

Citing MFN, Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan says the company could bypass European government payers when launching new drugs.

Novartis says its $12B Avidity buyout remains “absolutely on track” despite a $1.9B impairment on a failed neuromuscular drug.

Zavain Dar, founder and managing partner of Dimension, doesn’t think AI will make medicine cheaper, but that doesn’t mean it won’t make medicine better. “If we use AI for scientific exploration, less so margin expansion, I think candidly that’s where we’re going to see a lot of fruit,” Dar said. Hear Dar’s full “hot take” from Endpoints’ AI Day in New York City:

#ESMO26: Beyond its cancer vaccine, Merck brought more than two dozen studies to ESMO as it races to offset Keytruda’s patent cliff.

Lilly’s lead dealmaker Jacob Van Naarden is on an acquisition tear ahead of what could be pharma’s largest patent cliff.

Basel-based Windward Bio filed for a Nasdaq IPO to fund two China-derived assets and in-house R&D.

#ESMO26: Akeso detailed its Phase 3 biliary cancer win for ivonescimab, with survival data drawing comparisons to Keytruda.