Updated Long-Term Follow-Up From the Phase 1b BOT+BAL Study at ESMO GI 2026 – Agenus
oncodaily - Agenus shared a post on LinkedIn: “At ESMOGI26, Agenus will share updated long-term follow-up from the Phase 1b study evaluating botensilimab plus balstilimab (BOT+BAL) in patients with MSS metastatic colorectal […]
AI Summary: Updated follow‑up data presented for botensilimab plus balstilimab reveal meaningful and durable activity in microsatellite‑stable metastatic colorectal cancer, with especially encouraging outcomes in patients lacking active liver metastases. The Agenus combination, showcased at a major gastrointestinal oncology meeting, renews interest in immune strategies for historically refractory MSS disease.
- Agenus releases Phase 1b three-year BOT+BAL survival data (2)
- Clinical and community reaction: experts weigh in on BOT+BAL (3)
- ESMO GI: BOT+BAL benefits in patients without active liver metastases (3)
- All Other Stories
Agenus releases Phase 1b three-year BOT+BAL survival data
Clinical and community reaction: experts weigh in on BOT+BAL
ESMO GI: BOT+BAL benefits in patients without active liver metastases
All Other Stories
RWJBarnabas Health, Rutgers open $225M cancer center
Elizabeth Gregerson / beckershospitalreview - On June 22, West Orange, N.J.-based RWJBarnabas Health and New Brunswick, N.J.-based Rutgers Cancer Institute opened the Melchiorre Cancer Center at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, N.J. The cancer center cost $225 million, according to a …
AI Summary: Results presented at ASCO for daraxonrasib delivered practice‑changing evidence in pancreatic cancer, prompting clinicians to offer the drug off‑trial within weeks. The data generated excitement across conferences and clinical teams, fueling early adoption discussions and raising hopes for a tangible advance against a historically stubborn disease.
- ASCO shockwave: Daraxonrasib survival curve draws standing ovation (3)
- Competing KRAS strategies: zoldonrasib, HRS‑4642 and blood testing (4)
- Conference context: RAS momentum and expert reflections (5)
- Rapid off‑trial rollout and early patient access (4)
- All Other Stories
ASCO shockwave: Daraxonrasib survival curve draws standing ovation
Competing KRAS strategies: zoldonrasib, HRS‑4642 and blood testing
Conference context: RAS momentum and expert reflections
Rapid off‑trial rollout and early patient access
All Other Stories
FDA Approves Gilead’s Trodelvy, Alone and With Merck’s Keytruda, in First-Line Metastatic TNBC
oncodaily - Decision delivers the first ADC-based regimens for previously untreated triple-negative breast cancer across PD-L1 status, a PD-L1-positive Keytruda combination plus a monotherapy option for immunotherapy-ineligible patients. The U.S. Food and […]
AI Summary: The FDA approved sacituzumab govitecan (Trodelvy) as both monotherapy and in combination with pembrolizumab (Keytruda) for first-line treatment of metastatic triple‑negative breast cancer, expanding options for a hard-to-treat population. Regulators cited clinical benefit in appropriate patients, reshaping treatment sequencing and payer discussions.
A Ban Won’t Stop Abortion Pill Access, Telehealth Providers Say
Kate Wells / kffhealthnews - As a federal court mulls a case that could result in significant restrictions on a pill used in most abortions, providers say they have alternatives to preserve access even in states with bans in place.
AI Summary: Providers and telehealth advocates warn that banning access won’t stop patients from obtaining abortion pills online. Telemedicine and pharmacy workarounds continue to provide routes for care, underscoring limits of state bans and foreshadowing prolonged legal and practical battles over remote prescribing, cross‑border services, and patient privacy.
As PBM industry shifts, LucyRx and Abarca Health merge to build scale
fiercehealthcare - Amid significant shifts in the pharmacy benefit management industry, LucyRx and Abarca Health have revealed plans to merge to build the scale necessary to compete in this changing landscape.
AI Summary: Two independent pharmacy benefit managers, LucyRx and Abarca Health, announced a combination to build scale amid industry consolidation. The deal aims to bolster negotiating leverage, broaden client reach and offer an alternative to dominant PBMs—because apparently one disruptor wasn’t enough to disrupt the disruptors.
FDA Approves Datopotamab Deruxtecan-dlnk for Unresectable or Metastatic TNBC
esmo -
AI Summary: Regulators have approved datopotamab deruxtecan for patients with unresectable or metastatic triple‑negative breast cancer, offering a new targeted option where few exist. The decision follows trial evidence of meaningful anti‑tumor activity and expands the treatment toolkit for aggressive TNBC subtypes, with clinicians weighing sequencing and toxicity management.
Ashok Sebastian Komaranchath: Delighted to Speak at the 5th International Oncology Forum on 20–21 June 2026
oncodaily - Ashok Sebastian Komaranchath, Consultant Medical Oncology and Clinical Lead for Oncology Services at Burjeel Cancer Institute, Oman, shared on LinkedIn: “I was delighted to speak at the 5th International Oncology Forum […]
AI Summary: The FDA (and HHS) launched Operation TrialBlazer, an initiative to accelerate and modernize clinical development by streamlining trial design, data sharing and regulatory pathways. The program aims to reclaim trial competitiveness and reduce time‑to‑market, promising faster patient access — if stakeholders can agree on what “modernize” actually means.
Medical Journal Retracts Study Claiming Cancer Therapy Is More Effective When Given in the Morning
Rebecca Robbins / nytimes - In a notice flagging a series of problems with a clinical trial, the journal Nature Medicine said its editors “no longer have confidence in the integrity of the results.”
AI Summary: A high‑profile medical journal retracted a paper that claimed cancer immunotherapy is significantly more effective when administered in the morning. The reversal follows scrutiny over methods and data integrity, prompting clinicians to pause any scheduling changes until robust evidence actually materializes.
Bruce Levine: Ten-Year Outcomes Reinforce the Durability of CD19 CAR T-Cell Therapy
oncodaily - Bruce Levine, Barbara and Edward Netter Professor in Cancer Gene Therapy at the University of Pennsylvania, shared a post on X: “NEW – Ten-Year Outcomes after CAR T-Cell Therapy for […]
AI Summary: Long‑term data reveal that CD19 CAR‑T therapy produces durable remissions in a subset of B‑cell lymphoma patients, with ten‑year outcomes reinforcing the treatment's long‑term benefit for some. The findings bolster CAR‑T’s curative potential while underscoring the need to identify who will enjoy durable responses.
Hospitals Cry Foul After Eli Lilly Withholds 340B Discounts
Katie Adams / medcitynews - Eli Lilly made good on its threat to withhold 340B drug discounts from hospitals that refused to submit claims data. Hospital groups are calling the policy unlawful, arguing that the company has no legal authority to create its own compliance requirements…
AI Summary: Eli Lilly has begun denying 340B program discounts to participating hospitals after issuing an ultimatum, prompting sharp criticism from safety-net providers. Hospitals say the move will squeeze margins and threaten patient access to affordable medicines. The dispute centers on manufacturer discount eligibility and contract terms as providers scramble to quantify the financial hit.
- Federal 340B reforms and CMS payment proposals (3)
- Hospitals protest Lilly denying 340B discounts (4)
- Legal rulings and stakeholder reactions to 340B fight (3)
Federal 340B reforms and CMS payment proposals
Hospitals protest Lilly denying 340B discounts
Legal rulings and stakeholder reactions to 340B fight
Purdue Researchers Develop Next-Generation Automated Platform to Accelerate Drug Discovery – Purdue Institute for Cancer Research
oncodaily - Purdue Institute for Cancer Research shared a post on LinkedIn: “Purdue researchers, including Nicolás Morato and R. Graham Cooks, have developed a next-generation platform that integrates chemical synthesis, biological testing, […]
AI Summary: Purdue researchers unveiled an automated mass‑spectrometry platform that compresses key steps of small‑molecule drug discovery into a matter of hours, promising faster lead identification and screening. The system couples high‑throughput chemistry with rapid readouts to accelerate iteration cycles, potentially shrinking timelines and costs for early oncology drug development — welcome news for impatient scientists.
Deep learning–enabled discovery of antibiotics effective against Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Melis N. Anahtar, Jacqueline A. Valeri, Seyed Majed Modaresi, Aarti Krishnan, Nina M. Donghia, Saman / science - Science Translational Medicine, Volume 18, Issue 854, June 2026.
AI Summary: Researchers used deep‑learning screening of millions of compounds to identify two promising leads active against drug‑resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The AI‑driven approach accelerated hit discovery and produced chemical scaffolds now entering preclinical follow‑up, offering a potential new avenue in an area desperate for novel antibiotics.
Teclistamab Significantly Improves Survival Among Patients with Multiple Myeloma Who Previously Received One To Three Lines of Treatment
esmo - Findings from the MajesTEC-9 study
AI Summary: Clinical data show teclistamab significantly improves survival for patients with multiple myeloma after one to three prior therapies. Those results have ignited discussions about moving the bispecific antibody earlier in treatment algorithms and prompted labs and clinicians to reassess sequencing strategies across relapsed and refractory myeloma.
FDA approves Welireg with pembrolizumab for renal cell carcinoma
medicalxpress - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Merck's Welireg (belzutifan) in combination with pembrolizumab or pembrolizumab and berahyaluronidase alfa-pmph (Keytruda Qlex) for the adjuvant treatment of renal cell carcinoma in adults with a clear ce…
AI Summary: The FDA cleared Welireg (belzutifan) in combination with pembrolizumab for adjuvant treatment of renal cell carcinoma at high risk of recurrence after surgery. The approval expands belzutifan’s indications, offering a new post‑nephrectomy option intended to lower recurrence risk and reflecting regulators’ willingness to endorse targeted therapy combinations in kidney cancer.
Hibernation-like cooling after stroke may reduce brain damage
medicalxpress - Our body loves the state of homeostasis, where everything is in perfect equilibrium, from temperature to pH levels to fluid balance. As soon as the body's core temperature drops below 95°F (35°C) and stays there for a long time, the heart, nervous system …
AI Summary: Researchers report that inducing a hibernation-like state via drugs and controlled cooling can reduce brain damage after ischemic stroke in preclinical and early clinical work, limiting infarct size, dampening inflammation and improving functional outcomes. The approach shows translational potential but requires carefully designed trials to confirm safety and efficacy.
E. Anders Kolb: Blood Cancer United Preserves Access to Luveltamab Tazevibulin for Children with AML
oncodaily - E. Anders Kolb, Chief Executive Officer of Blood Cancer United, shared a post on LinkedIn: “Today we announced a first‑of‑its‑kind intervention from a nonprofit. Blood Cancer United has stepped up […]
AI Summary: A nonprofit stepped into a supply crisis and purchased the remaining stock of an experimental agent to preserve access for children with acute myeloid leukemia. The emergency buy protects current patients from treatment interruption while stakeholders scramble for a durable manufacturing or regulatory fix, illustrating how charities sometimes act like pharma’s safety net.
FDA approves first new sunscreen ingredient in two decades
medicalxpress - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved bemotrizinol (BEMT) for use in over-the-counter sunscreen products.
AI Summary: The FDA approved a new sunscreen ingredient, the first addition to the U.S. roster in twenty years, opening the door to revamped formulations and potentially better sun protection. Regulators framed the move as modernizing dermatologic options and bolstering consumer confidence, while manufacturers eye reformulation and marketing opportunities.
UnitedHealth, FTC reach proposed settlement in insulin case
Emily Olsen / healthcaredive - The tentative deal comes months after CVS Health reached a proposed settlement in the lawsuit alleging major pharmacy benefit managers are inflating insulin costs.
AI Summary: UnitedHealth/Optum Rx reached a proposed settlement with the FTC over alleged anti-competitive insulin rebate and pricing practices, including terms to resolve claims that rebates harmed competition and patients. The agreement would curb disputed pharmacy benefit manager conduct and could reshape how insulin discounts are negotiated and passed through to consumers.
Healthcare costs poised to jump 9% in 2027 as health plans blame AI adoption, drug prices
fiercehealthcare - Health plans are projecting the highest medical cost trend in nearly two decades in 2027 with commercial health costs expected to rise 9%, according to a new analysis from PwC.
AI Summary: Health plans are sounding the alarm that next year's healthcare bills will spike about 9%, blaming rapid AI adoption and rising drug prices for the squeeze. Insurers argue technology-driven utilization and expensive therapies are colliding with fragile margins, pushing premiums and plan costs higher unless payers and providers curb spending or demand price relief.
First-Ever Dual Vaccine for Lassa Virus and Rabies Deemed Safe in Human Trial
discovermagazine - Learn more about Lassa virus, which continues to ravage parts of West Africa, and how combining a vaccine against it with rabies protection could address two major health concerns at once.
AI Summary: A first-in-human phase 1 trial of an adjuvanted, inactivated rabies virus–vectored Lassa vaccine met safety and tolerability endpoints in healthy adults, generating immune responses that support further development. The combined platform aims to protect against both Lassa fever and rabies, advancing toward larger trials and evaluation in regions where both diseases are endemic.