Shares of Alumis Inc. (NASDAQ:ALMS) were selling for $16.93, up $8.62, or 103%, having traded as high as $22.30 on positive top-line results from the phase III Onward1 and Onward2 trials with envudeucitinib, a next-generation highly selective oral tyrosine kinase 2 inhibitor, in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Envudeucitinib met all primary and secondary endpoints with high statistical significance in both studies. The drug achieved superior skin clearance compared with placebo on the co‑primary endpoints of Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) 75 and static Physician’s Global Assessment (sPGA) 0/1 at week 16. On average, 74% of patients achieved PASI 75 and 59% reached sPGA 0/1, with responses deepening over time. Placebo-adjusted response rates for the co-primary endpoints were consistent between the two trials, Alumis said.
Obesity rings in New Year with Lilly-Nimbus $1.3B deal, RNAi data
Biopharma industry zeal for obesity therapeutics does not appear to be dying down any time soon, with Eli Lilly and Co. entering a $1.3 billion deal with Nimbus Therapeutics LLC for a new small molecule, and Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals Inc. rolling out phase I/IIa data of its RNAi therapeutics used in combination with Lilly’s GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist, tirzepatide. Nimbus will use its AI-powered computational drug discovery engine to develop a novel oral treatment for obesity and other metabolic diseases. The multiyear deal grants Lilly an exclusive, worldwide license to promising candidates, and Nimbus is eligible for about $1.3 billion in up-front and milestone payments, plus tiered royalties. When used with tirzepatide (Zepbound), Arrowhead’s ARO-INHBE doubled weight loss and tripled reductions in visceral fat, total fat and liver fat, vs. tirzepatide alone, in obese patients with type 2 diabetes. Company shares (NASDAQ:ARWR) rose as high as $76.76 on Jan. 6, up 20% from the prior day’s closing.
Another stormy year in biopharma forecast
It doesn’t take a meteorologist to predict another stormy year for the biopharma sector, not just in the U.S., but also in Europe. Lurking within those clouds, though, could be a few silver linings. “The health care sector is entering 2026 amid a perfect storm of political, financial and operational pressures,” said Rita Numerof, president of Numerof & Associates Inc. “Across the board, organizations are being forced to adapt. To succeed, they must fundamentally rethink their business models to demonstrate value, manage risk and improve outcomes.”
Oculis eyes MS trial as privosegtor gets FDA breakthrough status in optic neuritis
Eye diseases specialist Oculis SA is laying plans to branch out into multiple sclerosis after the phase II trials of its acute optic neuritis (AON) drug, privosegtor, showed it reduced levels of neurofilament release, a key biomarker of neuronal damage and neurodegeneration. In combination with clinically meaningful improvements in visual acuity of 18 letters and evidence of neuroprotective effects in the retinas of patients with AON, this positions privosegtor to be assessed in reducing the worsening that can occur not only in eyesight, but also in cognitive, emotional, motor and sensory functions, following MS relapses.
South Korea approves record budgets for health agencies in 2026
South Korea’s National Assembly approved the largest budgets for its health ministries in 2026, including the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) and Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The MFDS secured a record ₩832 billion budget for 2026, a 10.9% increase from ₩750.2 billion in 2025. About 23% of the total was dedicated to strengthening biopharma safety and innovation, including expanding infrastructure for approvals and reviews.
Drugs to Watch 2026: 11 potential blockbusters that could transform patient care
The newly released 2026 edition of Clarivate’s Drugs to Watch report highlights 11 potential blockbusters that could change treatment paradigms for patients. The Drugs to Watch 2026 report identifies therapies expected to achieve blockbuster status within five years or significantly transform treatment paradigms. More than 160 Clarivate analysts sifted through hundreds of drugs across hundreds of diseases and markets using integrated, AI-enhanced datasets covering the full R&D and commercialization lifecycle. Each therapy was evaluated in its clinical and commercial context, considering approval or launch timing, trial results, regulatory status, market dynamics and competitive landscape.
Appeals court says no to cap on indirect costs in NIH grants
Unless the U.S. Supreme Court steps in to reverse the decision, the NIH’s attempt to cap indirect costs at 15% in all its grants is dead. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit yesterday upheld a permanent injunction issued by a lower court, vacating an NIH supplemental guidance imposing the across-the-board cap both retroactively and prospectively. Affirming the district court’s jurisdiction in the matter – something the NIH had challenged, the appeals court said the agency’s supplemental guidance violates both a congressional appropriations rider and the Department of Health and Human Services’ own duly adopted regulations. Congress enacted the rider in the first Trump administration, and every year since, in response to President Donald Trump’s first efforts to cap indirect costs at 10%.
BioWorld 2025 Year in Review
BioWorld looks back at the year’s biggest news. Find all of our 2025 Year in Review articles here.
Also in the news
Altimmune, Argenx, Biodexa, Bioinvent, Canurta, Crinetics, Elevatebio, Estrella, Fractyl, GH Research, GSK, Halozyme, Hatchtech, Humacyte, Idorsia, Incyte, Kailera, Kelun-Biotech, Kenai, Kriya, Maplight, Marker, Moderna, Neumora, Newcelx, Nicox, Novo Nordisk, Okyo, Orum, Pelthos, Pharmadrug, Protagonist, Sanofi, Scilex, Scinopharm, Skye, Soleno, Takeda, Tango, Zenas
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