Overall, results from the phase III Valor trial testing Lyme disease vaccine PF-07307405 “strengthen confidence” in the candidate, according to partners Pfizer Inc. and Valneva SE, with the big pharma now looking toward regulatory submissions. Investors, however, focused on the fact that the study, which demonstrated more than 70% efficacy in preventing Lyme disease in individuals, ages 5 and older, failed to hit the statistical criterion for the first prespecified analysis, a finding the companies attributed to fewer than expected Lyme disease cases in the overall study period. Shares of Valneva (NASDAQ:VAL) were trading down 36% at midday.

Apogee jumps on phase II AD results with zumilokibart

Shares of Apogee Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:APGE) were trading at $78.60, up $12.56, or 19%, on positive 52-week maintenance data from part A of the phase II Apex trial of IL-13 antibody zumilokibart (APG-777) in moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (AD). The results turned up durable maintenance of response with three- as well as six-month maintenance dosing regimens. Waltham, Mass.-based Apogee also noted a deepening of response for the full population across all lesional and itch endpoints, supporting the compound’s potentially differentiated profile, including less frequent dosing in AD than current standard of care.

Oryon emerges with autologous stem cell therapy for Parkinson’s

Oryon Cell Therapeutics emerged from stealth mode to announce data from the phase Ib/IIa study of its neuron replacement therapy in patients with Parkinson’s disease at the 20th International Conference on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases. The company, spun out of work from Ole Isacson at the Neuroregeneration Research Institute at McLean Hospital, has been developing the project inhouse within the Harvard Medical School system for about five years. Oryon recently closed a new $21 million tranche of its series A financing, bringing its total funding from equity investments and grants to $42 million.

Kali signs $1.2B Sanofi deal for autoimmune asset KT-501

T-cell engager company Kali Therapeutics Inc. licensed its lead product, CD19/BCMA/CD3 trispecific antibody KT-501, to Sanofi SA in a global deal that could be worth more than $1.2 billion. The San Mateo, Calif.-based biotech first emerged in 2024 and moved KT-501 into a phase Ia trial last week to treat adults with rheumatoid arthritis. The deal entails $180 million in up-front and near-term payments to Kali, up to $1.05 billion in development and commercial milestone payments, and tiered royalties on sales, ranging from the high-single digits to double digits.

How to grow a startup in the AI era: MedTech Spotlight Korea 2026

AI and advanced biotechnology are reshaping South Korea’s med-tech sector, but great technology alone is not enough to build a successful medical device company, speakers said at MedTech Innovator’s Medtech Spotlight: New Impact Korea 2026. Executives from established med-tech companies, Johnson & Johnson and Becton, Dickinson and Co., as well as venture capital firms pointed out that startups often fail not because of weak technology but because they lack commercial expertise.

Laigo extends seed round as targeted protein degradation field gathers pace

Laigo Bio BV has extended its seed round to €17 million (US$19.8 million), after making progress with translating its novel E3 ubiquitin ligase targeted protein degradation technology toward the clinic. Additional funding of €4 million has come from new co-lead investor Biovance Capital, a Portuguese VC specializing in investing in early stage biotechs at seed or series A across Europe. At the same time, the existing co-lead, Kurma Partners is putting in an additional €1.5 million. The lead program, in which the PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitor and vascular endothelial growth factor will both be tagged for degradation, is making good headway, said Matthew Baker, Laigo CEO.

NICE issues guidance to improve kidney cancer care

With incidence of kidney cancer rising in the U.K., the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published its first comprehensive guidelines for diagnosing and treating the disease. The recommendations include expanding the use of biopsies for suspected renal cell carcinoma, increasing the use of active surveillance and offering thermal ablation as a treatment option.

Emerging therapeutic strategies for Parkinson’s at ADPD 2026

Parkinson’s disease (PD) involves the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons, particularly in the substantia nigra. This neurodegeneration is linked to the abnormal accumulation of α-synuclein, a protein that forms toxic aggregates and spreads between cells, damaging them. Current therapies, in addition to treating symptoms, aim to interrupt this process by preventing α-synuclein from aggregating, eliminating harmful forms already formed, blocking its toxic species, or mitigating neuronal loss. At the 20th International Conference on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases (AD/PD), held from March 17 to 21, 2026, in Copenhagen, several strategies were presented that aim to modify the course of the disease and offer real alternatives to purely symptomatic treatments.

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