For the long-term impact of GLP-1 therapies in obesity to be realized, they must be paired with data and digital tools. While the drugs are effective, challenges are well known, such as loss of muscle mass loss, compliance and accessibility. With more treatments moving through the pipeline, innovation and technology will be key to supporting long-term use, delegates heard at the HLTH Europe conference in Amsterdam on June 17.
Although GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) have significantly advanced obesity treatment, their limitations underscore the need for new therapies that promote weight loss while preserving muscle and supporting metabolic health. Researchers from Rivus Pharmaceuticals Inc. discussed the discovery and preclinical profile of RV-8451, a potentially first-in-class, oral, nonpeptide GLP-1RA.
Arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC) is a group of disorders defined by two or more contractures in different body areas; while genes encoding sarcomeric proteins are usually involved in its pathogenesis, the role of the dystrophin complex is not well studied in AMC. Utrophin, encoded by the UTRN gene, is an important fetal dystrophin homologue and was the focus of a recently presented study.
Liability remains one of the biggest barriers to the adoption of AI in healthcare. As more tools get developed for use in clinical settings, a key question persists: Who is ultimately at fault when something goes wrong – the hospital, the clinician or the developer? That uncertainty is making clinicians hesitant to adopt new technologies, delegates heard at the HLTH Europe conference in Amsterdam on June 16.
Clonal hematopoiesis (CH), where few blood stem cells produce a significant fraction of mature blood cells that are genetically identical, is partly an inevitable feature of aging. Certainly, it is near universal in those older than 60. CH is not itself a disease, but 1%-2% of CH cases progress to acute myeloid leukemia, and it raises the risk of some other types of cancer as well. A total of eight genes are responsible for 95% of CH cases, George Vassiliou told the audience in Saturday’s plenary session at the 2026 Annual Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA 2026).
Clinical responses to BCMA- or GPRC5D-directed T-cell engagers in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (MM) are often limited by disease relapse and antigen escape, underscoring the need for dual-targeting strategies that enhance durability while mitigating cytokine-driven toxicity.
The advent of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) changed targeted cancer therapy by enabling the delivery of cytotoxic agents to cancer cells. Topoisomerase I inhibitors are commonly used as payloads in TROP2-directed ADCs, but they are linked to toxicity and emerging resistance. Degrader-antibody conjugates (DACs) go beyond conventional cytotoxic payloads by combining antigen targeting and selective protein degradation.
At the recently concluded congress of the European Hematology Association, researchers at Cogent Biosciences Inc. presented preclinical data on CGT-1145, a JAK2 V617F-mutant-selective inhibitor designed to preferentially target the mutant kinase while sparing wild-type JAK2.
Even though children make up a quarter of the population, healthcare technologies are not often designed with them in mind. Investment in pediatric innovation remains limited with investors often viewing returns in the space as less predictable. Nevertheless, a number of companies are looking to address this and are developing technologies for kids. Afterall, with huge investments going into longevity R&D, there is a compelling case for addressing health issues at the very early stage, delegates heard at the first annual Pediatric Innovation Summit, held as part of the HLTH Europe conference in Amsterdam on June 15.
IBI-3032 is a nonpeptide GLP-1 receptor agonist under development at Innovent Biologics Co. Ltd. for the potential treatment of obesity and other metabolic diseases. The company recently reported results of preclinical studies in which pharmacokinetic profiling was performed in vivo in different species, and the candidate’s in vivo efficacy was tested in a murine model with diet-induced obesity.