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.

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.

Integrin alpha-5 (ITGA5) is a central modulator of extracellular matrix signaling and has been tied to fibrosis and tissue damage, contributing to lupus nephritis (LN) pathogenesis. A group of researchers aimed to investigate the association between ITGA5 and LN and its inhibition as a potential strategy to improve renal outcomes.

Researchers from Innovent Biologics (Suzhou) Co. Ltd. presented preclinical efficacy data on IBI-3040, a dual agonist of amylin and calcitonin receptors (CTR). In vitro studies in UM-UC-3 cells expressing human CTR and amylin receptor subtypes AMY-1 and AMY-3 showed that IBI-3040 elicited robust receptor activation, as evidenced by cAMP accumulation assays.

Clinical evidence supports the integration of dual amylin and calcitonin receptor agonism (DACRA) with GLP-1, GIP and glucagon receptor signaling (triple G) as a synergistic approach for appetite modulation, insulin sensitivity and weight loss. Oban Biopharma Inc. is developing OBT-676, an oral small molecule that delivers full DACRA activity with triple G partial agonism for the treatment of metabolic disorders.