Wuxi Apptec isn’t going down without a fight after the U.S. Department of Defense added it to the Section 1260H list June 8 as a designated “Chinese military company,” which makes it a “biotechnology company of concern” under the Biosecure Act. “Such designation is mistaken and baseless,” the global contract research, development and manufacturing organization said in an open letter to its life sciences partners. “We will pursue every available avenue to correct this mistake.” That includes appealing the designation.
Scientists at Columbia University have used base editing to make precise changes in the genomes of human embryos, avoiding the damage to chromosomes that occurs following two-stranded DNA cuts with conventional Crispr-Cas9 editing.
Dexcom Inc. and Insulet Corp. reported new clinical trial data on their diabetes technologies at the 2026 Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association in New Orleans, offering insights that could aid in clinical adoption. Abbott Laboratories, meanwhile, highlighted the risks of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and presented data showing the growing challenge of identifying DKA as it can develop quickly and mimic common illnesses.
GLP-1 receptor agonists remained center stage at the 2026 Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association with Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH and Astrazeneca plc, joining the leaders, Eli Lilly and Co. and Novo Nordisk A/S, in presenting data for their respective GLP-1 drugs.
The recent introduction of the bipartisan Biotech Investment National Security Act in the U.S. House has industry and venture capitalists urging lawmakers to take a breath, step back, and consider a less invasive approach than restricting U.S. biopharma deals with Chinese innovators.
Tango Therapeutics Inc. will be sitting down with the U.S. FDA soon to discuss pivotal work ahead based on what Cantor analyst Eric Schmidt called “amazing” data from the phase I/II study of vopimetostat, a PRMT5 inhibitor, paired with Revolution Medicines Inc.’s RAS(ON) inhibitors in patients with MTAP-deleted and RAS-mutant metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) as well as non-small cell lung cancer.
Building on its partnerships with Gilead Sciences Inc., Sanofi SA and Pfizer Inc., Nurix Therapeutics Inc. brought on Roche Holding AG to help develop bexobrutideg, an oral degrader of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK). “I really can’t think of a better partner to maximize the opportunity for bexobrutideg to a wide range of patients,” Jason Kantor, Nurix’s chief business officer, told investors on a conference call, later pointing out that Roche has multiple drugs targeting B cells.
In its largest acquisition to date, Incyte Inc. snagged rights to phase III-stage VGA-039, a monoclonal antibody the firm said could offer a new standard of care in von Willebrand disease (VWD), in a buyout of Vega Therapeutics Inc. that includes a $1.25 billion up-front payment and up to $750 million tied to the achievement of sales milestones. The announcement was followed shortly by news of another buyout, Johnson & Johnson’s deal to acquire Firefly Bio Inc. for $1 billion in cash, both moves continuing this year’s trend of larger, more strategic M&A transactions.
The U.S. FDA’s year-old Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher (CNPV) pilot program played to mixed reviews at the agency’s June 4 listening session intended to get various stakeholders’ perspective on the ultra-accelerated review process being offered to qualifying drugs.
Agios Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s potential $665 million deal for Oscotec Inc.’s cevidoplenib, a phase III-ready oral SYK inhibitor to treat immune thrombocytopenia, marks a new chapter of development focused on cancer therapy resistance for Oscotec, CEO Yoon Tae-young said.