Puretech Health plc’s rollout May 20 of more phase IIb data with deupirfenidone (LYT-100) in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) perked optimism for that compound – a deuterated form of p38 MAP kinase inhibitor pirfenidone – as well as others in the busy therapeutic space.

The BioWorld Cancer Index reversed its early year losses, rebounding from a 4.74% decline at the end of the first quarter (Q1) to finish Q2 up 12.78%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average followed a similar pattern, dropping to -4.41% by the end of April before recovering to a 3.64% gain by Q2’s end. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index, down 5.37% at the end of May, narrowed its losses to close June down just 1.92%.

Experts in mRNA convened at the Global Vaccine Forum (GVF) 2025 to weigh the present and future of vaccine technology, including emerging innovations in self-amplifying mRNA (sa-mRNA) and drug delivery platforms. “Breakthroughs in mRNA and next-generation vaccine platforms are revolutionizing how we prepare for and respond to global health challenges,” Jerome H. Kim, International Vaccine Institute (IVI) director general, told the audience in Seoul, South Korea, June 19.

The U.S. FDA approved 14 drugs in May, a decline from 20 in April and 22 in March. That brings the year-to-date total for 2025 to 84 approvals, the second highest on record for this period, just behind the 89 approvals recorded in the first five months of 2024.