Early clinical data from Simcere Pharmaceutical Group Ltd. suggest its PD-L1/IL-15 bispecific antibody, SIM-0237, could emerge as a next-generation contender in Bacillus Calmette-Guérin-unresponsive non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Atrogi AB is making a bid for a slice of the obesity market and has dosed the first overweight subjects with ATR-258, an oral therapy it says mimics the effects of exercise, driving loss of fat whilst sparing muscle.

The GLP-1 fight has moved from injectables to pills, and Structure Therapeutics Inc. is in the ring with phase III-ready aleniglipron. According to the Bay Area biotech, its oral once-daily glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drug candidate, aleniglipron, demonstrated an absolute weight loss of “up to 39 pounds” in the 44-week Access II trial.

Australia has released the first clinical practice guideline for the appropriate use of methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder, but clinicians caution that evidence, infrastructure and access remain works in progress.

Low expectations for Rhythm Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s phase III study dubbed Emanate with Imcivree (setmelanotide) in a handful of rare genetic obesities meant hardly any share price consequence, and the stock (NASDAQ:RYTM) closed March 17 at $87.68, down $2.83. “We’re not going to file [for approval] on any of these,” CEO David Meeker said, but the latest findings together represent “a solid building block going forward,” he added.

Mestag Therapeutics Ltd. has raised a $40 million round from existing investors as it completes final preparations for its lead program MST-0312 to enter clinical development in mid-2026. MST-0312 is a bispecific antibody aimed at the lymphotoxin-β receptor (LTBR), which is essential for the development of lymphoid tissues.

Boston Scientific Corp.’s Rezūm Water Vapor Therapy is superior at providing symptom relief for men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) than combination drug therapy, according to 12-month data from the Vapeur clinical trial. Patients treated with Rezūm, a minimally invasive therapy, also saw a better preservation of their sexual function.

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. reaped positive results from an open-label phase II study of repinatrabit (JNT-517) in adolescents with phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare disease marked by the inability to break down the amino acid phenylalanine.

Immutep Ltd.’s stock on Australia’s Securities Exchange plummeted nearly 90% on March 13 on the news that its phase III TACTI-004 trial evaluating eftilagimod alfa (IMP-321, efti) in first-line non-small-cell lung cancer was discontinued due to futility.