Cancer cells expand through mutations – but not just through mutations. They also change their behavior in the absence of underlying genetic alterations. Such plasticity helps the cells both adapt to the cellular stress fueled by out-of-control growth and resist targeted and chemotherapies alike. Investigators from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Huazhong Agricultural University have gained new insights into the underlying mechanisms of plasticity.

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced that it received no objections from the U.S. FDA to move pilavapadin, its non-opioid candidate for diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain, into phase III study, pushing company shares up near 20% on the day.

The structurally similar cytokines IL-2 and IL-15, and their shared beta subunit CD122, are keeping developers busy across a range of indications. Though some scientific confusion has plagued the space historically, drug candidates have drawn deals and Wall Street interest aplenty. Amgen Inc., Novartis AG, and Incyte Corp. are among those who’ve made their interest known.

Erasca Inc. priced an upsized public offering to raise $225 million to fund development of its therapies for patients with RAS/MAPK pathway-driven cancers.

The economic and societal implications of the underfunding of women’s health finally reached the agenda of the World Economic Forum (WEF), with the launch at the 2026 annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, this week of the inaugural Women’s Health Investment Outlook. The neglect of women’s health is not only a public health issue, but also “a market inefficiency on a global scale,” the WEF report said.