In October 2025, BioWorld tracked 252 clinical trial updates across phases I-III, roughly in line with September’s 230 but markedly higher than the 95 logged in August. Of those, 27 phase III studies reported positive results, while four disclosed failures. Clinical trial updates logged by BioWorld in October comprised 91 phase I reports, 75 from phase II, and 87 from phase III studies.

KRAS acts as a key molecular switch in cell signaling, activated by the guanine nucleotide exchange factor SOS1. Mutant KRAS drives many cancers, yet has been difficult to target directly. SOS/pan-KRAS modulators represent a new approach that blocks the SOS1-KRAS interaction, preventing KRAS activation and suppressing oncogenic signaling across multiple KRAS variants.

Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. and Health Hope Pharma Ltd. may be getting a second wind for encequidar and the Orascovery platform, with Gilead Sciences Inc. picking up exclusive global rights to develop and commercialize encequidar in the field of virology for $2.5 million up front.

Merck & Co. Inc. has turned to Asia for a second time to get into the GLP-1 market, this time to Shanghai-based Hansoh Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd. for its investigational preclinical oral small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist. Hansoh is getting $112 million up front and could bring in another $1.9 billion in milestone payments. Merck said the addition to its GLP-1 arsenal is “to provide additional cardiometabolic benefits beyond weight reduction.”

Merck & Co. Inc. has turned to Asia for a second time to get into the GLP-1 market, this time to Shanghai-based Hansoh Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd. for its investigational preclinical oral small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist. Hansoh is getting $112 million up front and could bring in another $1.9 billion in milestone payments. Merck said the addition to its GLP-1 arsenal is “to provide additional cardiometabolic benefits beyond weight reduction.”