Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical (Group) Co. Ltd. is paying $60 million up front for an option to secure exclusive rights to Aribio Co. Ltd.’s oral phase III-stage Alzheimer’s disease (AD) therapy, AR-1001. The option fee plus license agreement has potential to tally $4.7 billion for Aribio, marking the largest deal for an AD asset inked by a Korean biotech company. Read More

Biogen Inc. has decided to advance diranersen (BIIB-080) into registrational trials for early Alzheimer’s disease, even though the antisense oligonucleotide therapy, originally discovered by Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., missed its phase II primary endpoint. Read More

How the U.S. FDA might view the latest Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) phase III data with gene therapy RGX-202 became the question for Regenxbio Inc., shares of which  (NASDAQ:RGNX) closed May 14 at $6.25, down 38%, or $3.80, after the results were made public. Read More

Gene therapies rely on vectors to reach the target tissue where they act, such as adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) or lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), among other delivery strategies. Each combination is optimized for a specific cell type and indication, aiming to overcome challenges such as efficacy, specificity and toxicity. On May 13, 2026, two sessions included in the scientific symposia of the 29th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT), being held in Boston this week, addressed AAV-related toxicities, which have led to fatal cases in clinical trials and remain an area for improvement in approved therapies. Read More

The number of cases of hantavirus infection has risen from eight to 11, following the repatriation of passengers from the cruise ship MV Hondius, with World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warning the danger is not over. “In fact, it has entered a new phase as the passengers and crew return home,” he told attendees of a meeting at WHO’s headquarters in Geneva on May 13. Read More

The convergence of robotics, sensors and AI is reshaping how medical devices interact with patients, clinicians and healthcare systems. Across the field, from oncology to cardiology and women’s health, companies are integrating software, connectivity, data analytics and biological information into their products. And although traditional devices, such as screws for orthopedics or valves for cardiology, remain essential, the shift underway is leading to much more personalized medicine, which is more effective and safer, Eran Lerer, managing partner, at Shoni Health Ventures, told BioWorld. Read More

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is driving home its message that inter partes reviews (IPRs) are not to be used in conjunction with court action presenting “inconsistent positions” as a litigation strategy. Read More

The recent hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship has brought increased attention to an infection for which there are no widely available or FDA-approved therapeutics or vaccines, with limited research occurring only at the earliest stages. The rare Andes strain identified in the outbreak is known for human-to-human transmission, although the original infection comes from rodents. While hantavirus does not spread as easily as an infection like COVID-19, the mortality rate, at 30% to 40%, is significantly greater, and serves as another example as to why biopharmas must be at least two steps ahead with technology that can pivot to quickly address the spread of infectious diseases. Read BioWorld’s ongoing coverage of the current hantavirus outbreak. Read More

New hires and promotions in the biopharma and med-tech industries, including: Anaveon, Anteris, Apreo, ARS, Betterlife, Brainbox, Infinimmune, Jenavalve, Neomorph, Quanterix, Stimvia, Zura. Read More

Biopharma and med-tech companies raising money in public or private financings, including: Evotec, Lantern, Preveceutical, Rivermark, Tevogen, Whitehawk. Read More

Clinical updates for biopharma and med tech, including data readouts and publications: Bioinvent, Can-Fite, Eli Lilly, Encoded, Enliven, Iecure, Urogen. Read More

Biopharma and med-tech happenings, including deals and partnerships, and other news in brief: Abeona, Aluvaris, Amicus, Biomarin, Diagnostear, Diteba, Langer Medical, Pharmala, Pharmadrug, Sairiyo, Takeda, Valneva. Read More

Regulatory snapshots for biopharma and med tech, including global submissions and approvals, and other regulatory decisions and designations: Cepheid, Epineuron, Femasys, Gyre, Kyverna, Pfizer, Revvity, Siemens. Read More