Women's health

Sun Pharma to acquire Merck spinoff Organon for $11.75B

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:00:00 -0400

Sun Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd. will pay $11.75 billion cash to acquire Organon & Co. The transaction is expected to close in early 2027. The addition of Organon’s women’s health products, legacy drug brands and biosimilars are expected to boost Mumbai, India-based Sun’s global reach. The all-cash buy is also expected to relieve Jersey City, N.J.-based Organon of an $8.6 billion debt pile, accumulated after its debt-laden 2021 spinout from Merck & Co. Inc.

Sun Pharma to acquire Merck spinoff Organon for $11.75B

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 12:00:00 -0400

Sex differences shape gene activity across the human brain

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Genes that are switched on or off in the human brain differ between men and women. Moreover, these differences are not uniform. They vary across cortical regions and cell types. Scientists at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the National Institute on Aging (NIA) used single-cell sequencing and unveiled distinct gene expression patterns regulated by hormones and sex chromosomes. This detailed map of the brain’s molecular biology shows how women and men switch on and off more than 3,000 brain genes differently and expands the catalogue of X chromosome genes that escape inactivation.

Fit and fat: Study shows no such thing as metabolically healthy obesity

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0400

There are new data to chew over in the ongoing controversy about obesity being diagnosed as a disease from a study tracking 157,159 participants in the UK Biobank over 13 years. This shows that even in the absence of any metabolic disturbance such as elevated lipids, high blood pressure or diabetes, there is an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, peripheral arterial disease, heart failure and liver disease in people with a body mass index over 30.

Fit and fat: Study shows no such thing as metabolically healthy obesity

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:00:00 -0400

Changchun Genescience Pharmaceuticals discloses new 17β-HSD1 inhibitors

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Changchun Genescience Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. has prepared and tested new steroid compounds acting as estradiol 17-β-dehydrogenase 1 (HSD17B1; 17β-HSD1) inhibitors that are potentially useful for the treatment of endometriosis.

Antitumoral antibodies cross the BBB and alter brain signaling

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Certain cancers, such as triple-negative breast cancer, produce antibodies that, although they help fight the tumor, can cross the blood-brain barrier and alter the function of NMDA receptors (NMDAR) in the brain, which are essential for neuronal signaling. Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have identified their origin and described how this process is linked to the maturation of these antibodies, which can activate or inhibit the receptor, causing neurological and psychiatric symptoms.

Insilico Medicine and Aska enter gynecological collaboration

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Insilico Medicine Cayman Topco has established a strategic research collaboration with Aska Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. to identify novel therapeutic targets for challenging gynecological conditions, including endometriosis, uterine fibroids and adenomyosis.

Endocyclic’s ENDO-205 gains IND clearance for endometriosis

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Endomet Biosciences Inc. (dba Endocyclic Therapeutics) has obtained IND clearance from the FDA for its lead program, ENDO-205, a first-in-class, nonhormonal targeted peptide therapeutic for endometriosis.

ADPD 2026: Can we prevent dementia? Scientists quantify it

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Neurodegenerative disease and cognitive decline cannot be explained by a single process. Beta-amyloid plaques, hyperphosphorylated tau, alpha-synuclein, activated microglia and astrocytes, altered receptors such as TREM2, mitochondrial dysfunction, epigenetic changes and cerebrovascular alterations all seem to contribute to the development of dementia in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). While scientists attempt to address each of these elements, prevention is growing as a primary goal.

Uterus transplants show how immune cells shape pregnancy outcomes

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 09:00:00 -0400

A study involving a small cohort of women who have received womb transplants has cast fresh light on how the immune system shapes pregnancy outcomes, opening up new avenues of research into implantation failure, preeclampsia and preterm birth. Using an array of single cell analyses, scientists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) studied the composition and gene expression profiles of immune cells in tissue samples from five women who had received womb transplants.

Uterus transplants show how immune cells shape pregnancy outcomes

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 12:00:00 -0400

China approves first noninvasive therapy for cervical precancer

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 12:00:00 -0400

China’s National Medical Products Administration has approved Asieris Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd.’s cold light photodynamic drug-device combination product, Cevira (APL-1702, hexaminolevulinate hydrochloride), which is used as a nonsurgical therapy for treating patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2.

China approves first noninvasive therapy for cervical precancer

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 12:00:00 -0500

Alternative splicing strategy shows promise for Rett syndrome

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0500

A therapeutic strategy based on alternative splicing of the MECP2 gene could restore protein levels in Rett syndrome, a neurological disorder caused by mutations in that gene. Scientists at Baylor College of Medicine have successfully tested this approach both in vitro in neurons from Rett patients that produce some functional protein, correcting the altered gene expression and improving neuronal functions, and in vivo in mice.

Systimmune’s iza-bren hits phase III breast cancer goals in China

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 12:00:00 -0500

In a boon for licensee Bristol Myers Squibb Co., Systimmune Inc.’s next-generation cancer drug, izalontamab brengitecan (iza-bren), hit both progression-free survival and overall survival endpoints in a phase III trial of Chinese patients with advanced triple-negative breast cancer.

Systimmune’s iza-bren hits phase III breast cancer goals in China

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 12:00:00 -0500

AI transforming med tech in 2026; clinical need drives investments

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 12:00:00 -0500

Med-tech companies with an AI component in their solutions will certainly find investors willing to back them. AI after all, is being used to develop more effective, smarter technologies. However, investors will only deploy capital into innovations that address genuine clinical needs. The aging population is driving interest in devices targeting cardiovascular and musculoskeletal disorders, and other solutions geared toward neurological conditions, women’s health and diagnostics are also attracting investor attention.

Teijin Pharma and Aska partner in gynecological diseases

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 08:00:00 -0500

Teijin Pharma Ltd. has entered into a joint research agreement with Aska Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. to jointly develop novel small-molecule drug candidates for gynecological diseases.

FDA officially narrows warning labels for menopausal HRTs

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 12:00:00 -0500

Following through on efforts initiated in November 2025, the U.S. FDA approved drug labeling changes for six menopausal hormone replacement therapies (HRTs) that removes the risk statements related to cardiovascular disease, breast cancer and probable dementia from the boxed warnings.

Calla Lily, Merck partner on intravaginal drug delivery platform

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 12:00:00 -0500

Calla Lily Clinical Care Ltd.’s strategic collaboration with Merck KGaA to support the development of Callavid, its intravaginal drug delivery platform, is a “huge validation” of the work the company is doing, Lara Zibners, co-founder and chairman of Calla Lily, told BioWorld.

AI-based tool for breast cancer cuts rate of interval cancers

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 12:00:00 -0500

An AI-based software developed by Screenpoint Medical BV could help detect breast cancers earlier and reduce the number of cancers that appear between routine screenings. In a trial of over 100,000 women, the use of the company’s Transpara Detection system resulted in a 12% reduction in the rate of interval cancers, compared to standard mammography screening. The results from the Mammography Screening with Artificial Intelligence study was published in the Lancet.

Laborie acquires Jada from Organon in $465M deal

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 11:00:00 -0500

Laborie Medical Technologies Corp. secured a new gem for its maternal health with the acquisition of the Jada system from Organon & Co. The terms of the deal, first announced in November, included payment of $440 million at closing, with an additional $25 million tied to 2026 revenue targets.

Study digs into links between age, sex, hormones and asthma

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0500

The prevalence of asthma differs between men and women, and furthermore, the difference changes over the lifespan. “Asthma is more common in boys than girls, but more common in women than men,” Clare Lloyd told BioWorld. Females are particularly susceptible to asthma during developmental periods of hormonal changes, also known as puberty, pregnancy and menopause.

Study digs into links between age, sex, hormones and asthma

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0500

AI identifies pregnancies at risk of spontaneous pre-term birth

greg.kaplan@clarivate.com — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 11:00:00 -0500

Prenaital ApS has filed a patent for technology that may identify risks of spontaneous pre-term birth. Spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) is usually defined as birth occurring before 37 weeks of gestation. The invention relates to a method for predicting potential preterm birth from medical scan data, which may be used in practice by medical professionals for risk analysis and prognosis of potential pathologies.

World Economic Forum report highlights unmet need in women’s health

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 12:00:00 -0500

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.

Corcept’s relacorilant could reach $2.1B ovarian cancer market

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0500

Six months shy of the PDUFA date for its oral, selective glucocorticoid receptor antagonist relacorilant to treat platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, Corcept Therapeutics Inc. reported a 35% reduction in the risk of death, meeting the second primary endpoint of overall survival after reaching statistical significance with progression-free survival last March.

NIH spared slash-and-burn in congressional spending agreement

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 12:00:00 -0500

The good news is that the U.S. Congress is on track to pass a slate of fiscal 2026 spending bills before the current continuing resolution expires Jan. 30. So, barring any last-minute disputes or legislative hostage-taking, there should be no repeat of last year’s 43-day shutdown that impacted NIH grants and activities.

ACIP expands again, but no new infectious disease experts added

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 12:00:00 -0500

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy has once again expanded the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), this time adding two more ob-gyns to the membership list. As a result, the ACIP, which can have up to 19 members, now numbers 13, three of whom are ob-gyns.