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At the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago this past weekend, packed plenary sessions fromRevolution Medicinesand Summit Therapeutics’ Chinese partnerAkeso stole the show. For RevMed, analysts anticipate a potential approval in pancreatic cancer as early as this year, while Summit still has a tough road ahead showing that the survival benefit seen in Akeso’s clinical trial in China will hold up in aglobal population.
Immuneering,BMS/BioNTech,Merck,Pfizerand many more also scored oncology wins at the annual meeting, as did Moderna, with“encouraging” 5-year survivalfor its mRNA-based personalized melanoma vaccine. The embattled drugmaker followed up that positive readout with news of $50 million in funding from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations to test Moderna’sexperimental Ebola vaccineas the latest outbreak continues in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
Outside of ASCO, the past week saw Pfizer strike anunusual pactwith China’s Innovent Biologics as it seeks to bolster itsoncology pipeline. Reminiscent of another recent deal from BMS and Hengrui Pharma, it could signal a morecollaborative approachto working with Chinese companies.
We’ll also cover the latest deals from Eli Lilly, which continues to rack up partners with its GLP-1 windfall. This week, the Indianapolis pharma struck a pact potentially worth more than $3 billion withHaisco Pharmaceutical Groupto collaborate on a clutch of early-stage assets across undisclosed indications. And just across the Yellow Sea, Lilly linked up with South Korea’sHanmifor a GLP-2 agonist being trialed for short bowel syndrome.
Finally, learn about how BrainStorm is planning another FDA bid for its experimentalALS therapy NurOwnwith former regulator Peter Pitts now on the board, andcheck out a previewof the 2026 American Diabetes Association, or ADA, which kicks off this weekend in New Orleans. Eli Lilly will elaborate on recent data for its next-gen obesity asset retatrutide, while rival Novo Nordisk will present on its own next-gen candidate, CagriSema, which has been a bit overshadowed since it failed to bestLilly’s Zepboundin a Novo-sponsored trial earlier this year.