NewLimit, a South San Francisco longevity biotech cofounded by Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, announced a $435 million Series C that lifts its valuation to about $3.1 billion. The financing, led by Founders Fund and joined by Thrive Capital, Greenoaks, Quiet Capital and returning backers including Kleiner Perkins and Eli Lilly Ventures, is the third round for the company within roughly 12 months. Executives said the cash will accelerate plans to begin the company’s first human clinical trial next year of an epigenetic cell‑reprogramming therapy targeting the liver. Preclinical work reportedly showed reversal of ageing markers in human liver cells and improved recovery from injury in models; the initial Phase 1 programme will focus on patients with fatty liver disease with Phase 2 aiming at alcohol‑related liver disease. NewLimit also said it is developing reprogramming approaches for vascular endothelial cells and T cells to address chronic kidney disease and autoimmune conditions. Company CEO Jacob Kimmel credited a promising candidate and compelling data for the accelerated timeline, which contrasts with earlier projections that clinical testing could be years away.

NHS England has approved mirvetuximab soravtansine (Elahere) for use in patients with folate receptor‑alpha (FRα) positive, platinum‑resistant epithelial ovarian, peritoneal and fallopian tube cancers. NICE recommended the antibody‑drug conjugate after clinical trials showed an average overall survival gain of about four months (from roughly 12.8 to 16.5 months), higher response rates (tumour shrinkage in 37% versus 16% with chemotherapy) and more manageable side‑effects. The treatment, developed by AbbVie and given by infusion once every three weeks, targets cancer cells expressing FRα and delivers cytotoxic therapy directly into tumours, improving quality of life for many patients and reducing common chemotherapy side‑effects. NHS England estimates up to 400 patients in England could benefit each year; Wales and Northern Ireland usually follow NICE guidance while Scotland makes independent decisions. Patient groups and clinical leads described the decision as the first major NHS advance for this hard‑to‑treat group in more than two decades, enabled by a new commercial arrangement with the manufacturer.

An experimental oral drug, daraxonrasib, nearly doubled median survival for patients with previously treated metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in a randomized Phase 3 trial, researchers reported at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting in Chicago. The 500-patient RASolute-302 study found median overall survival of about 13.2 months on daraxonrasib versus roughly 6.6–6.7 months for investigator‑choice chemotherapy (hazard ratio ~0.40). Daraxonrasib also improved progression‑free survival and objective response rates and was associated with fewer treatment discontinuations; common adverse effects included rash and mucositis. The data were published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The drug, developed by Revolution Medicines, targets RAS/KRAS by locking the active protein and has received FDA Breakthrough and Orphan designations; the company has applied to U.S. regulators and the FDA is allowing expanded access while reviewing the filing. Canadian specialists at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre said they plan to open local clinical trials because Health Canada has not yet received a licensing application. Researchers are testing daraxonrasib earlier in treatment and in other RAS‑driven tumours, but questions remain about the durability of benefit as resistance eventually emerges.

Legend Biotech reported early clinical data showing its in vivo dual‑targeting CAR‑T candidate, LB2501, produced rapid responses in patients with relapsed or refractory B‑cell non‑Hodgkin lymphoma. As of an April 1 cutoff, 12 patients had been treated across two dose cohorts in a first‑in‑human study conducted in China; at the higher dose all six evaluable patients responded and five achieved complete responses. Legend said there were no dose‑limiting toxicities, deaths or serious adverse events; infusion‑related reactions occurred in nine patients and resolved quickly. LB2501 uses a modified viral delivery to generate CAR‑T cells inside the patient after a single infusion and targets CD19 and CD20, potentially removing the need for ex‑vivo manufacturing and lymphodepleting chemotherapy. The company plans to present further data at a medical meeting later in June. Analysts hailed the readout as potentially “best‑in‑class” in the emerging in‑vivo CAR‑T field and noted the results lifted Legend’s stock sharply and could increase acquisition interest from larger pharma groups. Longer follow‑up and broader cohorts are needed to confirm durability and safety.

An analysis of millions of U.S. electronic health records suggests use of GLP-1 receptor agonists is associated with a lower long-term risk of knee replacement surgery for people with knee osteoarthritis. Researchers using the TriNetX dataset compared 42,062 patients prescribed any GLP-1 drug for at least one year with an equal number of matched non-users; roughly 31,000 patients with three years’ exposure were also examined. One year of any GLP-1 use was associated with a hazard ratio of 0.90 for eight-year arthroplasty risk (a 2.8 percentage-point absolute reduction). Newer agents semaglutide and tirzepatide showed larger, duration-dependent associations — three years’ use tied to about a 4.7 percentage-point lower eight-year risk (HR ~0.72). Authors estimate, if broadly applied in eligible obese or metabolically impaired patients, that semaglutide/tirzepatide could avert thousands of U.S. and U.K. knee replacements annually. The study, published in Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine in June 2026, is observational: weight change over time, reasons for drug initiation and some clinical severity measures were not recorded, so causality remains unproven.

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai report direct evidence that deep brain stimulation (DBS) can remodel white matter pathways and shift large-scale brain networks linked to depression. Published June 1 in Nature Neuroscience, the non-human primate study delivered DBS to white-matter tracts adjacent to the subcallosal anterior cingulate cortex (SCC). Investigators observed increased fractional anisotropy in the cingulum bundle, a rise in myelinated oligodendrocytes and greater myelination, and widespread changes in functional connectivity—most notably within the default mode network implicated in rumination and depressive symptoms. The work suggests DBS’s therapeutic benefits may stem not only from short-term electrical modulation but from longer-term structural plasticity. Mount Sinai teams are now probing whether similar white-matter remodeling occurs in human DBS patients and exploring how findings might inform optimized stimulation protocols or non-surgical therapies for treatment-resistant depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders.

Celcuity on June 2–3 disclosed Phase 3 VIKTORIA-1 results showing its experimental drug gedatolisib cut the risk of disease progression or death by roughly half in HR-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer driven by PIK3CA mutations. In the trial, gedatolisib combined with AstraZeneca’s Faslodex and Pfizer’s Ibrance produced median progression-free survival (PFS) of about 11.1 months versus 5.6 months for the control arm of Faslodex plus Novartis’ Piqray; a gedatolisib-plus-hormone doublet achieved similar PFS. Safety signals included low white blood cell counts and stomatitis, with one treatment-related death attributed to Ibrance. Investors had higher expectations from an earlier small study that reported longer PFS, and Celcuity shares fell about 20–25%, trading near the low $90s. Gedatolisib is already under FDA review for patients without PIK3CA mutations, with a U.S. decision expected July 17; Celcuity plans to submit VIKTORIA-1 data as a label expansion. Analysts differ on commercial positioning because the triplet showed limited PFS advantage over the doublet, though some call the magnitude of benefit practice-changing for this hard-to-treat subgroup.

Twenty-five perfusionists represented by the Fórsa union have notified the Health Service Executive (HSE) of a series of work stoppages starting Tuesday 9 June 2026, including a one-day strike followed by a two-day stoppage, that could force cancellation of surgeries requiring heart‑lung (cardiopulmonary bypass) machines. The dispute stems from the HSE’s decision to break a long‑standing pay link between perfusionists and medical scientists from 1 January 2024; the Labour Court recommended in January that the link be restored (LCR 23209) but, the union says, the HSE has refused to implement that recommendation. Fórsa says the difference in pay for all 25 staff totals about €233,000 a year and that the HSE has not engaged on contingency planning or patient‑safety derogations despite notice of action. The HSE says it remains committed to engagement within the public service local bargaining process and is developing contingency plans to minimise disruption and protect patients if industrial action proceeds. The perfusionists work across five hospital groups and are central to life‑saving open‑heart procedures, giving the small group potential to disrupt critical cardiac services.

Two researchers employed at the National Institutes of Health’s Rocky Mountain Laboratories have been federally charged after authorities say they attempted to bring vials of deactivated mpox into the United States without proper authorization and lied to investigators. Vincent Munster, chief of the Virus Ecology Section, and research fellow Claude Kwe were stopped at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on Jan. 25 after arriving from Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, via Paris. Customs and Border Protection and FBI agents say they discovered a large black case containing 113 vials in Styrofoam coolers; laboratory testing on a subset found 17 vials contained inactivated mpox virus, one contained chickenpox virus and two contained human DNA. Prosecutors have charged the pair with conspiracy to smuggle biological materials and making false statements; each faces up to five years in prison if convicted. The NIH said it is cooperating with investigators and that the matter is under investigation. Authorities have not publicly explained why the samples were transported without required permits or declarations.

On June 1-2, 2026, Fulcrum Therapeutics said it will discontinue development of pociredir, its experimental oral therapy for sickle-cell disease, after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration concluded there is no viable regulatory path forward because of cancer-risk concerns tied to drugs that target the PRC2 protein complex. The move followed the global withdrawal in March of Ipsen’s Tazverik amid reports of secondary blood cancers. Fulcrum said pociredir — which binds a different PRC2 subunit and showed robust fetal haemoglobin increases in early testing — raised no new safety signals in its trials, but the FDA viewed PRC2-targeting agents as carrying a class malignancy risk. Shares fell about 50-52% on the news, several brokerages cut ratings and slashed price targets, and Goldman suspended coverage. The company said it has begun cost cuts, will explore strategic alternatives including a potential sale or merger, and had roughly $333.3 million in cash and equivalents as of March 31.

Travere Therapeutics said on June 2 it has struck an exclusive licensing agreement with Shanghai-based Everest Medicines for civorebrutinib (EVER001), an oral BTK inhibitor being developed for rare, immune-mediated kidney diseases. Travere will pay $112.5 million upfront and could pay roughly $1.03 billion more in development, regulatory and commercial milestones — taking the pact’s maximum value to about $1.14 billion — plus tiered royalties on future sales. Under the deal Travere gains rights to develop and commercialize civorebrutinib outside China and certain East and Southeast Asian territories. The companies plan trials in indications such as primary membranous nephropathy, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and minimal change disease. Travere, which already markets Filspari and Thiola for kidney conditions, said civorebrutinib has been generally well tolerated in studies and could provide an immune-targeting mechanism complementary to its nephroprotective therapies. Everest retains rights in China and parts of Asia and will receive milestone and royalty payments if clinical and commercial goals are met.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services this week released interim/final guidance detailing how states must implement a new Medicaid “community engagement” requirement that will take effect Jan. 1, 2027. The policy — stemming from 2025 budget legislation — requires most non‑pregnant adults aged 19–64 in Medicaid expansion populations to document 80 hours per month of work, job training, education, or community service to maintain coverage. CMS allows temporary self‑attestation during initial deployment but expects states to verify compliance using claims and other electronic data by 2028; states will receive federal grants (about $200 million) to help implementation. The rule narrows the federal definition of “medically frail,” tying exemptions to an individual’s ability to meet the engagement requirement and prohibiting blanket categorical exemptions for diagnoses, a change that public‑health groups say will make it harder for people with cancer, HIV and other serious illnesses to qualify. The administration argues the measure will move able‑bodied enrollees to employer coverage and preserve Medicaid for the most vulnerable. Independent estimates differ on coverage losses: the Congressional Budget Office projected up to 5 million uninsured over a decade, while CMS’s interim estimate is roughly 3.1–3.3 million.

A personalized mRNA cancer vaccine developed by Moderna, given with Merck’s PD‑1 inhibitor Keytruda (pembrolizumab), cut the risk of melanoma recurrence or death by 49% at five years in a randomized Phase 2b trial (KEYNOTE‑942), investigators reported at ASCO and in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (June 2026). The study enrolled 157 patients with stage 3/4 disease after surgery: 107 received the intismeran autogene vaccine plus pembrolizumab and 50 received pembrolizumab alone. After more than 60 months of follow‑up, 68.8% of the vaccine group remained cancer‑free versus about 49% in the control arm; the combination also reduced distant metastasis or death by 59% and showed higher overall survival (92.2% vs 71.3%). Side effects were generally manageable and similar to mRNA vaccine reactogenicity (fatigue, injection‑site pain, chills), with no grade 4–5 adverse events reported. A larger Phase 3 program (~1,000 patients across the U.S. and Europe) is ongoing and readouts are expected within months; companies say they will seek regulatory approval if pivotal data confirm these results.

Abivax SA reported in early June 2026 that its oral drug obefazimod met the primary endpoint in a 44‑week Phase 3 maintenance study for ulcerative colitis, delivering placebo‑adjusted clinical remission rates of about 39–40% (50.8% at 25 mg; 51.3% at 50 mg versus 10.4% for placebo). The results were hailed as among the strongest reported in large ulcerative colitis programmes and position the pill as a differentiated oral treatment candidate. However, malignancies were observed among patients on the higher 50 mg dose — including one case each of prostate cancer, breast cancer, colonic dysplasia and several skin cancers — which investigators largely judged unrelated to treatment. The mixed readout triggered sharp market reactions: Abivax shares plunged roughly 30–45% in Europe and U.S. trading and prompted analyst rating and price‑target shifts, with some firms cutting targets and others maintaining bullish views. Abivax says it plans to seek regulatory filings later in 2026 and to publish full data later in the year; analysts and potential acquirers are awaiting more detailed safety and long‑term follow‑up information.

Akeso and U.S. partner Summit Therapeutics presented phase III HARMONi-6 data at the American Society of Clinical Oncology showing ivonescimab plus chemotherapy cut the risk of death by 34% versus BeOne’s tislelizumab (Tevimbra) plus chemotherapy in 532 Chinese patients with advanced squamous non-small cell lung cancer. Median overall survival was 27.9 months versus 23.7 months. The bispecific PD-1/VEGF antibody was selected for ASCO’s plenary session, the first China-originated investigational oncology drug so featured. Analysts hailed the result as clinically meaningful but flagged concerns: the study was conducted solely in China in a predominantly male, smoking-linked squamous population, showed a weaker survival signal in patients aged 65+, and had limited follow-up. Summit holds ex-China rights under a deal worth up to $5 billion; a global HARMONi-3 trial and an ongoing U.S. regulatory pathway (FDA target action date for an EGFR indication in November 2026) will be decisive for Western approvals. Market reaction was mixed—Summit shares fell after initial swings and Akeso’s Hong Kong stock slipped—reflecting investor caution about translatability and commercial prospects despite the potentially large NSCLC market opportunity.

Five of 18 American passengers who were being held at the federal National Quarantine Unit (NQU) at the University of Nebraska Medical Center after exposure to the Andes hantavirus have been permitted to return to their home states, U.S. health officials said June 1–2, 2026. The group was repatriated after a deadly hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius in the South Atlantic. The five people remain asymptomatic and will complete the remainder of a 42-day monitoring period at home under daily state public-health oversight and continuous 24/7 surveillance; federal officials arranged non-commercial transport with biocontainment measures. Thirteen confirmed or probable cases, including three deaths, have been associated with the ship globally; no Andes virus infections have been confirmed in the United States. Several other American passengers chose to remain at the NQU. Health authorities note hantavirus incubation can be up to 42 days and that the Andes strain can, in rare cases, transmit between people. Officials say public risk in the U.S. remains low.

French drugmaker Servier agreed on June 1 to acquire Edgewise Therapeutics’ muscular dystrophy business and global rights to sevasemten for $1.55 billion cash upfront, with up to $1.1 billion in contingent milestones, in a deal worth as much as $2.65 billion. Sevasemten, an oral inhibitor targeting muscle hypercontraction, has shown muscle-function gains in Becker patients and biomarker improvements, and pivotal late-stage data are expected in the fourth quarter; Servier said it hopes for accelerated approval. The transaction, expected to close in the third quarter, expands Servier’s push into neurology and rare diseases following its March acquisition of Day One Biopharma. Edgewise will use proceeds to strengthen its balance sheet and focus on cardiovascular assets including EDG-7500, with mid-stage data due in the second quarter. Investors responded positively: Edgewise shares jumped double digits to fresh highs. Analysts see significant commercial upside if sevasemten secures regulatory approval, but highlight milestone risk and competitive treatments for Duchenne. The sale reshapes both companies’ pipelines and accelerates Servier’s U.S. rare-disease buildout.

A nationally representative RAND survey published June 1 in JAMA Pediatrics found that about 19% of US adolescents and young adults — an estimated 8.2 million people — have used AI chatbots (eg, ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Character.AI) for mental health advice, up from roughly 13% in 2024. The November 2025 survey of roughly 1,000 respondents reported 42.8% of users engaged at least monthly and 5.8% daily or near-daily. Most users rated chatbot advice as helpful (about 91.7%), yet 63% had not told anyone about their use. The study identified disparities: girls and young women and older teens were more likely to use chatbots, and Black youth who used chatbots were more likely to engage monthly. Researchers and outside experts warn chatbots are unregulated and can give inappropriate or dangerous guidance in crises; prior testing found many bots failed to offer adequate suicide-safe responses. The authors note chatbots may act alongside formal care but stress the need to better understand safety, equity and clinical implications.

An international phase 3 trial (SARC041) presented at ASCO 2026 found the CDK4/6 inhibitor abemaciclib (Verzenio) markedly delayed disease progression in patients with recurrent or metastatic dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLS). Among 108 patients randomized across nine U.S. centers, median progression-free survival (PFS) was 9.7 months with abemaciclib versus 1.5 months with placebo (HR 0.38; 90% CI 0.25-0.59; P<0.001). Six- and 12-month PFS rates were 60% and 39% on abemaciclib versus 22% and 13% on placebo. Overall survival has not been reached in the abemaciclib arm versus 25.5 months for placebo (HR 0.55; 95% CI 0.28-1.07); 85% of placebo patients crossed over to abemaciclib. An exploratory analysis indicated median PFS exceeded 16 months when given as first-line therapy. Treatment was abemaciclib 200 mg orally twice daily; grade 3/4 adverse events occurred in about 30% (7% grade 3 diarrhea) and 39% required dose reductions. Investigators noted DDLS commonly has CDK4 amplification, providing a biological rationale for benefit. Authors called this the first positive phase 3 trial in DDLS and suggested abemaciclib may become a new standard for many patients.

Beginning July 1, Medicare will roll out an 18-month pilot called the “GLP-1 Bridge” that offers eligible beneficiaries popular GLP-1 weight-loss medications for a $50 monthly copay. The program, running through Dec. 31, 2027, could cover more than 14 million people enrolled in Medicare Part D who are diagnosed as obese (BMI≥35) or overweight (BMI≥27) with a qualifying secondary condition. Covered medicines include injectable and oral formulations such as Wegovy, Zepbound and Foundayo; physicians must submit prior authorization to enroll patients. The move follows patient stories of dramatic weight loss and high out-of-pocket costs — some currently paying several hundred dollars a month — and comes amid concerns about side effects and the risk of weight regain if access ends. Medicare has not disclosed how much the pilot will cost taxpayers; insurers reportedly declined to participate because of high projected expenses, leaving most of the bill to federal funding and beneficiaries. The program is positioned as a temporary bridge ahead of a potential broader coverage decision in 2027.