ALETH / LIFESCI-BRIEF / 2026-04-17 / REVMED PILL DOUBLES PANCREATIC CANCER SURVIVALThe Aleth Briefs link to the sources behind the stories and show how the week unfolded.
The week in five lines:
RevMed’s pill daraxonrasib doubled pancreatic cancer survival to 13.2 months.
A Cochrane review found amyloid drugs probably do little in early Alzheimer’s.
The FDA approved Travere’s Filspari as the first drug for the kidney disease FSGS.
The FDA rejected Replimune’s melanoma drug RP1 again, and it will cut jobs.
Kailera priced a $625m obesity IPO, upsized and at the top of its range.
Browse by day:
Weekend catch-up: Replimune · GSK
Monday: RevMed · Ideaya · Jaypirca · Regeneron-Telix · Travere
Tuesday: Avanos · RevMed raise · FDA gene editing · Myriad Japan · Harbinger
Wednesday: Beeline
Thursday: Cochrane · Elevidys · MeiraGTx · Roche-SAGA · OpenAI · Kailera
Weekend catch-up
The FDA rejected Replimune’s melanoma drug RP1 a second time.
Replimune said that it had received a second complete response letter for RP1 given with Opdivo (nivolumab) in advanced melanoma. Chief executive Sushil Patel said that without timely accelerated approval “the development of RP1 will not be viable”, and that the company will cut jobs and scale back its US manufacturing. Replimune says it disagrees with the FDA over whether its data are sufficient for approval.
Replimune Group Form 8-K, 10 April 2026 · SEC
Replimune receives complete response letter from the FDA for RP1 · SEC
GSK’s B7-H4-targeted antibody-drug conjugate produced confirmed responses in 62% of platinum-resistant ovarian cancer patients at the top dose.
GSK said that in the phase 1 BEHOLD-1 trial, mocertatug rezetecan produced these responses in 21 of 34 patients at 5.8 mg/kg, and in 8 of 12 (67%) with recurrent or advanced endometrial cancer at 4.8 mg/kg. Grade 3 or worse treatment-related side effects affected 64% and 54% of patients at those doses. GSK will start five pivotal phase 3 trials in 2026. It licensed the drug from Hansoh Pharmaceutical Group.
GSK presents positive data for B7-H4-targeted ADC in gynaecological cancers · GSK
Monday 13 April
Revolution Medicines’ daraxonrasib doubled survival in a phase 3 pancreatic cancer trial.
In the RASolute 302 trial in previously treated metastatic pancreatic cancer, patients on the once-daily pill lived a median 13.2 months, against 6.7 months on chemotherapy (hazard ratio 0.40). The trial met its primary endpoints, overall and progression-free survival in tumours with RAS G12 mutations, with further details to follow on these. RAS mutations drive >90% of pancreatic tumours. Revolution Medicines plans to file with the FDA under a Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher.
Daraxonrasib demonstrates survival benefit in RASolute 302 · Revolution Medicines
Ideaya and Servier’s darovasertib plus Xalkori (crizotinib) more than doubled progression-free survival in first-line metastatic uveal melanoma.
In the phase 2/3 OptimUM-02 trial in patients without the HLA-A*02:01 tissue type, median progression-free survival was 6.9 months against 3.1 months on investigator’s choice, mostly Yervoy (ipilimumab) plus Opdivo (nivolumab). Ideaya plans a US filing in H2 2026 and hopes for accelerated approval.
IDEAYA and Servier announce positive topline results from OptimUM-02 · IDEAYA
Lilly’s Jaypirca (pirtobrutinib) extended progression-free survival on top of fixed-duration Venclexta in previously treated chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL).
In the phase 3 BRUIN CLL-322 trial, both arms stopped treatment after up to two years, with Jaypirca added to Venclexta (venetoclax) and Rituxan (rituximab). Lilly says it is the first phase 3 in CLL to beat a venetoclax-containing control arm, and Jaypirca’s fourth positive phase 3 in the disease.
Lilly’s Jaypirca (pirtobrutinib) significantly extended progression-free survival · Lilly
Regeneron agreed to develop radiopharmaceuticals with Australia’s Telix Pharmaceuticals, paying $40m upfront for four programs.
The two will split costs and profits 50/50, using Regeneron antibodies against solid tumour targets. For each program, Telix can instead opt out of co-funding and take up to $535m in milestones (about $2.1bn across the four), plus low double-digit royalties.
Telix and Regeneron announce strategic radiopharma collaboration · Telix
The FDA approved Travere’s Filspari (sparsentan) as the first drug for the rare kidney disease FSGS.
The label for focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) covers patients aged 8 and over without nephrotic syndrome, whom Travere puts at >30,000 people in the US. Filspari is already approved in IgA nephropathy.
Travere Therapeutics announces full FDA approval of Filspari · Business Wire
First FDA-approved treatment for focal segmental glomerulosclerosis · FDA
Tuesday 14 April
Avanos Medical agreed to be taken private by American Industrial Partners at an enterprise value of $1.3bn.
Shareholders in the medical device maker will get $25 a share in cash, a 72% premium to Monday’s close. The deal needs a shareholder vote and regulatory clearances and is expected to close in H2 2026.
Avanos Medical agrees to be acquired by American Industrial Partners · Avanos
RevMed priced a $2bn raise the day after its pancreatic cancer readout.
Revolution priced 10.6m shares at $142, ~$1.5bn, with $500m of 0.50% convertible notes due 2033. Spyre ($403m) and Allogene ($175m) also priced offerings.
Revolution Medicines prospectus supplement for 10,563,381 shares · SEC
Spyre announces pricing of upsized $403.0 million public offering · GlobeNewswire
Allogene Therapeutics announces pricing of public offering of common stock · SEC
The FDA issued draft guidance on using next-generation sequencing to check genome-editing therapies for off-target edits.
The draft comes from the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, and comments are due within 90 days of Federal Register publication.
FDA issues draft guidance on genome editing safety standards · FDA
Japan approved Myriad Genetics’ MyChoice test as a companion diagnostic for Lynparza (olaparib) in prostate cancer.
Japan’s national health insurance previously reimbursed the test only in breast and ovarian cancer.
Myriad expands MyChoice test to prostate cancer in Japan · Myriad Genetics
Harbinger Health unveiled RESOLVE, blood tests meant to speed diagnosis in people with possible signs of cancer, funded by $100m raised in 2025.
Founder Flagship Pioneering led the round. The plan is to launch first tests in H2 2026.
Harbinger Health establishes RESOLVE for cancer detection · PR Newswire
Wednesday 15 April
Beeline Medicines launched with a $300m Series A led by Bain Capital and five programs licensed from Bristol Myers Squibb.
Its lead drug, the oral lupus candidate afimetoran, should finish phase 2 in H2 2026 before pivotal trials begin. Beeline was formed, and its Series A closed, in July 2025.
Beeline Medicines debuts to deliver precision therapies · Bain Capital
Thursday 16 April
A Cochrane review found anti-amyloid antibodies probably make little or no difference in early Alzheimer’s.
The review pooled 17 placebo-controlled trials of different anti-amyloid antibodies, including Leqembi (lecanemab) and Kisunla (donanemab), in 20,342 people with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia. Its searches ended in August 2025. At 18 months the drugs probably made little to no difference to memory and thinking (13 trials, 9,895 people). They probably caused more brain swelling and microbleeds, but not more deaths or other serious adverse events. The drugs’ makers funded every trial.
Are anti-amyloid antibodies effective in early Alzheimer’s disease? · Cochrane
Roche will run a new phase 3 trial of Sarepta’s Duchenne gene therapy Elevidys (delandistrogene moxeparvovec) to try again for EU approval.
The placebo-controlled trial will treat about 100 early ambulatory boys, over 72 weeks, to generate the data the European Medicines Agency requires for a resubmission. Elevidys is approved in nine countries.
Roche to initiate phase III study to expand access to Elevidys · Roche
MeiraGTx agreed to buy back the eye gene therapy bota-vec from Johnson & Johnson for $25m upfront.
J&J also gets a milestone tied to US approval and sales, and a high double-digit royalty from mid-2029. MeiraGTx plans to file for approval in X-linked retinitis pigmentosa in the US, EU and Japan as soon as possible. Its phase 3 LUMEOS trial missed its primary endpoint, a maze test of functional vision, though MeiraGTx says secondary endpoints showed benefit.
MeiraGTx announces acquisition of bota-vec · MeiraGTx
Roche agreed to buy SAGA Diagnostics for up to $595m, adding its molecular residual disease test to Foundation Medicine.
SAGA’s Pathlight test tracks structural variants in tumour DNA using whole-genome sequencing and digital PCR. The price includes milestones, and the deal is expected to close by Q3 2026, subject to regulatory approvals.
Foundation Medicine to add SAGA Diagnostics’ MRD platform · Roche
OpenAI launched GPT-Rosalind, a reasoning model for biology and drug discovery, two days after announcing a partnership with Novo Nordisk.
Qualified US enterprise customers get it first, through a trusted access program, and OpenAI named Amgen, Moderna and Thermo Fisher Scientific among its users. Novo said on Tuesday it will apply OpenAI’s models from drug discovery to commercial operations.
Introducing GPT-Rosalind for life sciences research · OpenAI
Novo Nordisk announces strategic partnership with OpenAI · Novo Nordisk
Kailera Therapeutics priced a $625m obesity IPO, upsized and at the top of its range.
Kailera priced 39.1m shares at $16, having filed on 13 April to sell 33.3m at $14-16. Its shares start trading on Nasdaq as KLRA on Friday.
Kailera Therapeutics Form S-1/A · SEC
Kailera Therapeutics announces pricing of initial public offering · GlobeNewswire
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