Research & Development: Page

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    Roche’s AI lab; Biohaven’s pivotal pause

    Roche announced it's building autonomous AI-powered labs; how a clinical hold on an epilepsy trial could impact Biohaven

    By PharmaVoice Staff • Oct. 2, 2026
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    3 drug targets pharma is betting on next

    Companies including GSK, Merck, Roche and Sanofi are pushing new approaches in cancer and inflammatory diseases.

    By Alexandra Pecci • Oct. 2, 2026
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    Trendline

    Tech for Clinical Trials

    Companies that utilize these emerging technologies wisely are likely to find an edge in the increasingly competitive drug development arena.

    By PharmaVoice staff
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    Are psychedelics as effective as trials suggest?

    Patients often know when they’ve received a psychedelic, potentially distorting trial results. Researchers are testing new ways to make those studies more reliable.

    By Kelly Bilodeau • Oct. 1, 2026
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    Beam sues 2 biotechs, alleging theft of base editing trade secrets

    Beam claimed a former scientist stole confidential information and quietly spun up a rival rare disease treatment at YolTech Therapeutics. Serapha Bio, which licensed that therapy, denies the charges. 

    By Gwendolyn Wu • Sept. 30, 2026
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    An AI agent made a tiny drug R&D mistake. Then it kept going.

    The error points to a big question for pharma as AI gains autonomy and high-profile failures sharpen safety concerns: What happens when a wrong answer becomes the basis for the next decision?

    By Sy Mukherjee • Sept. 30, 2026
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    Epilepsy R&D is breaking out of its old playbook

    Genetic medicines and more selective small molecules are finally pushing the field toward new mechanisms — and potentially disease-modifying treatments.

    By Kelly Bilodeau • Sept. 29, 2026
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    Nimbus used AI to help develop Takeda’s $4B psoriasis bet. Here’s where it’s taking the tech next

    Nimbus Therapeutics’ head of R&D dishes on what’s next in AI-enabled drug discovery, years after Takeda completed its zasocitinib acquisition.

    By Alexandra Pecci • Sept. 25, 2026
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    Basecamp raises $140M before the clinic; J&J and Compass’ potential rivalry

    Some of the biggest news and trends captured in PharmaVoice’s newsletter this week. Sign up here to receive the newsletter daily. Another big AI haul Investors are still lining up to back AI drug developers before their candidates reach human trials. Basecamp Research...

    By PharmaVoice Staff • Sept. 25, 2026
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    What J&J’s Spravato patent win could mean for psychedelic drugs

    As more psychedelic drugs move toward market, developers are testing how far patent protection can extend around familiar compounds.

    By Kelly Bilodeau • Sept. 24, 2026
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    Novo talks up drug launches in effort to win back investors

    At a “capital markets day” in London, executives outlined a roadmap to better compete with key rival Eli Lilly and soon bring forth several multibillion-dollar products. 

    By Jonathan Gardner • Sept. 23, 2026
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    Lilly stopped showing its phase 1 pipeline. Is it playing R&D chess?

    Lilly no longer publicly lists its earliest clinical programs. The move could buy the pharma giant time to test, kill and reposition drugs while competitors are still reading the board.

    By Sy Mukherjee • Sept. 23, 2026
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    CRO consolidation keeps rolling. What does that mean for pharma?

    While M&A expands one-stop shop capabilities at large CROs, pharma companies could face tradeoffs around niche expertise and service continuity.

    By Alexandra Pecci • Sept. 22, 2026
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    A norovirus breakthrough?; another women’s healthtech haul

    Yale researchers untangled norovirus RNA and Evvy just pulled in $40 million for precision medicine in women's health.

    By PharmaVoice Staff • Sept. 18, 2026
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    A dark horse in the orexin race?

    As the orexin competition heats up in the neuroscience space, Harmony Biosciences is developing an early-stage asset it believes could have an edge over rivals.

    By • Sept. 18, 2026
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    Sling banks $123M for an experimental thyroid eye disease pill

    A confirmatory late-stage study is now also underway for what the startup is positioning as, potentially, the first oral alternative to approved injectables like Amgen's Tepezza and Viridian's Lumvoa.

    By Gwendolyn Wu • Sept. 17, 2026
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    8 biotech IPO prospects testing investor appetite

    Fresh filings and older proposals reveal different tests of clinical evidence, financing needs and readiness for public ownership.

    By Sy Mukherjee • Sept. 17, 2026
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    ‘Patients are not a renewable resource’: Rethinking rare disease R&D

    Small patient communities face repeated demands for samples, data and time. The Speak Foundation’s founder explains how pharma can ease that burden while strengthening patients’ R&D involvement.

    By Alexandra Pecci • Sept. 16, 2026
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    Where female participation in clinical trials has caught up — and where gaps remain

    Getting more women into drug R&D remains critical for boosting health outcomes. But in some disease areas, pharma is still falling behind.

    By Kelly Bilodeau • Sept. 16, 2026
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    3 KRAS drugs to watch as the field expands

    Revolution’s pancreatic cancer approval marked a milestone in RAS-targeted treatment. Now, new treatments from Revolution, Astellas and Genentech could be the next to make a mark on the space.

    By Kelly Bilodeau • Sept. 15, 2026
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    Q&A // First 90 Days

    Cocrystal Pharma’s new CEO hopes to crack the norovirus code

    James Sapirstein is bringing his Big Pharma chops to the clinical-stage company’s efforts to finally deliver an effective treatment for the vexing stomach bug.

    By Alexandra Pecci • Sept. 15, 2026
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    PDUFA reauthorization offers a chance at clinical trial reforms. Will the US take it?

    The reauthorization could give Congress the opportunity to help streamline clinical trials and accelerate drug research.

    By Kelly Bilodeau • Sept. 14, 2026
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    Cancer still dominates pharma R&D. Obesity is gaining ground.

    Oncology still accounts for nearly two out of five pipeline drugs, while obesity entered the top 10 indications and one-third of drugs target at least one rare disease.

    By Alexandra Pecci • Sept. 11, 2026
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    mRNA cancer vaccines’ biggest barriers to market

    Manufacturing hurdles are just one challenge the industry must overcome to commercialize personalized mRNA cancer vaccines.

    By Alexandra Pecci • Sept. 10, 2026
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    5 questions that could determine Alzheimer’s next chapter

    “The Alzheimer’s space has really got a fire under it,” says one analyst. But can the momentum deliver better drugs?

    By Kelly Bilodeau • Sept. 9, 2026
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    Merck pairs ADCs with Keytruda in women’s cancer push

    The drugmaker hopes to move the needle on challenging cancers and shore up its pipeline as it prepares for the Keytruda patent cliff.

    By Kelly Bilodeau • Sept. 9, 2026