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Drugs from a Text Prompt, Wegovy Pill Competition Dampens Lilly’s Surge

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From designing drugs with a simple text prompt to running experiments guided by extended reality, a new wave of agentic AI is transforming the modern lab. Our editors discuss the latest autonomous systems accelerating biological discovery. In business deals, Gilead Sciences has acquired Tubulis in a transaction worth up to $5 billion, strengthening the buyer’s position in antibody–drug conjugates for cancer. Correspondingly, Eli Lilly and Biogen are each making billion-dollar-plus bets, acquiring Centessa, a sleep disorder drug developer, and Apellis, known for its work in immunology and rare diseases. Our episode rounds out by unpacking the dynamic obesity drug market, where intensifying competition from Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill is prompting Lilly to temper the 2026 sales outlook for its oral obesity drug, Foundayo.

 

 

Listed below are links to the GEN stories referenced in this episode of Touching Base:

Can AI Agents Automate Scientific Discovery?
By Fay Lin, PhD, GEN Edge, April 1, 2026

Gilead to Acquire Tubulis for Up to $5B, Expanding Cancer ADC Capabilities
By Alex Philippidis, GEN Edge, April 7, 2026

Lilly Acquires Centessa for Up to $7.8B; Biogen Buys Apellis for Up to $6.1B
By Alex Philippidis, GEN Edge, March 31, 2026

StockWatch: Price War Dampens Lilly Surge After Oral GLP-1 Wins FDA Nod
By Alex Philippidis, GEN Edge, April 5, 2026

Touching Base Podcast
Hosted by Corinna Singleman, PhD

Behind the Breakthroughs

Hosted by Jonathan D. Grinstein, PhD

The post Drugs from a Text Prompt, Wegovy Pill Competition Dampens Lilly’s Surge appeared first on GEN – Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.

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FDA imposes import alert on Indian plant after inspectors flag GMP failings

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Officials sanctioned Dabur India months after FDA inspectors found bird droppings and data integrity deficiencies during an inspection of the plant.

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STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about a discontinued cancer drug, a Novo security breach, and more

And so, another working week will soon draw to a close. Not a moment too soon, yes? This is, you may recall, our treasured signal to daydream about weekend plans. Our agenda includes promenading with the official mascots, catching another round of live musical vibes here and there, and taking pride in some folks who are dear to us. We also hope to hold yet another listening party, where the rotation will likely include this, this, this, this and this. And what about you? This is a wonderful time of year to sample the many outdoor activities popping up — street fairs, festivals, and all sorts of gatherings can be sampled. If the weather fails to cooperate, though, you could curl up with a good book, sit in front of the telly to take in one or more sporting events, or plan a needed getaway. If none of this strikes your fancy, you could simply park yourself somewhere comfortable for a while and remain zen. Well, whatever you do, have a grand time. But be safe. Enjoy, and see you soon. …

In a rare move, the nonprofit organization Blood Cancer United announced it was buying the remaining supplies of Luvelta, a discontinued investigational cancer drug, STAT reports. As part of the transaction, Blood Cancer United, previously known as the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, also will acquire the investigational new drug designation and manage the compassionate-use program for children with a rare form of blood cancer, distributing the medication to patients at no cost while supplies last. Sutro Biopharma discontinued development in March 2025 and also eliminated a compassionate use program.

Novo Nordisk identified a security incident in which certain information, ​including patient data from some clinical trials, was copied externally without ‌authorization from its internal IT systems, Reuters notes. The company said it launched a probe with the assistance of external ​cybersecurity experts and is in contact with the relevant authorities. The potential categories of ​personal data affected may include patient ID, year of birth, sex, and health or immunogenicity data among others. Novo did not provide further details, but does not ‌believe ⁠the incident will enable any third party to identify participants in its clinical trials.

Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…

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And so, another working week will soon draw to a close. Not a moment too soon, yes? This is, you may recall, our treasured signal to daydream about weekend plans. Our agenda includes promenading with the official mascots, catching another round of live musical vibes here and there, and taking pride in some folks who are dear to us. We also hope to hold yet another listening party, where the rotation will likely include this, this, this, this and this. And what about you? This is a wonderful time of year to sample the many outdoor activities popping up — street fairs, festivals, and all sorts of gatherings can be sampled. If the weather fails to cooperate, though, you could curl up with a good book, sit in front of the telly to take in one or more sporting events, or plan a needed getaway. If none of this strikes your fancy, you could simply park yourself somewhere comfortable for a while and remain zen. Well, whatever you do, have a grand time. But be safe. Enjoy, and see you soon. …

In a rare move, the nonprofit organization Blood Cancer United announced it was buying the remaining supplies of Luvelta, a discontinued investigational cancer drug, STAT reports. As part of the transaction, Blood Cancer United, previously known as the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, also will acquire the investigational new drug designation and manage the compassionate-use program for children with a rare form of blood cancer, distributing the medication to patients at no cost while supplies last. Sutro Biopharma discontinued development in March 2025 and also eliminated a compassionate use program.

Novo Nordisk identified a security incident in which certain information, ​including patient data from some clinical trials, was copied externally without ‌authorization from its internal IT systems, Reuters notes. The company said it launched a probe with the assistance of external ​cybersecurity experts and is in contact with the relevant authorities. The potential categories of ​personal data affected may include patient ID, year of birth, sex, and health or immunogenicity data among others. Novo did not provide further details, but does not ‌believe ⁠the incident will enable any third party to identify participants in its clinical trials.

Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…

Read More

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Amgen shores up Tavneos’ FDA defense with Duke data analysis

Amgen shores up Tavneos’ FDA defense with Duke data analysis

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After the FDA flagged patient deaths linked to Amgen’s rare disease drug Tavneos and called for its voluntary removal, the pharma recruited an independent data analysis from Duke researchers to help build the case for the drug’s continued market approval.​ ​Read More

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