Healthcare news summaries — Page 3
Essential facts and source links for recent healthcare stories.
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ACADIA shares drop 12.78% after remlifanserin trial misses Phase 2 goal
ACADIA Pharmaceuticals fell 12.78% to $22.18 on Thursday after Goldman Sachs reiterated its sell rating and $17 price target, citing remlifanserin’s failure to meet the primary endpoint in a Phase 2 trial for Alzheimer’s disease psychosis. -
Royalty Pharma offers RASONQUE exposure through a broader drug portfolio
After the FDA gave Revolution Medicines’ RASONQUE, a metastatic pancreatic cancer drug, breakthrough therapy designation, Motley Fool argues Royalty Pharma offers exposure to it alongside investments in 35 approved products and 17 drugs in development. -
Merck’s sac-TMT trial results due Oct. 25 as BofA retains Buy rating
Bank of America kept its Buy rating and $166 target for Merck, citing pipeline data expected over the next 12–18 months. A trial found sac-TMT plus Keytruda delayed progression versus chemotherapy plus Keytruda in first-line lung cancer; full results are due Oct. 25. -
Wakefern recalls Wholesome Pantry applesauce after FDA detects excess patulin
Wakefern recalls 23-ounce jars of Wholesome Pantry Organic Unsweetened Apple Sauce after FDA monitoring found patulin above acceptable limits. They bear UPC 04119005677 and a June 16, 2027 best-by date; no linked illnesses or injuries have been reported. -
RYBREVANT’s final PAPILLON survival result wasn’t statistically significant
Patients with advanced lung cancer carrying EGFR exon 20 insertions had median overall survival of 34.3 months with J&J’s RYBREVANT plus chemotherapy in PAPILLON, versus 27.9 months with chemotherapy alone; the final analysis was not statistically significant. -
Berenberg upgrades GSK and raises target to 2,200p on pipeline momentum
Berenberg upgraded GSK to Buy from Hold on Sept. 15 and raised its price target to 2,200p from 2,000p, citing pipeline momentum. That day, GSK agreed to acquire global rights to Chimagen’s trispecific T-cell engager for multiple myeloma in a deal worth up to $750 million. -
Contineum’s PIPE-307 misses Phase 2 depression trial’s primary endpoint
Contineum-developed JNJ-5120/PIPE-307 missed the primary efficacy endpoint in a Phase 2 study of 107 adults with major depression. Contineum said the drug was well tolerated, with no new safety signals; J&J is reviewing data before deciding next steps. -
GSK to acquire global rights to Chimagen myeloma drug for up to $750 million
GSK agreed to acquire full global rights to Chimagen Biosciences’ experimental trispecific T-cell engager for multiple myeloma in a deal worth up to $750 million. The drug has not entered human trials; GSK expects Phase I testing to begin in 2027. -
AstraZeneca's camizestrant misses primary endpoint in SERENA-4 trial
AstraZeneca said Phase III SERENA-4 missed its primary endpoint: camizestrant plus palbociclib did not significantly improve progression-free survival over anastrozole plus palbociclib in first-line ER-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer. -
Apollo reportedly in talks to buy J&J’s DePuy Synthes for nearly $20 billion
Bloomberg reported Sept. 11 that Apollo Global Management is in talks to buy Johnson & Johnson’s DePuy Synthes orthopedics unit for close to $20 billion. The business generated $9.3 billion in 2025 revenue; J&J had announced plans to separate it within 18 to 24 months. -
Novo Nordisk shares fall nearly 8% after CEO discusses semaglutide patent risk
Novo Nordisk's American depositary shares fell nearly 8% after CEO Mike Doustdar addressed semaglutide's loss-of-exclusivity risk at a London investor day. Its U.S. patent expires in 2032, and Wegovy and Ozempic account for about 75% of revenue. -
Blue Cross report says AI may add nearly $1bn to US healthcare costs
A Blue Cross Blue Shield Association report says healthcare AI may add nearly $1 billion to US health costs. Blue Cross companies’ costs rose $653 million from 2024 to 2025; hospitals received nearly $12,000 more per case on average through AI coding. -
GSK licenses HUTCHMED's HMPL-A830 outside Greater China
HUTCHMED granted GSK exclusive rights to HMPL-A830 outside Greater China for colorectal, pancreatic and lung cancers. HUTCHMED will receive $110 million upfront, up to $1.3 billion in potential milestones and tiered royalties, and run global Phase I trials from H2 2026. -
Medtronic adds Cornerstone’s Sentire robot in $700 million deal
Medtronic’s Sept. 1 $700 million partnership with Hong Kong-based Cornerstone Robotics gives it rights to distribute Sentire in select markets outside the U.S. where the system is approved. Medtronic will offer the surgical robot alongside Hugo in Europe, China and Singapore. -
FDA approves Pfizer-BioNTech’s XFG COVID vaccine for 2026–27
The FDA approved Pfizer and BioNTech’s 2026–27 COMIRNATY XFG COVID-19 vaccine for adults 65 and older and people ages 5–64 with high-risk conditions. The article says the update may protect recurring seasonal revenue, but normalized booster demand limits growth. -
Motley Fool favors AbbVie over Lilly for value in 2026
The Motley Fool calls AbbVie the more sensible 2026 buy on valuation, although Eli Lilly is growing faster on demand for weight-loss and diabetes drugs. Lilly’s forward P/E and price-to-sales ratios are 24.8 and 13.2, versus 16.4 and 7.3 for AbbVie. -
Lilly says its drugs drew 70% of 700,000 Medicare GLP-1 starts
Lilly CEO David Ricks said 700,000 seniors have started GLP-1 treatment since Medicare’s temporary Bridge program began covering obesity drugs in July; seven in 10 chose a Lilly drug. Eligible members pay $50 monthly, and the program runs through 2027. -
Inhibrx shares fall 8.8%; INBRX-106 combo nearly doubles Keytruda-only response rate
Inhibrx Biosciences’ experimental INBRX-106 plus Keytruda produced a 48.3% confirmed response rate in a Phase 2 head-and-neck cancer study, versus 26.5% for Keytruda alone; Inhibrx shares fell 8.8% to $110.45 after the results, Reuters reported. -
Pelacarsen misses cardiovascular-event goal; Citi sees possible CRISPR shift
Pelacarsen significantly lowered lipoprotein(a) in Novartis’ Phase 3 HORIZON trial but did not significantly reduce major cardiovascular events. Citi says the result could prompt CRISPR to favor CTX321 over CTX320 and sees under 5% immediate downside for Ionis shares. -
Haleon’s US consumer-health share reaches 12% amid shelf gains
Haleon has won more prominent shelf positions at Walmart, Target and other US retailers with lower prices, promotions, new products and exclusivity. Its US consumer-health share rose from 11.4% in February to 12% in August, NielsenIQ data cited by Reuters show. -
XLV’s lower fees contrast with IBB’s biotech focus and stronger one-year return
XLV offers broader large-cap healthcare exposure and charges a 0.08% fee; IBB focuses on biotech and charges 0.44%. As of Sept. 24, 2026, IBB’s 12-month return was 45.28%, against XLV’s 24.31%, but IBB had the deeper five-year maximum drawdown. -
Fidelity’s broad healthcare ETF outpaced VanEck’s biotech fund over five years
Fidelity’s FHLC covers more than 300 healthcare stocks, while VanEck’s BBH focuses on about two dozen biotech and life-sciences companies. BBH led over one year, but FHLC had stronger five-year growth, a smaller maximum drawdown and lower fees (0.08% vs. 0.35%). -
LIMRA research: 40% of life policyholders rarely or never hear from insurers
Life-insurance adviser Phillip Snyder says weak follow-up can leave buyers unsure of their policies. LIMRA research says 40% of policyholders rarely or never hear from insurers after purchase. Snyder said high upfront commissions contribute to short-term selling. -
Investor letter flags slow Abbott nutrition recovery and tougher device competition
Tributary Capital Management’s Q2 2026 letter said Abbott Laboratories’ nutrition recovery is slow and competition is intensifying in Structural Heart and continuous glucose monitoring. It said those pressures appear to outweigh the growing tailwind in electrophysiology. -
A Motley Fool stock comparison favors Vertex over CRISPR in 2026
The Motley Fool article’s author favors Vertex Pharmaceuticals over CRISPR Therapeutics for 2026, citing Vertex’s nearly $12.1 billion in FY2025 revenue and 32.7% net margin, versus CRISPR’s approximately $581.6 million loss as it invests in research. -
Pfizer gets the long-term nod over Bristol Myers Squibb in 2026 stock analysis
The article favors Pfizer for long-term investors, citing its $10 billion Metsera deal and obesity pipeline; it sees Bristol Myers Squibb as stronger near term after raising its full-year revenue outlook and reporting growth in newer brands and Eliquis. -
Atavistik-Roche pact sets $70 million upfront and up to $1.9 billion in milestones
Atavistik Bio signed a Roche deal to develop oral drugs for cardiovascular, kidney and metabolic diseases. It will receive $70 million upfront and could earn up to $1.9 billion in research, development and commercial milestones, plus royalties on sales of approved drugs. -
Mid-stage Alzheimer’s psychosis trial falls short for Acadia’s remlifanserin
Acadia said remlifanserin missed a mid-stage trial’s main goal for Alzheimer’s psychosis: 60 mg improved hallucinations and delusions versus placebo, but not enough after six weeks. The result was statistically significant on a key secondary measure of psychosis severity. -
Grifols says Winnipeg plasma halt predated Health Canada license suspension
Health Canada suspended Grifols’ license to collect plasma at its Taylor Avenue centre in Winnipeg over quality-management concerns. Grifols says operations are unaffected because it had already voluntarily stopped collection there.
