--- title: 'Life Sciences Daily Summary: What Happened on October 19, 2026' headline: Nouscom raises €120 million for Lynch syndrome cancer-prevention vaccine description: Estuary secured $103 million for kidney gene therapies as US and European regulators issued drug decisions. url: https://thebench.bio/news/summaries/2026-10-19 topic: all date: '2026-10-19' covers: - '2026-10-19' date_published: '2026-10-19T12:03:25Z' date_modified: '2026-10-19T12:03:25Z' tags: - Industry - Regulatory - Funding sources: 5 publisher: TheBench.Bio --- # Life Sciences Daily Summary: What Happened on October 19, 2026 **Nouscom raises €120 million for Lynch syndrome cancer-prevention vaccine** Estuary secured $103 million for kidney gene therapies as US and European regulators issued drug decisions. ## Today in brief Nouscom raised €120 million to move its Lynch syndrome vaccine NOUS-209 toward a global registration-enabling trial. [1] Estuary Biotherapeutics launched with $103 million in committed financing for kidney gene therapy programs. [2] The FDA approved Viatris’ Ryzumvi for adult presbyopia, while the European Medicines Agency’s drug committee recommended five medicines, recorded two withdrawals and upheld a rejection. [3] [4] ## Nouscom raises €120 million for a global vaccine trial Nouscom closed an oversubscribed €120 million Series D to advance NOUS-209, a cancer-prevention vaccine for people with Lynch syndrome. [1] M Ventures and Revelation Partners co-led the round. The European Investment Bank, Neva SGR and investors linked to Angelini also participated. [1] Nouscom plans one global trial intended to support registration, with event-free survival as its primary endpoint. [1] Marina Udier said the endpoint counts precancerous events as well as cancer. The FDA has granted the program Fast Track status. [1] Long-term findings from an earlier Phase 1b/2 study in people with Lynch syndrome are scheduled for presentation at the ESMO Congress on October 25. [1] ## Estuary launches with $103 million for kidney gene therapies Estuary Biotherapeutics launched with $103 million in committed financing, including a $93 million Series A and an earlier $10 million seed round. [2] RA Capital Management led the Series A. Seed investors 4BIO Capital and GV also joined it. [2] Estuary plans to pursue clinical proof-of-concept for EST-101 and EST-201 and advance a platform that delivers adeno-associated virus, or AAV, locally to kidney cells. [2] The company projects EST-201, for people with PKD2 mutations, will enter clinical development in 2027, followed by EST-101 for PKD1-related disease in 2028. [2] ## EU committee recommends five medicines and upholds a rejection The European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, or CHMP, recommended Kizfizo for specified glioma patients, weekly Yuviwel for children aged two and older with achondroplasia, and Tryngolza for severe hypertriglyceridemia. [4] It also recommended Rasonque for previously treated metastatic pancreatic cancer and Eli Lilly’s Foundayo for weight management and type 2 diabetes. [4] In a 52-week study, children taking Yuviwel grew 1.49 centimeters more per year than those given placebo. Phase 3 studies found Tryngolza cut triglycerides by as much as 72%. [4] Median overall survival in a 500-patient Phase 3 trial was 12.4 months with Rasonque and 6.7 months with chemotherapy. [4] AstraZeneca withdrew its application to extend Truqap to PTEN-deficient metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. Pfizer withdrew its Ibrance application for maintenance treatment of HR-positive, HER2-positive advanced breast cancer. [4] The EMA said an independent scan review did not clearly confirm the progression-free survival benefit investigators reported in the Ibrance study. [4] The CHMP rejected Omeros’ appeal for Yartemlea, maintaining its negative opinion because it remained unconvinced that the clinical evidence established efficacy. [4] The European Commission will make the final decisions on the committee’s recommendations. [4] The CHMP rejected Kizfizo in 2025 for pediatric neuroblastoma, a different proposed use from the one it backed this month. [4] ## FDA approves Ryzumvi for adult presbyopia The FDA approved Viatris’ 0.75% phentolamine eye drops Ryzumvi for adult presbyopia, expanding its existing US use for drug-induced pupil dilation. [3] Viatris holds exclusive US commercialization rights under a worldwide licensing arrangement with Opus Genetics. It is seeking a US distribution partner for the new use. [3] In presbyopia studies, eye redness affected 21% of participants and application-site irritation affected 16%. [3] Contact lens wearers should remove their lenses before dosing and wait 10 minutes before putting them back in. [3] ## Also worth knowing - The FDA approved a self-administered treatment option for thyroid eye disease. [5] - Nouscom said its Phase 2 studies combining NOUS-209 with Keytruda in microsatellite instability-high colorectal cancer met their primary endpoints. [1] ## The day in numbers - **€120 million**: Nouscom’s Series D financing for NOUS-209. [1] - **$103 million**: Estuary’s total committed financing at launch. [2] - **12.4 vs. 6.7 months**: Median overall survival with Rasonque versus chemotherapy in a Phase 3 pancreatic cancer trial. [4] - **21%**: Share of participants with eye redness in Ryzumvi presbyopia studies. [3] ## Sources 1. [Nouscom raises €120M to advance cancer prevention vaccine](), European Biotechnology, 2026-10-19 2. [Estuary secures $103m to advance kidney disease gene therapies](), Pharmaceutical Technology, 2026-10-19 3. [FDA approves Viatris’ Ryzumvi for adult presbyopia](), Pharmaceutical Technology, 2026-10-19 4. [CHMP October decisions: AstraZeneca pulls prostate cancer filing; Orphelia gets a second chance; Ascendis nears EU launch](), European Biotechnology, 2026-10-19 5. [ACT Brief: AI Operating Models, Oncology Evidence Trust, and Thyroid Eye Disease Approval](), Applied Clinical Trials, 2026-10-19 --- TheBench.Bio wrote this from the reporting cited above, with a language model drafting and editing. [1]: [2]: [3]: [4]: [5]: