Life Sciences Daily Summary: What Happened on October 23, 2026

Melanoma vaccine cut recurrence or death risk by 42%

Moderna and Merck’s personalized mRNA vaccine intismeran autogene reduced melanoma recurrence or death risk by 42% when added to Keytruda in a Phase 3 trial.1 The result was statistically significant, with a hazard ratio of 0.58 and a p-value below 0.001.1

The vaccine is tailored to mutations found in each patient’s tumor.6 The trial did not compare the regimen with approaches that start immunotherapy before surgery.1 Whether the clinical benefit justifies the cost and manufacturing demands of a personalized treatment remains a commercial question.1

Tango combination produced tumor responses in 82% of patients

Tango Therapeutics said 82% of patients with a particular form of advanced pancreatic cancer had tumor responses after receiving its experimental drug with Revolution Medicines’ Rasonque.2 At nine months, 88% of patients were alive without their tumors progressing.2

The reported trial regimen did not include chemotherapy.2

Lutikizumab met its endpoint, with an eight-point response gap

AbbVie’s lutikizumab met the primary endpoint in the Phase 3 INTREPID trial for hidradenitis suppurativa, a chronic inflammatory skin disease.3 At week 16, 31.4% of participants taking lutikizumab had at least a 75% reduction in inflamed bumps and abscesses, compared with 23.4% on placebo.37 The trial enrolled 1,400 people with moderate-to-severe disease.7

Leerink analysts said the roughly eight-percentage-point advantage fell short of their expected 17% to 20% range, raising uncertainty about the IL-1 pathway and whether mid-stage results will hold up in late-stage testing.3 AbbVie said the drug met eight secondary endpoints, including measures of pain and flares, and that adverse-event rates were similar between groups.7

Lycia prices $318 million IPO for three drug programs

Lycia priced its initial public offering at $318 million.4 The proceeds are intended to support three protein-degrading medicines in development for allergic conditions and Graves’ disease.4

UK authorizes Icotyde for plaque psoriasis from age 12

The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency authorized Icotyde, or icotrokinra hydrochloride, for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adults and adolescents aged 12 or older who weigh at least 40 kilograms and are candidates for systemic therapy.5 Four Phase 3 trials involving about 2,500 people, including 72 adolescents, supported the authorization, and all four showed efficacy against placebo at week 16.5

Icotyde blocks the IL-23 receptor, and the recommended dose is one 200-milligram tablet daily.5 The agency said it will continue monitoring the medicine’s safety.5

Gilead pays $1.275 billion upfront for PepStar’s oral IL-23 program

Gilead agreed to pay PepStar $1.275 billion upfront for worldwide rights to its oral IL-23 receptor inhibitor program, including Phase 1 candidate HCXT-2001.8 Gilead is prioritizing development for inflammatory bowel disease but has not specified target indications.8

Gilead chief medical officer Dietmar Berger said HCXT-2001’s extended half-life could distinguish it and that Gilead sees potential to use it alone or with emvistegrast as a daily oral treatment.8 Emvistegrast, an integrin inhibitor in mid-stage development for inflammatory bowel disease, met its primary endpoint in a Phase 2 ulcerative colitis study.8

Celltrion licenses Kaigene antibody in deal worth up to $580 million

Celltrion secured exclusive worldwide development and commercialization rights to Kaigene’s investigational antibody KG013 in a deal worth up to $580 million.9 The package includes upfront and milestone payments, with royalties separate, and Kaigene may co-market the drug in South Korea.9

KG013 targets APRIL, a signaling protein involved in plasma-cell survival and antibody production, and is designed to reduce harmful IgA and IgM antibodies.9 Kaigene said it plans to pursue IgA nephropathy first, a disease its chief executive said affects about 160,000 diagnosed people in the United States.9

Menarini licenses preclinical cancer candidate for $45 million upfront

Menarini licensed worldwide rights to Georgiamune’s preclinical oral immunotherapy candidate GIM-621 for $45 million in upfront and near-term payments.10 Milestone payments could raise the deal’s value to $1.1 billion, with royalties also payable.10

The companies described GIM-621 as a small molecule intended for cancers that resist or stop responding to existing immunotherapies.10