Johnson & Johnson

Beacon's gene therapy for inherited blindness hits primary goal in pivotal trial

Competitor whose rival XLRP therapy failed

X-linked retinitis pigmentosa gradually destroys the retinas of young men, and no treatment has ever slowed it. Beacon Therapeutics' gene therapy laru-zova is now the first to clear a pivotal trial, and the company says it will file for US approval later this year.

Updated Sep 21

Cullinan, Taiho show six-month progression-free survival benefit in phase 3 lung cancer trial

New Capabilities

Current first-line standard via Rybrevant plus chemotherapy

Patients with EGFR exon 20 insertion lung cancer have had almost no targeted options in the front-line setting. A phase 3 trial presented Sept. 13 in Seoul changed that. Adding the oral drug zipalertinib to chemotherapy delayed tumor progression by six months compared with chemotherapy alone.

Updated Sep 13

Eli Lilly buys psychedelic drugmaker AtaiBeckley

Money Moves

Incumbent competitor

Eli Lilly agreed to buy AtaiBeckley for $6.75 a share in cash, about $2.8 billion, with up to $1 billion more if two drugs hit development targets. The purchase pulls one of the world's largest drugmakers into psychedelic medicine.

Updated Jul 16

First oral biologic for psoriasis reaches patients, opening new front in autoimmune treatment

New Capabilities

Developer and commercial partner for ICOTYDE

For two decades, treating moderate-to-severe psoriasis required needles — self-injected drugs or clinic infusions many patients refused or abandoned. On March 18, 2026, the FDA approved ICOTYDE, a once-daily pill that blocks the IL-23 receptor like injectable biologics. In trials of roughly 2,500 patients, about 70 percent achieved clear or almost clear skin at 16 weeks, with side effects within 1.1 percentage points of placebo.

Updated May 30

Delaware earnout litigation reshapes M&A deal terms

Rule Changes

Defendant; won reversal on implied covenant but owes damages for efforts breach

Delaware's courts rule on American corporate disputes. On January 12, 2026, the state's Supreme Court decided that when a merger agreement specifies a particular path to an earnout payment, courts won't rescue sellers who failed to negotiate alternatives.

Updated May 26