On September 21, 2026 AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) and Iambic, a clinical-stage life sciences and technology company developing novel medicines through its AI-driven discovery and development platform, reported a multi-year collaboration to accelerate the discovery and development of small molecule therapies with first-in-class and best-in-class potential across immunology, neuroscience and oncology. The companies will leverage Iambic’s AI platform to improve the efficiency and success of identifying promising new drug candidates.

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"We are excited about the purpose-built AI capabilities Iambic is bringing to our Discovery scientists," said Nicholas Donoghoe, M.D., executive vice president and chief business and strategy officer, AbbVie. "We believe AI will be a powerful catalyst for scientific innovation across AbbVie. By equipping our teams with fit-for-purpose AI solutions, we can accelerate discovery, expand what is possible in R&D and significantly advance our commitment to making a remarkable impact for patients."

"Combining Iambic’s platform with the drug-hunting expertise of AbbVie scientists can help us make more precise decisions about the molecules we pursue," said Jonathon Sedgwick, Ph.D., senior vice president and global head of discovery research, AbbVie. "The goal of our collaboration with Iambic is to design better molecules more efficiently and improve our probability of success, ultimately to deliver breakthrough medicines for patients sooner."

In traditional small molecule discovery, scientists evaluate dozens of properties for each candidate individually. Iambic’s molecular superintelligence platform is powered by Enchant and NeuralPLexer, technologies designed to optimize the full range of candidate properties simultaneously, increasing the chance of making better molecules while reducing drug discovery timelines.

The collaboration will utilize Enchant v3, Iambic’s next-generation multimodal transformer model that combines biomedical data modalities from across the drug discovery process and enables many drug design hypotheses to be tested in parallel and at scale. Enchant v3 is designed to achieve industry-leading prediction accuracy across drug discovery and development and is trained on over 6,000 molecular properties.

"Iambic’s mission is to make better technology for better medicines — in our own hands and with partners," said Tom Miller, Ph.D., Co-Founder and CEO, Iambic. "We are eager to bring Iambic’s molecular superintelligence platform to bear alongside AbbVie’s world-class team to address unmet patient need. We anticipate an impactful collaboration — for Iambic, for AbbVie, and for the patients we serve."

Under the terms of the collaboration, Iambic will receive an upfront payment and is eligible to receive success-based milestone payments and tiered royalties on net sales from products generated from the collaboration.

(Press release, AbbVie, SEP 21, 2026, View Source [SID1234670979])

On September 21, 2026 Akeso, Inc. (9926.HK) ("Akeso" or the "Company") reported that nearly 30 clinical studies of its globally first-in-class bispecific antibodies will be presented at the 2026 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Congress, taking place October 23–27 in Madrid, Spain. The presentations include one Late-Breaking Abstract (LBA) selected for the Presidential Symposium and two oral presentations.

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Ivonescimab, the world’s first approved PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody, will be featured in 12 presentations at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) 2026. Notably, positive overall survival results from the Phase III HARMONi-GI1 trial evaluating ivonescimab plus chemotherapy versus durvalumab plus chemotherapy as first-line treatment for advanced biliary tract cancer have been selected as a Late-Breaking Abstract for the Presidential Symposium and will be delivered as a late-breaking oral presentation. In addition, two rapid oral presentations will present breakthrough data on ivonescimab-based regimens as first-line treatment for advanced renal cell carcinoma and recurrent/metastatic thymic carcinoma. The presentations will also highlight ivonescimab’s expanding development across multiple tumor types, including continued progress in lung cancer (including brain metastases), gastrointestinal cancers (esophageal and gastric cancer), and rare or difficult-to-treat malignancies such as pancreatic cancer, glioblastoma, endometrial cancer, thymic carcinoma, and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Cadonilimab, the world’s first PD-1/CTLA-4 bispecific antibody, will be featured in 15 presentations covering more than ten tumor types, including gastric cancer, renal cell carcinoma, lung cancer, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, colorectal cancer, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, ovarian cancer, soft tissue sarcoma, pleural mesothelioma, and rectal cancer. These studies span neoadjuvant settings as well as first- and second-line treatment of advanced disease, underscoring the broad anti-tumor potential of this dual checkpoint inhibitor.

The extensive data to be presented at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) 2026 reflect Akeso’s ongoing commitment to advancing next-generation immuno-oncology therapies for major global diseases and our continued efforts to build a differentiated global oncology portfolio. Full results will be released during the Congress. Please stay tuned for updates.

Key Presentations Highlights:

LBA8 – Ivonescimab plus chemotherapy versus durvalumab plus chemotherapy as first-line treatment for advanced biliary tract cancer: a randomized, controlled, double- blinded, Phase 3 trial (HARMONi-GI1)

Speakers: Jian Zhou (Shanghai, China)
Session Name: Presidential Symposium II
Room: Alicante Auditorium – Hall 6
Date: Sunday, 25 October 2026
Time: 16:30 – 18:15 (Madrid)
Efficacy and Safety of AK112 (Ivonescimab), a PD-1/VEGF Bispecific Antibody, as First-Line Treatment for Patients with IMDC Favorable-Risk Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma (aRCC): Results from a Phase Ib/II Study

Session: Rapid Oral 2: Genitourinary tumours, renal and urothelial
Abstract: 3592RO
Presentation time: Sunday, 25 October 2026, 14:45–16:15 (Madrid)
Presenter: Professor Xieqiao Yan, Peking University Cancer Hospital
Ivonescimab plus chemotherapy as first-line treatment in recurrent/metastatic thymic carcinoma: interim results from the iTHYM study

Session: Rapid Oral: Non-metastatic NSCLC and other thoracic malignancies
Abstract: 4156RO
Presentation time: Monday, 26 October 2026, 10:15–11:45 (Madrid)
Presenter: Professor Xue Hou, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center

(Press release, Akeso Biopharma, SEP 21, 2026, View Source [SID1234670978])

On September 21, 2026 Anixa Biosciences, Inc. ("Anixa" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: ANIX), a biotechnology company focused on the treatment and prevention of cancer, reported that IP Australia has issued Patent Number 2020221280 related to Anixa’s breast cancer vaccine technology, exclusively licensed from Cleveland Clinic. This composition-of-matter patent protects the Company’s novel approach to breast cancer prevention and treatment in Australia through 2040, addressing a disease for which no preventive vaccine is currently approved anywhere in the world. The patent is titled, "Vaccine Adjuvants and Formulations," and the co-inventors are Dr. Justin Johnson and the late Dr. Vincent Tuohy, both of Cleveland Clinic.

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With this issued patent, Anixa continues to expand the international scope of its intellectual property portfolio, reinforcing its leadership in the field of cancer immunotherapy. The Australian patent complements Anixa’s existing patent portfolio in the United States and other key international markets, including Europe, China, and Japan, among others, further strengthening the Company’s global intellectual property estate. The expanded patent protection enhances Anixa’s ability to pursue future regulatory approvals, strategic partnerships and commercialization opportunities.

In a recently completed Phase 1 trial at Cleveland Clinic, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, the vaccine met all major primary endpoints, was safe and well tolerated, and generated protocol defined immune responses in more than 74% of participants. These results support continued clinical development of the Company’s novel preventive and therapeutic breast cancer vaccine.

"This newly issued patent strengthens the global foundation we are building for our breast cancer vaccine," stated Dr. Amit Kumar, Chairman and CEO of Anixa Biosciences. "As we continue clinical development in the U.S., our growing international patent estate further strengthens our ability to pursue global opportunities and potentially partner with larger pharmaceutical companies for worldwide commercialization."

Breast cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women worldwide, and while survival rates are high in Australia, the incidence rate has continued to increase. Despite significant advances in screening and treatment, there are currently no approved vaccines designed to prevent breast cancer.

Anixa’s vaccine is based on immunizing against human α-lactalbumin, a protein associated with lactation that is aberrantly expressed in certain types of breast cancer. This "retired" protein strategy, developed at Cleveland Clinic and licensed exclusively to Anixa, aims to selectively prime the immune system to prevent tumor formation while avoiding harm to normal tissue, particularly in aggressive forms of the disease such as triple-negative breast cancer.

By reinforcing its global patent estate, Anixa is laying the groundwork for future international development and commercialization strategies. The Company’s vaccine technology is designed to transform how the medical community approaches cancer prevention. If successful, the Company’s vaccine technology could represent one of the first preventive vaccine approaches targeting breast cancer, representing a potentially transformative advancement in cancer prevention.

(Press release, Anixa Biosciences, SEP 21, 2026, View Source [SID1234670977])

On September 21, 2026 Precigen, Inc. (Nasdaq: PGEN), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company specializing in the advancement of innovative precision medicines to improve the lives of patients, reported that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted platform technology designation to the AdenoVerse immunotherapeutic platform, which is used in the company’s first commercial product, PAPZIMEOS. The designation reflects the adaptability and potential of the platform to address a broad range of indications, including HPV-positive malignancies such as head and neck, cervical, anal, vulvar and vaginal cancers, as well as other diseases that may be targeted by future AdenoVerse-based product candidates.

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FDA platform technology designation creates a pathway to leverage data generated for the development of PAPZIMEOS to potentially accelerate development of future AdenoVerse programs by utilizing existing manufacturing and preclinical knowledge to support future marketing applications and reduce duplication of development work. Platform technology designation provides opportunities for early FDA engagement, the ability to receive timely advice by having additional engagement with the FDA during development, and consideration of prior FDA manufacturing inspections for future applications.

To qualify for the platform technology designation, a platform must already be used in an FDA-approved product and the available evidence must demonstrate that it is well characterized, reproducible and has the potential to be adaptable across multiple products without compromising quality, manufacturing or safety. In granting this designation, the FDA determined that the AdenoVerse platform can be applied consistently across multiple products and is reasonably likely to generate meaningful efficiencies to the development or manufacturing process, and to the regulatory review process.

"This designation has the potential to accelerate the development of Precigen’s broader AdenoVerse portfolio by allowing us to build on the technology established through PAPZIMEOS, which was approved by the FDA in August 2025. We expect the near-term impact will be especially meaningful for PRGN-2009 across multiple HPV-associated cancers, including cervical cancer and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Importantly, the potential extends beyond PRGN-2009 to future AdenoVerse candidates such as those targeting additional cancers and other diseases," said Helen Sabzevari, PhD, President and CEO of Precigen. "We thank the FDA for recognizing the potential of the AdenoVerse platform. This designation will enable us to leverage prior data and engage with the FDA earlier and more frequently, creating opportunities to reduce duplicative work and bring greater speed, efficiency and predictability to the development of future AdenoVerse therapies."

AdenoVerse Clinical Portfolio

Precigen’s AdenoVerse portfolio includes a Phase 2 study of PRGN-2009 in combination with pembrolizumab in newly diagnosed patients with HPV-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (NCT05996523) and a Phase 2 study of PRGN-2009 in combination with pembrolizumab in patients with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer (NCT06157151). The portfolio also includes PAPZIMEOS (zopapogene imadenovec-drba; formerly PRGN-2012), which is the first FDA-approved therapy for the treatment of adults with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP). An open-label study evaluating the efficacy of redosing PAPZIMEOS in adults with RRP is currently enrolling (NCT06538480).

(Press release, Precigen, SEP 21, 2026, View Source [SID1234670975])

On September 21, 2026 Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the "Company") and Tempus AI, Inc. ("Tempus"), acknowledging the value of (i) Tempus’s library of multimodal data and (ii) Recursion’s proprietary foundational RNA sequencing model (the "TxFM Model"), have entered into the following agreements:

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Amendment to Tempus Master Agreement

On September 15, 2026, the Company entered into an Amendment to the Master Agreement (the "Amendment") between the Company and Tempus, dated as of November 3, 2023, as previously disclosed in the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 9, 2023 (the "Master Agreement" and, as amended, the "Agreement"). The Master Agreement, which was for a five-year Term, allowed the Company to terminate for convenience after the first three years. The Agreement also specified the following Annual License Fees, which could be paid 100% in shares of Class A Common Stock of Recursion at the Company’s election: (i) $22,000,000 on the first anniversary of the Effective Date (ii) $32,000,000 on the second anniversary of the Effective Date and (iii) $42,000,000 on each of the third anniversary of the Effective data and the fourth anniversary of the Effective Date (each such license fee, the "Annual License Fee").

Pursuant to the Amendment, the Company agreed to: (i) extend the term of the Agreement from five to six years from its effective date; (ii) eliminate the Company’s right to terminate the Agreement for convenience, (iii) revise the amount of the Annual License Fees payable by the Company to $14,000,000 payable on each of the third, fourth, and fifth anniversary of the Effective Date, payable as to at least $4,000,000 in cash, with the remainder in the form of shares of Class A Common Stock of the Company, cash, or a combination thereof, at the election of the Company; and (iv) decrease the aggregate total of unique records of de-identified data the Company may access during the term.

The foregoing description of the Amendment does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, the full text of such agreement, which will be filed as an exhibit to the Company’s quarterly report filed on Form 10-Q for the quarter in which it was executed.

TxFM License Agreement

Also on September 15, 2026, the Company entered into an RNA Foundation Model License Agreement (the "TxFM License Agreement") with Tempus, pursuant to which the Company granted Tempus a non-exclusive, non-sublicensable, non-transferable, worldwide license to the Company’s TxFM Model solely for use within the field of oncology. Permitted uses include diagnostic applications, clinical applications, and Tempus’s internal research and development. The TxFM License Agreement has a term of two years from its effective date.

In consideration for the license, Tempus will pay the Company a non-refundable license fee of $12,000,000 in two installments of $6,000,000 each; the first due upon execution of the TxFM License Agreement and the other due on the first anniversary of the effective date. Tempus will also provide the Company with access to a certain number of de-identified pathology records with linked clinical data during the term of the TxFM License Agreement.

The foregoing summary of the TxFM License Agreement does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, the full text of such agreement, which will be filed as an exhibit to the Company’s quarterly report filed on Form 10-Q for the quarter in which it was executed.

(Filing, Recursion Pharmaceuticals, SEP 21, 2026, View Source [SID1234670974])