On May 18, 2026 AstraZeneca and Roche Diagnostics Asia Pacific reported a three-year Memorandum of Understanding to help advance digital pathology capabilities and elevate cancer care across nine Asia markets, a first in the region. This landmark collaboration aims to accelerate the adoption of AI-powered digital and computational pathology through educational and training initiatives and improve biomarker testing in breast and lung cancer.

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Globally, nearly half of all breast cancer cases[1] and over 60% of new lung cancer diagnoses[2] occur in Asia. In breast cancer, almost half of Asian women present lower levels of HER2,[3] while TROP2 is present in 82–90% of non-small cell lung cancer.[4] Precise biomarker testing is hence key to guiding treatment decisions, and AI-enabled TROP2 assessment helps identify patients who are more likely to respond to antibody drug conjugate therapies.

This collaboration addresses the critical knowledge and adoption gap in AI-assisted pathology across Asia. Only 17% of clinicians consider themselves very aware of advanced pathology technologies, and usage of computational pathology-based tests in clinical settings is low.[5] For example, in the Philippines, 60% of medical oncologists report that unavailability of biomarker testing has hindered their practice.[6]

"Building resilient health systems is fundamental to our mission of transforming cancer care," said Arun Krishna, Area Vice President, Asia, AstraZeneca. "This collaboration aims to address existing diagnostic gaps across the region. By combining efforts with Roche Diagnostics to advance education and adoption of AI-powered pathology, we can support the integration of precision diagnostics into the patient journey, helping to match more patients to the right treatment at the right time."

AI-assisted pathology helps standardise diagnostic processes, reducing subjectivity, and improving accuracy. Studies show that AI-assisted workflows can[7]:

Improve diagnostic accuracy by up to 5%, reducing reading time per case by 36%.
Increase interpretation concordance by up to 15% by mitigating human fatigue and subjective bias.
Expand access to targeted therapies by reclassifying 24% of cases previously labelled as HER2-negative to HER2-low category.
Enable more precise patient identification through the first AI-powered companion diagnostic for TROP2.[8]
When patients are matched to the right therapies, clinical benefits could include improved response rates, extended progression-free survival,[9] and optimised healthcare resources.

"At Roche Diagnostics, we believe that timely and accurate diagnosis is the foundation of effective cancer care. Across Asia Pacific, gaps in access to advanced diagnostics continue to impact patient outcomes," said Lance Little, Head of Region, Roche Diagnostics Asia Pacific. "Through this collaboration, we are focused on strengthening diagnostic capabilities and accelerating the adoption of digital pathology across healthcare systems. This is key to enabling more consistent and reliable diagnosis, raising the standard of care for patients with lung and breast cancer."

Across Singapore, Taiwan, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, the collaboration will activate educational and training initiatives that address local healthcare system needs and accelerate the integration of AI-assisted computational pathology into diagnostic workflows.

(Press release, AstraZeneca, MAY 18, 2026, View Source [SID1234665839])

On May 18, 2026 Compugen Ltd. (Nasdaq: CGEN) (TASE: CGEN) a clinical-stage cancer immunotherapy company and a pioneer in computational target discovery powered by AI/ML, reported financial results for the first quarter of 2026 and provided a corporate update.

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"Q1 2026 reflects continued execution across all of our programs in line with our strategic priorities," said Eran Ophir, Ph.D., President and CEO of Compugen. "With enrollment progressing across all COM701 MAIA-ovarian trial sites, we remain on track for having the median progression-free survival at the interim analysis by Q1 2027, a key potential inflection point for COM701 as a maintenance therapy in a patient population with significant unmet medical need and no current standard of care."

Dr. Ophir continued, "Our partner AstraZeneca continues to broadly advance rilvegostomig. Data presented by AstraZeneca at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2026 reinforces our confidence in its differentiated bispecific design and potential as an immuno-oncology backbone across multiple tumor types, as AstraZeneca progresses rilvegostomig across 11 Phase 3 trials. In addition, we continue to advance the Gilead-partnered GS-0321 Phase 1 trial."

Dr. Ophir concluded, "Our solid financial position with cash runway expected into 2029, based on our current plans, enables us to advance our differentiated immuno-oncology pipeline and leverage our AI/ML powered computational discovery platform Unigen, to discover novel ways to activate the immune system against cancer. I remain encouraged by the progress of our fully owned programs, strengthened by validating partnerships with AstraZeneca and Gilead, which together offer approximately $1 billion in potential milestones plus royalties."

First Quarter 2026 Financial Highlights

Cash: As of March 31, 2026, Compugen had approximately $134.9 million in cash, cash equivalents, short-term bank deposits, and investment in marketable securities.

Compugen expects that its cash and cash-related balances will be sufficient to fund its operating plans into 2029. This does not include any additional cash inflows. The Company has no debt.

Revenue: Compugen reported approximately $2.2 million in revenues for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026, compared to approximately $2.3 million in revenues for the comparable period in 2025. The revenues reported in the first quarters of 2026 and 2025 reflect recognition of portions of both the upfront payment and the IND milestone payment from the license agreement with Gilead.

R&D expenses for the first quarter of 2026 were approximately $6.9 million compared with approximately $5.8 million for the comparable period in 2025. The increase is mainly due to an increase in clinical expenses related to MAIA-ovarian trial as well as drug supply costs supporting our trials.

G&A expenses for the first quarter of 2026 were approximately $2.3 million compared to approximately $2.4 million for the comparable period in 2025.

Net loss for the first quarter of 2026 was approximately $7.7 million, or $0.08 per basic and diluted share, compared with a net loss of approximately $7.2 million, or $0.08 per basic and diluted share, in the comparable period in 2025.

Full financial tables are included below.

Conference Call and Webcast Information

The Company will hold a conference call today, May 18, 2026, at 8:30 AM ET to review its first quarter 2026 results. To access the conference call by telephone, please dial 1-866-744-5399 from the United States, or +972-3-918-0644 internationally. The call will also be available via live webcast through Compugen’s website, located at the following link. Following the live audio webcast, a replay will be available on the Company’s website.

(Press release, Compugen, MAY 18, 2026, View Source [SID1234665821])

On May 18, 2026 Innate Pharma SA (Euronext Paris: IPH; Nasdaq: IPHA) ("Innate" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing immunotherapies for cancer patients, reported that members of its executive team will participate in one-on-one investor meetings at the following conference:

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Jefferies Global Healthcare Conference 2026

Dates: June 2–4, 2026
Location: New York, United States

(Press release, Innate Pharma, MAY 18, 2026, View Source [SID1234665840])

On May 17, 2026 EORTC reported final results from a landmark EORTC randomised trial with more than 20 years of follow-up show that irradiation of the internal mammary and medial supraclavicular lymph nodes reduces breast cancer mortality but does not improve overall survival. The findings highlight the importance of very long-term follow-up when evaluating cancer treatments, particularly in patients with otherwise favourable prognosis.

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The results stem from EORTC trial 22922/10925 and were presented at the ESTRO 2026 Congress in Stockholm during the plenary session: Joint Green Journal – The Lancet Oncology Top Clinical Trials. Reflecting the strength and clinical relevance of these findings, the planned 20-year analysis of the full trial population has been simultaneously published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, while The Lancet Oncology has accepted to publish soon a complementary paper reporting an unplanned subset analysis in the patients with node-negative (pN0) breast cancer.

Between 1996 and 2004, the trial enrolled 4,004 patients with stage I–III breast cancer at 46 centres in 13 countries. Patients were randomised to receive postoperative radiation therapy with or without elective irradiation of the internal mammary and medial supraclavicular (IM-MS) lymph nodes. At final analysis, the median follow-up was 22.2 years — the longest planned, as well as median, follow-up of any randomised breast cancer radiation therapy trial.

Long‑term outcomes across the overall trial population
At 20 years, overall survival was similar in patients treated with or without IM-MS irradiation. However, breast cancer–related mortality was significantly lower among patients who received IM-MS irradiation. This benefit was counterbalanced over time by an increase in deaths from causes other than breast cancer, which emerged after approximately 15 years, resulting in no survival advantage.

Long-term cardiac and pulmonary toxicity was reported more frequently after IM-MS irradiation, although severe side effects remained very uncommon. Of note, patients were treated using radiation therapy techniques available more than two decades ago.

Outcomes in node-negative breast cancer patients
The proffered paper presented at ESTRO also included the subset analyses on the 1,778 patients with node-negative (pN0) breast cancer and centrally or medially located tumours. Despite a lower absolute risk of breast cancer death in this group, the long-term pattern closely mirrored that of the overall trial population.

Reductions in breast cancer mortality were again offset by a later increase in non–breast cancer–related deaths, resulting in no improvement in overall survival. These findings suggest that long‑term trade‑offs must be considered even in patients with a favourable prognosis and call for careful evaluation of nodal irradiation in axillary‑node‑negative disease.

"Such large, decades-long trials with rigorous quality assurance, allowing clinically meaningful subgroup analyses, are only possible thanks to the sustained support and collaboration fostered by organisations like EORTC," agreed both study coordinators.

The investigators note that advances in modern radiation therapy planning and delivery, sharply reducing radiation exposure to organs such as the heart and lungs, very likely improves the balance between benefits and risks for patients treated today.

Why this trial matters
It provides the longest planned, as well as median follow-up, of any randomised breast cancer radiation therapy trial.
It shows that treatment benefits and risks continue to evolve well beyond 15–20 years.
It demonstrates that node‑negative patients experience similar long‑term trade‑offs as the overall trial population.
It informs ongoing discussions on optimising and potentially de-escalating treatments in favourable-risk breast cancer.
Conducted by the EORTC Radiation Oncology and Breast Cancer Groups, trial 22922/10925 remains a cornerstone study for understanding the long‑term impact of locoregional treatments in breast cancer and for guiding future research aimed at improving both survival and quality of life.

ESTRO 2026 presentation number: 5580 Internal Mammary and Medial Supraclavicular irradiation in stage I-III breast cancer: 20 years results of the randomised EORTC trial 22922/10925, including in pN0 patients (Presenter: Philip Poortmans & Orit Kaidar-Person)

Funding: This study was supported by donations from the La Ligue nationale contre le cancer from France; the KWF Kanker Bestrijding from the Netherlands; and from the Kom op tegen Kanker (Stand up to Cancer), the Flemish Cancer Society from Belgium.

The fellowship of Lydia Champezou was financially supported by the EORTC Cancer Research Fund (ECRF).

(Press release, EORTC, MAY 17, 2026, View Source [SID1234665809])

On May 17, 2026 Novartis reported new data from PSMAddition demonstrating improved prostate-specific antigen (PSA) responses with Pluvicto (lutetium (177Lu) vipivotide tetraxetan) combined with standard of care (SoC) in PSMA-positive metastatic hormone sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). Data were presented as a rapid oral presentation at the American Urological Association Annual Meeting 2026.

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Results show that patients treated with Pluvicto experienced a higher frequency and depth of PSA response when combined with SoC (androgen receptor pathway inhibitor [ARPI] + androgen deprivation therapy [ADT]) compared to SoC alone. Risk of PSA progression was 58% lower (HR 0.42; 95% CI: 0.30-0.59) in patients treated with Pluvicto plus SoC compared to SoC alone.

"Our goal in hormone-sensitive prostate cancer is to attack and delay the cancer before it develops resistance," said Fred Saad, Professor and Chairman, Department of Surgery, University of Montreal. "The deep and durable PSA response observed by combining 177Lu-PSMA-617 with today’s standard of care, together with earlier reported rPFS data, suggest that treatment intensification with radioligand therapy may help patients delay disease progression."

Nearly all patients (>98%) in both arms had substantial declines in PSA levels. However, more patients treated with Pluvicto plus SoC achieved a deep PSA reduction than those treated with SoC alone, as measured by PSA nadir of <0.2 ng/mL.

Time from randomization Patients with PSA <0.2 ng/mL

Pluvicto + ARPI + ADT ARPI + ADT
Week 12 47.6% (235/494) 37.7% (169/448)
Week 24 73.7% (334/453) 59.7% (250/419)
Week 48 87.4% (320/366) 74.9% (295/394)
These results were observed at the second interim analysis for PSMAddition. The safety profile and tolerability of Pluvicto were consistent with its established profile in PSMAfore and VISION. Grade ≥3 adverse events (AEs) were reported in 50.7% of patients in the Pluvicto plus SoC arm, compared to 43% on SoC alone. The most common all-grade AEs were dry mouth, fatigue, nausea, hot flush and anemia.

"These data show that combining Pluvicto with today’s standard of care resulted in deeper PSA responses than ADT plus ARPI alone," said Mark Rutstein, M.D., Global Head, Oncology Development, Novartis. "As the field moves toward more precision-based approaches and earlier treatment intensification in mHSPC, we are encouraged by the potential for Pluvicto to redefine the standard of care across metastatic prostate cancer."

Novartis has filed regulatory submissions in the United States, China and Japan, with first decisions expected in H2 2026.

PSA progression signals disease resistance
PSA progression can be an early indicator of emerging disease resistance, and approximately one-third of patients do not achieve undetectable PSA levels with SOC alone3. Progression to mCRPC, which typically happens within 20 months of diagnosis, is associated with significantly worse outcomes and a life expectancy less than two years4-7. Approximately 186,000 men are diagnosed with mHSPC each year across the US, China, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom1.

About Pluvicto (lutetium (177Lu) vipivotide tetraxetan)
Pluvicto is an intravenous RLT that combines a targeting compound (a ligand) with a therapeutic radionuclide (a radioactive particle, in this case lutetium-177). After administration into the bloodstream, Pluvicto binds to PSMA-expressing target cells, including prostate cancer cells that express PSMA, a transmembrane protein. Once bound, energy emissions from the radioisotope damage the target cells and nearby cells, disrupting their ability to replicate and/or triggering cell death.

Pluvicto is the only PSMA-targeted agent approved for PSMA+ mCRPC and is the first RLT to demonstrate a clinical benefit for patients with PSMA+ mHSPC in a Phase III trial. Novartis is investigating Pluvicto in oligometastatic prostate cancer, an earlier stage of disease, in the PSMA-DC trial (NCT05939414).

Educational Resources for RLT
To support the integration and safe administration of Novartis RLT products across urology and oncology, Novartis created the RLT Institute. The Institute provides educational resources on theranostics, safety and licensing, facilities and equipment, and clinical workflows to support urologists, oncologists and multidisciplinary teams as they prepare for and integrate RLT into patient care.

(Press release, Novartis, MAY 17, 2026, View Source [SID1234665811])