Galapagos Changes Name to Lakefront Biotherapeutics

On May 8, 2026 Galapagos reported the company officially changed its name to Lakefront Biotherapeutics NV.

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Founded in 1999 as a joint venture between Crucell and Tibotec under the leadership of founder and former CEO Onno van de Stolpe, Galapagos grew from a small Belgian-Dutch biotech startup into an internationally recognized life sciences company listed on both Euronext and Nasdaq. Over the years, the company became known for its strong research platform, landmark collaboration with Gilead Sciences, and the launch of rheumatoid arthritis drug Jyseleca.

In recent years, however, the company has undergone a profound strategic transformation. Under its second CEO Paul Stoffels, who joined in 2022, Galapagos expanded into oncology and next-generation cell therapy through the acquisitions of CellPoint and AboundBio. The company later divested its Jyseleca business to focus on innovative therapeutics in immunology and oncology.

Following a broad strategic review and evolving market conditions, the company gradually shifted away from its cell therapy ambitions and toward a new model centered on transformational business development and targeted investments in novel therapeutics.

The new name, Lakefront Biotherapeutics, reflects that repositioning. According to the company, the rebranding signals "a forward-looking identity grounded in clarity, discipline, and ambition," while emphasizing its focus on building a portfolio of breakthrough opportunities for patients and creating long-term stakeholder value.

The transition closes an important era in European biotech history, while opening a new phase for one of BeNelux’ best-known life sciences companies.

(Press release, Galapagos, MAY 8, 2026, View Source [SID1234670288])

China Innovative Drug NHWD-870 Receives Breakthrough Therapy Designation, Bringing New Hope of Survival to NUT Carcinoma Patients

On May 8, 2026 Zhejiang Wenda Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd., reported that its novel oral BET inhibitor NHWD-870 HCI officially received Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for the proposed indication of advanced thoracic midline (NUT) carcinoma in patients who have failed prior chemotherapy. This milestone progress brings new targeted therapy hope to NUT carcinoma patients, a disease with extremely high malignancy and a very poor prognosis.

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NUT carcinoma is a rare, poorly differentiated carcinoma characterized by NUTM1 gene rearrangement. The disease progresses rapidly, with a median survival of only approximately 6.5 months. It commonly occurs in the lungs, head, and neck regions, and the median age of onset is only 23.6 years. Due to the lack of specificity in clinical manifestations and insufficient awareness among the public, the rates of misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis are extremely high, and most patients are already at an advanced stage at the time of diagnosis. Currently, no effective targeted drug for NUT carcinoma has been approved globally, and the treatment landscape is extremely dire.

The granting of Breakthrough Therapy Designation to NHWD-870 HCI is primarily based on the significant efficacy and survival benefits demonstrated in its Phase II clinical study. As of December 27, 2025, a total of 40 evaluable subjects with advanced NUT carcinoma were enrolled in the study. The data showed that the drug exhibited positive anti-tumor activity across different lesion sites: the objective response rate (ORR) in 20 patients with advanced thoracic NUT carcinoma reached as high as 45.00%; the median overall survival (mOS) for advanced thoracic NUT carcinoma patients and for all subjects both reached 9.33 months, representing a significant extension compared with standard chemotherapy regimens. Currently, some patients are still receiving ongoing treatment and close follow-up. In addition, preliminary safety data showed that the drug was generally well tolerated and held high potential for clinical application.

This Breakthrough Therapy Designation is of great significance for NUT carcinoma patients and represents a leapfrog advance in the field. For patients, it means that the regulatory review process for NHWD-870 HCI will be accelerated and the drug will reach the market sooner, enabling patients with advanced NUT carcinoma to receive targeted therapy earlier and escape the dilemma of having no effective drug, thereby significantly prolonging survival and improving quality of life. On the clinical level, the development and designation of this drug fill the gap in targeted treatment for NUT carcinoma and provide clinicians with a completely new treatment option. This not only drives the transformation of NUT carcinoma treatment from "symptomatic treatment" to "precision targeted therapy" but also provides valuable clinical experience for the future development of similar drugs.

Mr. Nenghui Wang, Founder of Wenda Pharma, stated: "We are delighted that our product has received Breakthrough Therapy Designation. This progress highlights China’s growing capabilities in innovative drug development for rare cancers. NHWD-870 not only brings hope to NUT carcinoma patients but also offers new avenues for exploring treatments for other rare malignancies."

Professor YIN Mingzhu, Director of the Midline (NUT) Carcinoma Specialty at the Affiliated Three Gorges Hospital of Chongqing University, noted, "NUT carcinoma once plunged countless patients and doctors into despair. The Breakthrough Therapy Designation for NHWD-870 is an important achievement integrating medical research and clinical practice. In the future, with the accelerated market entry of this drug, the treatment landscape of NUT carcinoma is expected to be completely transformed, injecting new momentum into the cause of rare disease diagnosis and treatment in our country."

(Press release, Wenda Pharma, MAY 8, 2026, View Source [SID1234665392])

Inhibrx To Host Webcast Presentation to Provide Clinical Update on INBRX-106 HexAgon Study in First Line HNSCC

On May 8, 2026 Inhibrx Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: INBX) ("Inhibrx" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapeutics for oncology and rare diseases, reported that it will host a live webcast presentation on Monday, May 11, 2026 at 5:30 a.m. Pacific Time to provide interim results from the randomized, first-line Phase 2 portion of the HexAgon study, which is evaluating the safety and efficacy of INBRX-106, a hexavalent OX40 agonist, in combination with pembrolizumab (the combination arm) versus pembrolizumab monotherapy (the control arm) in first-line patients with treatment-naïve, PD-L1 positive (CPS ≥ 20) metastatic or unresectable recurrent Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC).

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Investors may join via the web: View Source or may listen to the call by dialing (1-888-880-3330). Please refer to Inhibrx or the conference ID 1841482 when calling in. Following the webcast, the presentation may be accessed through a link on the "Events and Presentations" section of Inhibrx’s website. The webcast will be available for 60 days following the event. Following the presentation, Inhibrx will also update its corporate presentation within the "Investors" section of its website at www.inhibrx.com.

About INBRX-106

INBRX-106 is a hexavalent agonist targeting OX40 (CD134), a costimulatory receptor on T-cells. Utilizing Inhibrx’s proprietary single-domain antibody (sdAb) platform, INBRX-106 is designed to achieve the high-order receptor clustering necessary for robust T-cell activation and survival, a feat that has eluded traditional bivalent antibody approaches.

(Press release, Inhibrx, MAY 8, 2026, View Source [SID1234665393])

Day One and Servier Complete Enrollment in Pivotal Phase 3 FIREFLY-2 Trial of Tovorafenib as a Front-Line Treatment for Pediatric Low-Grade Glioma (pLGG)

On May 8, 2026 Day One Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., now part of Servier Group, reported that it has completed enrollment in the FIREFLY-2 clinical trial, which is evaluating the efficacy, safety and tolerability of tovorafenib vs standard of care chemotherapy in the front-line setting of therapy for patients aged 6 months to 25 years with low-grade glioma. The trial is being conducted in collaboration with the European Society for Paediatric Oncology (SIOPe) Brain Tumor Group LOGGIC Consortium (LOGGIC). Tovorafenib, known as OJEMDATM, is currently indicated for treatment of patients 6 months of age and older with relapsed or refractory pediatric low-grade glioma (LGG) harboring a BRAF fusion or rearrangement, or BRAF V600 mutation.

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"Reaching full enrollment in this trial is a critical step toward our goal of establishing OJEMDA as standard of care across all lines of therapy for individuals with BRAF-altered pLGG. By moving earlier in the treatment journey, we aim to intervene when we can have the greatest impact on the burden of this challenging cancer," said Elly Barry, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Day One, now part of Servier Group. "Success in this study would not only further validate the efficacy and safety profile of OJEMDA, but also fundamentally evolve the pLGG treatment paradigm, and potentially establish a new standard of care for patients newly diagnosed with pLGG, the most common brain tumor afflicting children."

FIREFLY-2 is a Phase 3, global, randomized, multicenter, open-label study to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of monotherapy tovorafenib, an oral, Type II RAF inhibitor, in patients ages 6 months to 25 years with RAF-altered pLGG requiring first-line systemic therapy. It is being conducted at approximately 140 sites across the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, South America, Middle East and Asia, and in just over three years has enrolled approximately 400 participants who are receiving either tovorafenib once weekly or one of four standard of care (SoC) chemotherapy regimens.

"Completing enrollment in FIREFLY-2 is a powerful early signal of momentum. It reflects what’s possible when we bring together deep scientific expertise, a patient-first culture, and the scale to execute globally," said David K. Lee, CEO of Servier Pharmaceuticals. "So soon after Servier’s acquisition of Day One, this milestone reinforces our conviction that joining forces was the right decision for patients and for our oncology strategy. As we aim to accelerate the development of targeted medicines and advance them with the rigor, speed and reach needed to make a meaningful difference, we hope this study helps unlock the potential to improve outcomes for children living with pediatric low-grade glioma."

The primary endpoint of the trial is overall response rate (ORR), including duration of response (DOR), based upon Response Assessment in Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Low-Grade Glioma (RAPNO-LGG) criteria, with key secondary endpoints including progression-free survival (PFS) and event-free survival (EFS) per RAPNO-LGG, time to next treatment (TTNT), overall survival (OS) and other measures, including patient-reported outcomes. The primary analysis is expected to occur approximately 12 months after the last patient is enrolled; preliminary insights are expected to be available in 2027. More information on the trial can be found at The FIREFLY-2 Trial – Day One Clinical Trials or View Source

About tovorafenib
Tovorafenib (known as OJEMDATM in the U.S.) is a Type II RAF kinase inhibitor of mutant BRAF V600, wild-type BRAF, and wild-type CRAF kinases. Tovorafenib is indicated for the treatment of patients 6 months of age and older with relapsed or refractory pediatric low-grade glioma (LGG) harboring a BRAF fusion or rearrangement, or BRAF V600 mutation. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based, in part, on response rate and duration of response according to multiple response assessment criteria: Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology High-Grade Glioma (RANO-HGG) criteria, Response Assessment in Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Low-Grade Glioma (RAPNO LGG) criteria, and Response Assessment for Neuro-Oncology Low-Grade Glioma (RANO LGG) criteria. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in a confirmatory trial(s).

Tovorafenib was granted Breakthrough Therapy and Rare Pediatric Disease designations by the FDA for the treatment of patients with pLGG harboring an activating RAF alteration, and it was evaluated by the FDA under priority review. Tovorafenib has also received Orphan Drug designation from the FDA for the treatment of malignant glioma and from the European Commission for the treatment of glioma.

Please see full prescribing information including important safety information about OJEMDA at www.OJEMDA.com.

About Pediatric Low-Grade Glioma
Pediatric low-grade gliomas (pLGG) are the most common brain tumor with an estimated US incidence of 1,100 and Europe incidence of 700 children per year who are eligible for front-line systemic therapy.i, ii BRAF is the gene most commonly altered in pLGG, which includes two primary types of BRAF alterations – a BRAF gene fusion and BRAF point mutation. These BRAF alterations account for >50% of pLGG cases worldwide and prior to the introduction of OJEMDA, there were no approved treatments for people with pLGG driven by BRAF fusions.i, iii

Pediatric low-grade gliomas can be chronic and relentless, with patients suffering profound side effects from both the tumor and the treatment, which may include chemotherapy and radiation. These side effects can impact their life over the long term, and may include motor deficiencies, vision loss, hormone deficiency and alterations in growth and development. Most children with pLGG will survive their cancer, but for the majority of those in whom a complete surgical resection is not possible, these tumors tend to recur frequently throughout childhood, necessitating multiple treatments. The cumulative toxicity of numerous therapies, along with the damage caused by multiple episodes of tumor progression, take a significant toll on the children and their families.

(Press release, Day One, MAY 8, 2026, View Source [SID1234665394])

Aclaris Therapeutics to Participate in the 2026 Bank of America Healthcare Conference

On May 8, 2026 Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACRS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel product candidates for immuno-inflammatory diseases, reported that on Thursday May 14, 2026, at 9:35 AM PT, Aclaris’ President and Chief Operating Officer Dr. Hugh Davis will provide a corporate presentation during the 2026 Bank of America Healthcare Conference in Las Vegas, NV.

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A live and archived webcast of this event will be accessible on the Events page of the Aclaris website, www.aclaristx.com. The webcast will be available on the Aclaris website for at least 30 days.

(Press release, Aclaris Therapeutics, MAY 8, 2026, View Source [SID1234665379])