On January 8, 2026 ADC Therapeutics SA (NYSE: ADCT), a commercial-stage global leader and pioneer in the field of antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), reported corporate updates and highlights from its ZYNLONTA clinical program.

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"During 2025, we delivered meaningful progress across our ZYNLONTA clinical program and extended our expected cash runway at least to 2028," said Ameet Mallik, Chief Executive Officer of ADC Therapeutics. "This year, we look forward to multiple clinical catalysts including full results from our LOTIS-5 and LOTIS-7 2L+ DLBCL trials, as well as potentially from the ongoing Phase 2 indolent lymphoma IITs. Assuming positive results, we anticipate potential compendia inclusion for each in the first half of 2027 with LOTIS-5 regulatory approvals to follow. Taken together, we anticipate we will see an acceleration in net product revenue growth beginning in 2027."

Recent Highlights and Developments

Preliminary unaudited 2025 selected financial results. ZYNLONTA net product revenue is expected to be approximately $73 million for full year 2025 compared with $69.3 million for full year 2024. Fourth quarter 2025 ZYNLONTA net product revenue is expected to be approximately $22 million, as compared to $16.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, primarily reflecting variability in customer ordering. Underlying demand for ZYNLONTA in the current 3L/3L+ DLBCL indication remained broadly stable year-over-year. The Company ended 2025 with cash and cash equivalents of approximately $261 million which, based on current plans, is expected to provide a cash runway at least to 2028.

Reported updated data from LOTIS-7 in December 2025. Updated data from the LOTIS-7 Phase 1b clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of ZYNLONTA in combination with the bispecific antibody glofitamab (COLUMVI) in patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (r/r DLBCL) demonstrated an 89.8% best overall response rate (ORR) and a 77.6% complete response rate across 49 efficacy evaluable patients with a minimum of 6 months follow-up. Enrollment in the LOTIS-7 trial is ongoing, with complete enrollment of approximately 100 patients at the selected 150 µg/kg dose expected during the first half of 2026. The Company plans to share full data at a medical meeting and through publication by the end of 2026. In addition, the Company plans to assess regulatory and compendia strategies in the first half of 2027.

LOTIS-5 topline results anticipated in 2Q 2026. The Company expects to provide topline data in 2Q 2026 from the LOTIS-5 Phase 3 confirmatory trial of ZYNLONTA in combination with rituximab in patients with 2L+ DLBCL once the pre-specified number of approximately 262 progression-free survival (PFS) events is reached and data are available. Publication of the full results is anticipated by the end of 2026. Assuming positive results, a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) submission to the U.S. FDA will follow, with potential compendia inclusion in the first half of 2027 and confirmatory approval in 2L+ DLBCL in mid-2027.

Investigator-initiated trials (IITs) of ZYNLONTA in indolent lymphomas ongoing. Initial data from the Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating ZYNLONTA in combination with rituximab to treat relapsed or refractory (r/r) follicular lymphoma (FL) and the Phase 2, single-arm, open-label, multicenter trial of ZYNLONTA to treat r/r marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) led by the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at University of Miami have shown promising efficacy and manageable safety results. The Company anticipates publication of both data sets as early as the end of 2026. Assuming positive data, the Company plans to assess regulatory and compendia strategies.

IND-enabling activities completed for PSMA-targeting ADC. IND-enabling activities for the Company’s exatecan-based, prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeting ADC were completed at the end of 2025. The Company continues to explore partnership opportunities.

(Press release, ADC Therapeutics, JAN 8, 2026, View Source [SID1234661842])

On January 8, 2026 Rakovina Therapeutics Inc. (TSX-V: RKV) (FSE: 7JO0) ("Rakovina"), a biopharmaceutical company advancing innovative cancer therapies through AI-powered drug discovery and Variational AI, a leader in generative artificial intelligence for small-molecule design, reported the expansion of their collaboration focused on the continued optimization of Rakovina’s kt-5000 series of ATR inhibitors.

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Building on their existing collaboration, the companies have signed a new agreement to focus on lead optimization of drug candidates identified by Variational AI’s Enki generative AI platform and selected by Rakovina for further evaluation in the kt-5000 ATR inhibitor program. Under the expanded scope of work, Variational AI will apply its generative AI platform to iteratively optimize the initial leads with the goal of identifying a clinical candidate in months versus the industry standard of years.

Variational AI will generate and prioritize multiple optimized compound designs, while Rakovina will retain full control over which candidates to advance into laboratory testing and further development. The expanded collaboration is intended to accelerate the identification of high-quality development candidates while reducing the time and cost typically required in early-stage drug discovery.

Rakovina’s kt-5000 program comprises a series of small-molecule inhibitors targeting ATR (ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related), a central regulator of the DNA damage response that enables cancer cells to survive replication stress and DNA damage. ATR inhibition has emerged among big pharma companies as a promising therapeutic strategy in solid tumors, including cancers with DNA repair deficiencies such as ovarian, breast, and prostate cancer.

Rakovina recently reported results from the kt-5000 series, including compounds with dual ATR/mTOR activity and designed to achieve central nervous system (CNS) penetration at the Society for NeuroOncology annual meeting. These preclinical findings highlight efforts to address known limitations of existing ATR inhibitors and support continued optimization of the compounds.

"ATR is a proven oncology target, but real differentiation comes from optimizing the drug itself," said Jeffrey Bacha, executive chairman of Rakovina Therapeutics. "This expanded collaboration with Variational AI enables a highly focused, AI-driven refinement of kt-5000 compounds identified for further evaluation, with particular attention to potency, selectivity, and CNS penetration. The result is a more efficient path to identifying high-quality candidates while maintaining strategic flexibility for development and partnering."

"Our Enki generative AI platform efficiently explores novel chemical space and has already generated promising leads for Rakovina," said Handol Kim, Co-Founder and CEO of Variational AI. "With this expanded collaboration, we are now applying Enki to exploit these novel leads through local chemical search to efficiently perform lead optimization and enable Rakovina to get to human trials faster."

(Press release, Rakovina Therapeutics, JAN 8, 2026, View Source [SID1234661858])

On January 8, 2026 Noetik, an AI-native biotech company pioneering self-supervised machine learning and high-throughput spatial data to develop next-generation cancer therapeutics, reported a five-year strategic collaboration and AI model licensing agreement with GSK.

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The partnership provides GSK’s AI and Therapeutics teams with a direct, non-exclusive license to access Noetik’s OCTO-VC virtual cell foundation models in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and colorectal cancer (CRC). The collaboration combines GSK’s leadership in AI and tumor immunology with Noetik’s industry-first virtual cell simulation technology to accelerate the development of novel medicines. Additionally, the companies will collaborate to generate bespoke human spatial datasets, applying human-first biological simulation to areas of strategic interest.

Noetik’s platform is powered by the largest spatial biology dataset in oncology, specifically engineered to train self supervised AI. Comprising hundreds of millions of spatially resolved human cells, this data powers Noetik’s virtual cell foundation models capable of simulating gene expression, cell states, and tumor-immune interactions. "Simulation of patient biology with world models like OCTO-VC will drive the next wave of discovery and therapeutic development. These models let us go beyond the limited data available from any one patient to ask ‘What if?’ questions about patient genes, proteins, cells, and tissue," said Daniel Bear, Ph.D, Vice President of AI at Noetik.

"We built Noetik to move the industry from probabilistic ‘shots on goal’ to deterministic engineering of cancer drugs," said Ron Alfa, M.D., Ph.D., CEO & Co-Founder of Noetik. "This agreement validates a new paradigm in biotech: the licensing of human foundation models. GSK is now equipped with one of the most extensive oncology multimodal spatial training sets in existence, allowing them to query tumor biology with a level of resolution that was previously impossible. We are proud to partner with their team to find better medicines, faster."

Kim Branson, SVP Global Head of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning at GSK added: "Foundation models are only as good as the underlying training data they are built upon. Noetik’s approach to generating high-quality spatial data at scale to train foundation models is novel. Integration of these models in GSK’s drug discovery and development process has the potential to deepen our understanding of biology and support our development of novel medicines."

Under the terms of the agreement, GSK receives a non-exclusive license to Noetik’s OCTO-VC foundation models in NSCLC and CRC. This collaboration includes $50 million in upfront capital and near-term milestones. Additionally, the deal establishes a subscription-based framework, with GSK paying annual licensing fees to access the models, validating Noetik’s platform as a scalable, revenue-generating engine.

"This deal defines a new asset class in biotech," said Shafique Virani, M.D., Chief Business Officer of Noetik. "We are moving the industry from AI services collaborations to licensing AI infrastructure. To our knowledge, this is among the first and largest transactions monetizing a biological foundation model as a scalable enterprise asset."

This partnership reflects a growing industry shift toward AI-guided discovery and development frameworks that integrate real human biology, enabling improved translation and more confident therapeutic development.

(Press release, GlaxoSmithKline, JAN 8, 2026, View Source [SID1234661874])

On January 8, 2026 Akari Therapeutics, Plc (Nasdaq: AKTX), an oncology biotechnology company developing antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) with novel payloads, reported that Abizer Gaslightwala, President and Chief Executive Officer of Akari Therapeutics will present at the 2026 Biotech Showcase being held from January 12-14, 2026 in San Francisco, CA.

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Presentation details are as follows:

Date/Time: Tuesday, January 13, 2026 at 9:30 AM PST

Location: Yosemite A (Ballroom Level)

In addition to the presentation, management will be available to participate in in-person one-on-one meetings with qualified members of the investor community who are registered to attend the conference. For more information about the conference, please visit the conference website.

(Press release, Akari Therapeutics, JAN 8, 2026, View Source [SID1234661843])

On January 8, 2026 Plus Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: PSTV) ("Plus" or the "Company"), a healthcare company developing and commercializing precision diagnostics and radiopharmaceuticals for central nervous system (CNS) cancers, reported the completion of a Type B meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on next steps on REYOBIQ pivotal trial strategy for leptomeningeal metastases (LM). The meeting resulted in constructive discussion with the FDA regarding key elements of the potential pivotal study design for REYOBIQ in LM. Plus intends to incorporate the FDA’s feedback in the current dose optimization trial and seek alignment with the FDA on a revised protocol, likely later this year. The company’s goal is to be ready for a potential pivotal trial following completion of the current dose optimization trial and, ultimately, work towards the potential approval of REYOBIQ for patients affected by LM.

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Highlights of FDA responses to the Company’s key enquiries:

Accelerated approval – FDA indicated that accelerated approval may be appropriate for the LM indication, but there are insufficient data to support the use of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) as an intermediate clinical endpoint. FDA and Plus discussed that additional steps would be necessary to validate CTCs as a surrogate endpoint to potentially support other future applications.
Primary and key endpoints – FDA recommended that the study evaluate an endpoint with established clinical benefit, such as overall survival, while encouraging further study of patient reported outcomes and neurologic function as endpoints that could potentially support a marketing application. FDA and Plus aligned that CTCs could be considered for use as a secondary endpoint.
Trial design and comparator group – FDA and Plus discussed a randomized controlled trial design approach and that the study may include an intrathecal chemotherapeutic as a comparator, as well as approaches to standardize the comparator and any additional interventions available under the trial protocol.
Treated populations – FDA conveyed it may be reasonable to incorporate multiple histologies (i.e., multiple underlying disease etiologies) in a single trial.
"Our recent FDA end of phase meeting was constructive, and we hope will help us speed up our clinical development timelines and facilitate faster submission of an application for the approval of REYOBIQ for patients with LM," said Dr. Marc H. Hedrick, President & Chief Executive of Plus Therapeutics. "As there are no approved drugs for LM, this discussion with the FDA early in clinical development will allow us to make relevant amendments to our current trial protocol and to begin meaningful planning for an anticipated pivotal trial. Furthermore, based in part on this meeting, we will plan to accelerate REYOBIQ commercial manufacturing and scale-up activities to meet an expedited timeline."

About LM
Leptomeningeal metastases (LM) are a rare but severe complication of advanced cancer, affecting the fluid-lined structures of the central nervous system. LM occurs in approximately 5% of patients with metastatic cancer, with breast cancer, lung cancer, and melanoma being the most common sources. Median survival is typically 2-6 months, and effective treatment options are limited, highlighting the urgent need for novel therapies.

About REYOBIQ (rhenium Re186 obisbemeda)
REYOBIQ (rhenium Re186 obisbemeda) is a novel injectable radiotherapy specifically formulated to deliver direct targeted high dose radiation in CNS tumors in a safe, effective, and convenient manner to optimize patient outcomes. REYOBIQ has the potential to reduce off target risks and improve outcomes for CNS cancer patients, versus currently approved therapies, with a more targeted and potent radiation dose. Rhenium-186 is an ideal radioisotope for CNS therapeutic applications due to its short half-life, beta energy for destroying cancerous tissue, and gamma energy for real-time imaging. REYOBIQ is being evaluated for the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma, leptomeningeal metastases, and pediatric brain cancer in the ReSPECT-GBM, ReSPECT-LM, and ReSPECT-PBC clinical trials. ReSPECT-GBM is supported by an award from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), and ReSPECT-LM is funded by a three-year $17.6M grant by the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). The Company’s ReSPECT-PBC clinical trial for pediatric brain cancer is supported by a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program.

(Press release, Plus Therapeutics, JAN 8, 2026, View Source [SID1234661859])