On April 15, 2026 Cepheid, a Danaher company and a leader in molecular diagnostics for infectious diseases, and Oxford Nanopore Technologies, the company delivering a new generation of nanopore-based molecular sensing technology for real-time genomic analysis, reported an expansion of their partnership to develop a workflow for rapid bacterial and fungal pathogen identification. Following a successful phase one collaboration announced at the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Global 2025, the companies are advancing to the next phase of development, building on a promising beta solution already in use by researchers.

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Phase Two Collaboration

In this next phase, the updated workflow will enable pathogen identification, antimicrobial resistance profiling, and genomic antibiotic susceptibility testing predictions for bloodstream infection and sepsis research. These analyses will be performed using both culture isolates and positive blood cultures. This phase will include additional user-friendly product design elements and expanded access through a co-commercialized research use only (RUO) launch.

"Phase two reflects our shared commitment to making advanced infectious disease research more practical and widely achievable," said Vitor Rocha, President of Cepheid. "By leveraging the scale and simplicity of Cepheid’s GeneXpert platform together with Oxford Nanopore’s sequencing technology, we are increasing access to critical infectious disease information."

"We are very encouraged by the success and early feedback from the first phase solution and are excited to broaden the workflow’s transformative possibilities to additional research labs," said Francis Van Parys, CEO of Oxford Nanopore Technologies. "We have ambitions of a future where Oxford Nanopore sequencing can enable insights when and where they are needed for complex infections."

Experience from Phase One Research Use

The initial workflow, designed to profile bacterial and fungal pathogens from culture isolates for sepsis and bloodstream infection research, has shown promise. Multiple infectious disease researchers already have early beta access, and by Q3-2026, the workflow will be available through an early access program to several leading physician-scientists.

"Rapid genomic testing for infectious diseases has the potential to improve patient care by enabling prompt, accurate prediction of antibiotic resistance, while also strengthening public health surveillance of emerging strains," said Dr. Rahul Batra, Deputy Director of the Centre for Clinical Infection & Diagnostics Research (CIDR) at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. "We’re excited to collaborate with Cepheid and Oxford Nanopore to explore faster and more streamlined approaches that could make genomic insight available where it is needed most."

Cepheid and Oxford Nanopore share a long-term ambition to deliver an end-to-end in vitro diagnostic (IVD) solution for complex infectious diseases, with the goal of enabling more accurate and timely clinical decisions. They will be present at ESCMID Global this week, showcasing research-stage progress and engaging with the scientific community. Visit them at booths C50 (Cepheid, as part of the Danaher Group) and C70 (Oxford Nanopore Technologies).

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

(Press release, Cepheid, APR 15, 2026, View Source [SID1234664402])

On April 15, 2026 Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) reported it will present new technologies, scientific collaborations, and integrated workflows supporting cancer research and diagnostics at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting on April 17–22, 2026, in San Diego, California. At the meeting, Agilent will highlight advances designed to connect discovery research, translational science, and companion diagnostics development, reflecting the growing demand for more integrated approaches across the cancer research continuum.

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Among the technologies featured is the BioTek Cytation 9 cell imaging multimode reader, the newest addition to the Cytation series of cell imaging and multimode microplate readers. Cytation 9 is designed to support advanced live‑cell and endpoint assays by combining automated microscopy with conventional microplate reading in a single system, supporting a range of cell‑based research applications.

In addition, Agilent will provide an early preview of the upcoming AI‑enabled software enhancement for the xCELLigence RTCA eSight, designed to bring the same straightforward, objective data analysis long valued in impedance measurements to label‑free live‑cell imaging, while supporting more consistent, reproducible results.

AACR attendees are invited to join Agilent at the Exhibitor Spotlight Theater for a session titled "Direct Targeted Methylation Sequencing (dTMS) with SureSelect: Targeted Long‑Read Sequencing for Native Variant and Methylation Profiling in Oncology." The session will be presented by Andrew Jenkins, biotechnology research associate at Wasatch Biolabs, and will examine the use of targeted long‑read sequencing approaches in oncology research.

Agilent will also highlight its collaboration with Oxford Nanopore Technologies, demonstrating the compatibility of Agilent SureSelect target enrichment chemistry with ONT’s long-read sequencing platforms. By integrating SureSelect libraries into ONT sequencing workflows, researchers can pair hybrid-capture target enrichment with real-time, long-read sequencing to support applications such as target genomics, structural variant analysis, and methylation profiling.

Immediately preceding AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2026, Agilent’s xCELLigence User Group Meeting will bring together the real-time cell analysis community to share best practices, applications, and real-world insights from functional cell-based research.

Agilent is continuing its collaboration with the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Foundation following a virtual 5K fundraiser held in October 2025 that raised $15,000 and funded 14 Scholars-in-Training awards. Agilent representatives will meet scholars supported through this initiative at the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Scholar‑in‑Training Award Reception and will promote the 5k fundraiser at the Agilent booth as part of its ongoing commitment to supporting early-career cancer researchers.

"At Agilent, our mission is to support advances in cancer research by providing integrated technologies and collaborative solutions," said Rita Shaknovich, chief medical officer at Agilent Technologies. "By delivering trusted answers, we aim to help researchers and clinicians make more informed decisions across the cancer research and care continuum."

Agilent will exhibit at booth No. 4527 and host additional scientific and networking events throughout the meeting.

(Press release, Agilent, APR 15, 2026, View Source [SID1234664418])

On April 15, 2026 PDS Biotechnology Corporation (Nasdaq: PDSB) ("PDS Biotech" or the "Company"), a late-stage immunotherapy company focused on transforming how the immune system targets and kills cancers, reported the publication of clinical and immunological biomarker data from Stage 1 of a Phase 2 trial evaluating its tumor-targeted IL-12 immunocytokine, PDS01ADC, in the March 10, 2026 issue of Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO) Oncology Advances.

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The clinical trial, led by Dr. Jonathan Hernandez, MD, Investigator in the Surgical Oncology Program at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), combined subcutaneous injection of PDS01ADC with floxuridine (FUDR), delivered via hepatic artery infusion pump (HAIP), in patients with MSS or pMMR metastatic colorectal cancer with liver metastases who had failed at least one round of prior treatment (NCT05286814). Immune checkpoint inhibitors have been ineffective to date in about 95% of mCRC patients with MSS or pMMR disease1. Patients interested in enrolling in this study may contact NCI’s toll-free number 1-800-4-Cancer (1-800-422-6237) (TTY: 1-800-332-8615) and/or visit the web site: View Source and/or email NCIMO [email protected].

The open-label, single-center, non-randomized Phase 2 trial utilizes a Simon two-stage design and includes three disease cohorts: metastatic colorectal cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, and adrenocortical cancer. The publication reports data from the metastatic colorectal cancer cohort of the trial.

Key findings from Stage 1 (N=9) of the 22-patient study*

In colorectal cancer patients with liver metastases previously treated with at least one line of chemotherapy, who had failed prior treatment, the addition of PDS01ADC to HAIP therapy appears to enhance the immune response and clinical responses.:

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Objective response rate by RECIST v1.1: 77.8% (7/9) at six months; in the parallel trial without PDS01ADC, the ORR was 35% (7/20)

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24-month survival rate: Approximately 85%; in the parallel study without PDS01ADC, the 2-year survival rate was approximately 40%

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Extrahepatic progression-free survival (PFS): median not reached at minimum follow-up of 13.1 months; in the parallel trial without PDS01ADC, the PFS was 8.1 months

*No head-to-head trials have been performed.

"HAIP was approved by the FDA in 2024 and is gaining prominence at leading oncology centers. Despite many meaningful advances in oncology, metastatic colorectal cancer remains an area of significant unmet need. These early results showing strong tumor response rates and promising patient survival are encouraging and support our approach of subcutaneously administering PDS01ADC to activate the immune system against the cancer," said Frank Bedu-Addo, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of PDS Biotech. "We believe these findings represent a meaningful step toward more precise immune-based treatments without the significant side effects that have historically limited traditional recombinant cytokine therapies."

The data were published in an article titled Tumor-Targeted IL-12 (PDS01ADC) With Hepatic Artery Infusion Pump Therapy for Colorectal Liver Metastases: Interim Analysis of a Nonrandomized Phase II Trial in the March 10, 2026 issue of JCO Oncology Advances (JCO Oncol Adv 3, e2500173(2026).

About PDS01ADC
PDS01ADC is a tumor-targeted immunocytokine designed to deliver Interleukin-12 (IL-12), a potent immune-activating agent, directly to the tumor while minimizing exposure to the rest of the body. The therapy uses the NHS76 antibody, which binds to DNA exposed in areas of tumor cell death, concentrating the drug where it is needed most. This targeted approach prevents the presence of free IL-12 in the body, and is designed to improve tolerability while enhancing anti-tumor potency. In clinical studies, PDS01ADC has been shown to:

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Promote the development of stem-like T cells, including memory T cells with self-renewing properties, which may support durable anti-tumor responses2

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Activate a subtype of natural killer cells associated with potent tumor-killing capability3

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Inhibit immune-suppressive cells, such as regulatory T cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells, that can otherwise protect tumors from immune attack4

About Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. More than 150,000 new cases are diagnosed in the U.S. each year. Approximately 20% of patients have metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis, and an additional 25% of those with initially localized disease will eventually progress to metastatic cancer (Biller LH, 2021;325;(7):669-685). Globally, colorectal cancer causes nearly 2 million deaths annually, according to the World Health Organization.

(Press release, PDS Biotechnology, APR 15, 2026, View Source [SID1234664403])

On April 15, 2026 Zephyr AI, Inc. ("Zephyr AI"), a leader in precision medicine harnessing artificial intelligence to accelerate drug development, reported its schedule of research presentations at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) annual meeting in San Diego, California, April 17-22, 2026.

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The company’s posters will be presented by senior researchers and highlight novel work Zephyr AI is advancing with its biopharmaceutical and life science partners. The presentations feature multimodal AI approaches for predicting response to targeted therapies in patients with cancer, as well as checkpoint inhibitor response in patients receiving combination treatment. Across these investigations, Zephyr’s AI models operate on clinically available inputs—including liquid biopsy DNA, tissue-based molecular data, and whole-slide images—to generate drug response predictions and biological insights into tumor-intrinsic and tumor microenvironment features associated with treatment response.

"We are thrilled to showcase Zephyr AI’s work at this year’s AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) meeting," said Zephyr AI CEO Allen Chao, PhD. "The utilization of AI with multimodal data and clinically available inputs is transforming research and accelerating discovery. This is a wonderful opportunity to share how our novel approach is helping drive important advances in cancer treatment."

Official schedule of Zephyr AI presentations at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper):

Real world prediction and biological characterization of sotorasib sensitivity using multimodal AI and liquid biopsy genomic inputs (Presentation 5235)

Session Title: Biomarkers Predictive of Therapeutic Benefit 5
Presenter: Emily Vucic, VP Science
Session Date & Time: April 21, 9:00AM – 12:00PM
Location: Poster Section 42
Poster Board Number: 1

Multimodal AI predicts immune checkpoint inhibitor response from clinically available inputs and whole-slide images with explainable tumor biology and combination therapy insights (Presentation 1014)

Session Title: Biomarkers Predictive of Therapeutic Benefit 1
Presenter: Maayan Baron, Assoc Dir of Computational Biology
Session Date & Time: April 19, 2026 2:00PM – 5:00PM
Location: Poster Section 40
Poster Board Number: 8

Leadership from Zephyr AI will be attending AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper). Please contact [email protected] to request a meeting.

(Press release, Zephyr AI, APR 15, 2026, View Source [SID1234664419])

On April 15, 2026 Terremoto Biosciences, a biotechnology company developing highly targeted, small molecule medicines, reported the closing of a $108 million Series C financing round. The round includes new investors RA Capital Management, Deep Track Capital, Osage University Partners (OUP), and BeOne Medicines, and participation from existing investors OrbiMed, Third Rock Ventures, Novo Holdings, and Cormorant Asset Management.

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"Proceeds from this financing enable us to advance our lead AKT1-selective inhibitor programs through Phase 1 clinical development for patients with cancer and rare diseases such as hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia," said Charles Baum, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Terremoto. "We are grateful for the support from new and existing investors as we work to unlock the full potential of selective AKT1 inhibition and bring more effective and better tolerated treatment options to patients with significant unmet need."

Terremoto’s lead oncology program, TER-2013, is currently in Phase 1 clinical development for solid tumors harboring genetic alterations in PIK3CA, AKT, or PTEN, which are implicated in a significant proportion of cancers, including more than half of patients with HR-positive breast cancer. The company is also advancing TER-4480, a program targeting hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), a rare, inherited bleeding disorder characterized by abnormal blood vessel formation and significant morbidity, with currently no approved therapies. TER-4480 is expected to enter the clinic later this year.

AKT is a key regulatory protein implicated in driving disease progression in both cancer and HHT. Among the three structurally similar isoforms (AKT1, AKT2, AKT3), AKT1 has been shown in preclinical studies to be the predominant disease driver, while AKT2 is linked to adverse effects such as rash and dysregulation of glucose homeostasis. While there has been considerable advancement of other PI3K/AKT pathway inhibitors, the efficacy of these treatments has often been limited by toxicities – primarily due to PI3Kα or AKT2 inhibition. Using advanced medicinal chemistry capabilities, Terremoto has developed a novel class of AKT1-selective inhibitors to overcome these limitations, aiming to achieve deeper and more durable treatment response with an improved tolerability profile.

(Press release, Terremoto Biosciences, APR 15, 2026, View Source [SID1234664404])