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Novartis First Quarter 2026

On April 28, 2026 Novartis reported Condensed Interim Financial Report.

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(Presentation, Novartis, APR 28, 2026, View Source [SID1234665199])

Artelo Biosciences Announces Strategic Collaboration with Artificial Intelligence (AI) Leader ScienceMachine Highlighting New Expansion Opportunities and Insights for FABP5 Inhibitor Development

On April 28, 2026 Artelo Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARTL), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on modulating lipid-signaling pathways to develop treatments for people living with cancer, pain, dermatological, or neurological conditions, reported details of a strategic partnership with BioAI company ScienceMachine to accelerate the development of its fatty acid-binding protein 5 (FABP5) inhibitor platform. ScienceMachine’s platform, which leverages cutting-edge AI agent technology, is built to interrogate large biological datasets in a fraction of the time and cost of traditional methods.

The partnership is harnessing ScienceMachine’s proprietary AI technology to analyze Artelo’s large internal FABP datasets and identify novel biological insights, including new mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities for FABP5 inhibitors, particularly ART26.12, the Company’s first FABP5 inhibitor to begin clinical studies. By using data from the previously reported Phase 1 single ascending dose study (ART26.12-100), ScienceMachine has been instrumental in identifying potential proteins indicative of FABP5 target engagement in ART26.12-treated healthy volunteers.

"This collaboration expands our pipeline potential and enhances our R&D precision," said Andrew Yates, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer at Artelo. "We believe this partnership has the potential to accelerate the identification of novel mechanisms of action and clinical biomarkers, as well as prioritizing follow-on compounds from our FABP5 library with greater confidence and speed. In short, it’s a powerful force multiplier for our drug development strategy, enabling smarter investment of resources and potentially shortening our path to value creation."

Since the start of the collaboration in 2025, the partnership has used the power of machine learning to interrogate disease-model multi-omic data. These efforts have revealed latent biological networks associated with disease severity and FABP signaling, while providing mechanistic insight into these novel targets. Preliminary results, conducted in a psoriasis model, are slated for publication later this year. In addition, the collaboration identified novel protein and lipid signatures correlated with ART26.12’s dose responsive analgesic effect. These results are providing insight into the design of future research with ART26.12 and other FABP inhibitors from Artelo’s library.

"Our work with Artelo’s data shows how AI agents can augment modern drug discovery and development," said Lorenzo Sani, CEO and co-founder of ScienceMachine. "Together with Artelo, we are turning complex biological datasets into testable hypotheses that may help inform biomarker strategy, mechanism-of-action work, and future FABP5 inhibitor development."

Artelo Biosciences is the first and only company to have brought a selective FABP5 inhibitor as a drug candidate into human studies targeting an indication in neuropathic pain. By combining cutting-edge science with modern AI tools, Artelo expects to broaden its understanding of the potential applications of functional lipidomics in general, and FABP5 inhibition in particular.

(Press release, Artelo Biosciences, APR 28, 2026, View Source [SID1234664883])

Scancell receives FDA Fast Track Designation for iSCIB1+ in advanced melanoma and provides data update from its SCOPE Phase 2 study

On April 28, 2026 Scancell Holdings plc (AIM: SCLP), the developer of active immunotherapies to treat cancer, reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation for its lead ImmunoBody iSCIB1+ for the treatment of advanced melanoma.

Dr Phil L’Huillier, CEO of Scancell, said: "This designation is a major achievement for Scancell and important recognition not only of the potential of iSCIB1+, but also of the significant need for new and improved treatment options for patients with advanced melanoma. We are very pleased with how the Phase 2 SCOPE data is maturing and are advancing plans for a global registrational Phase 3 trial, which we expect to initiate in the second half of 2026."

Progression free survival (PFS) has matured positively, reaching 77% at 20 months in the target population1. This widens the lead of iSCIB1+ over PFS reported with ipilimumab plus nivolumab alone of 43% at 20 months, now representing a 30+ percentage point improvement over standard of care (SoC).2

The Fast Track Designation is granted for investigational therapies that show advantage over available treatments, such as superior effectiveness, and provides the process to expedite review of drugs for serious conditions, with the aim of getting effective therapies to patients faster. The designation enables frequent engagement to ensure alignment on development plans, enhance development predictability and support a more efficient path through clinical development. Moreover, Fast Track Designation brings eligibility for Accelerated Approval, Priority Review and Rolling Review.

Additional PFS data and early OS data from the Phase 2 SCOPE study are expected in H1 2027.

This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of Regulation (EU) 596/2014 (MAR).

About the SCOPE Phase 2 study

The SCOPE study (NCT04079166) is a Phase 2, Multicentre, Open-Label, Study in Advanced Unresectable Melanoma. Patients receiving either Nivolumab plus Ipilimumab or Pembrolizumab as standard of care (SoC) will also be treated with SCIB1 or iSCB1+. The study aims to determine the efficacy and safety of SCIB1 or iSCIB1+ when added to these SoC therapies. Additional endpoints include disease control rate (DCR), duration of response (DOR), progression free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS). Participants receive up to 11 doses of either SCIB1 or iSCIB1+ using the PharmaJet needle-free injection devices. More information at clinicaltrials.gov.

(Press release, Scancell, APR 28, 2026, View Source [SID1234664881])

EvolveImmune Therapeutics Announces Achievement of Preclinical Milestone in Collaboration with AbbVie

On April 28, 2026 EvolveImmune Therapeutics, a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company developing a new class of multi-specific T cell engagers with integrated CD2 costimulation, reported the nomination of a development candidate against a solid tumor target as part of its ongoing partnership with AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV). Achievement of this pre-defined preclinical milestone triggers an $18 million milestone payment to EvolveImmune.

The program is being advanced under a collaboration and option-to-license agreement to develop multispecific biologics for multiple targets in oncology initiated between EvolveImmune and AbbVie in October 2024. The collaboration leverages EvolveImmune’s proprietary EVOLVE T cell engager platform, which is designed to deliver potent, selective and integrated T-cell co-stimulation to amplify and sustain the tumor killing capacity of the T-cells. This approach aims to bypass low tumor immunogenicity, conditionally activate adaptive immunity and reduce T-cell dysfunction to overcome therapeutic challenges in solid and hematologic tumors.

"AbbVie has proven to be an exceptional partner, enabling the significant progress we have achieved to date. This is the first program from our collaboration to progress to candidate selection and provides optimism for the continued work we are undertaking with AbbVie against additional targets," said Stephen Bloch, M.D., chief executive officer of EvolveImmune. "Importantly, the achievement of this milestone validates the ability of our EVOLVE platform to deliver potentially differentiated T cell engager candidates in oncology, while also highlighting the exceptional dedication and scientific rigor of our discovery team."

(Press release, EvolveImmune Therapeutics, APR 28, 2026, View Source [SID1234664880])

Proxygen Expands Platform Beyond Degradation to Build Next-Generation Induced Proximity Therapeutics

On April 28, 2026 Proxygen, a biotechnology company pioneering the discovery of molecular glue degraders and next-generation proximity-based therapeutics, reported the expansion of its platform beyond targeted protein degradation to access a broader range of induced proximity therapeutics, while advancing two lead molecular glue degrader programs toward clinical development.

Induced proximity drugs harness the cell’s own machinery by bringing proteins into proximity to modulate disease biology, with the potential to access targets and mechanisms beyond the reach of traditional small-molecule pharmacology. While targeted protein degradation represents the first clinically validated application of this concept, the underlying principle enables a much broader set of therapeutic mechanisms1.

"At Proxygen we believe induced proximity represents one of the most powerful emerging paradigms in drug discovery," said Bernd Boidol, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Proxygen. "Our initial work in molecular glue degraders has established the mechanistic foundation and technical capabilities to expand into new proximity-based mechanisms, and we are now translating this expertise into a pipeline of differentiated programs. With two lead candidates advancing toward the clinic, we are entering an important phase of execution."

The Company’s p300 molecular glue degrader is designed to induce degradation of the transcriptional co-activator p300, a key epigenetic regulator implicated in multiple cancers. The program explores targeted degradation as a differentiated modality to modulate p300 beyond conventional inhibition.

Proxygen’s second lead candidate, CDK12, is a brain-penetrant glue degrader program designed to inactivate the transcriptional kinase CDK12, a target implicated in aggressive HER2-driven cancers and tumors with central nervous system involvement.

"I am pleased to have joined Proxygen at such a transformative phase," said Chiara Conti, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Proxygen. "Our two lead glue degrader programs, p300 and CDK12, clearly illustrate the differentiated approach we are taking within the induced proximity therapeutics field, and over the next 12 to 18 months, our primary focus is advancing these programs toward development candidate nomination and IND-enabling studies."

Expanding beyond degradation to unlock new proximity therapeutics

Proxygen has spent the past several years systematically identifying productive interactions between disease-relevant proteins and E3 ligases, building a discovery platform designed to uncover new proximity-driven mechanisms. This expertise positions the company to expand beyond degradation while continuing to advance its degrader pipeline.

"Targeted degradation is only the beginning of what induced proximity can achieve," said Georg Winter, Ph.D., founder and Chief Scientific Advisor of Proxygen, and a pioneer in the field. "Our work focuses on understanding how to bring proteins together in ways that reprogram cellular biology, opening the door to entirely new therapeutic modalities."

Going forward, the Company will execute a dual strategy focused on advancing its lead molecular glue degrader programs toward development candidate nomination and IND-enabling studies, while expanding its pipeline beyond degradation.

(Press release, Proxygen, APR 28, 2026, View Source [SID1234664879])