Innovation

Obesity drug MariTide and olpasiran in cardiovascular disease will not produce Phase III data until 2027, but Scrip spoke with Amgen EVP of R&D James Bradner about those programs, near-term pivotal readouts and dealmaking to boost research capabilities.

ACC/AHA guidelines are reshaping US payer policies, expanding coverage and access to breakthrough cardiovascular therapies like SGLT2 and PCSK9 inhibitors. But costs, red tape, and uneven access still stand in the way.

The Swedish biotech's LIB-01 offers eight-week efficacy from three-day dosing, targeting high discontinuation rates with current PDE5 inhibitors.

EIT Health has helped 3,000 start-ups and SMEs scale across Europe and supported over 120 innovations to launch. Inspired by the US MIT, the EIT Health program is on a mission to raise awareness of its value to healthtech innovators as it embarks on new methods of funding its own activities.

Private Company Edition: Twenty eight biopharma firms announced $2.11bn in new VC funding between Jan. 8 and 22 on top of $1.36bn in pre-J.P. Morgan disclosures on Jan. 7 and 8. Corxel led the recent financings with a $287m series D1 round to advance its oral GLP-1 agonist.

Antti Vuolanto, CEO of Herantis Pharma, discusses the significant unmet need in Parkinson’s disease and outlines Phase II plans for the company’s lead asset HER-096.

Medable pivots to agentic AI targeting clinical development's 80% manual labor bottleneck, aiming to double CRA efficiency and unlock capacity for 9,000 waiting drug candidates.

Interviews during the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference and commentary at the Biotech Showcase foresaw a strong 2026 almost across the board for drug developers seeking funding.

Healthtech companies seek to optimize the opportunity of AI while navigating a thicket of requirements from providers as well as regulations like the EU MDR. Andrew Davies, digital health lead at the Association of British HealthTech Industries, explained the importance of streamlining AI processes.

Seven new healthcare laws will be started in Germany 2026, and seven already underway – including the revamped KHAG hospital and DRGs reform law – will be completed. So goes the ministerial promise early in the new year. Medtechs signal further references to the so-far useful government dialog.

With capital being recycled, tariffs settling and interest rates softening, 2026 could provide more investment and growth opportunities in pharma and medtech, with AI giving a tailwind, say Taylor Wessing’s Ross McNaughton and Sarah Cole.

EIT Health has helped 3,000 start-ups and SMEs scale across Europe and supported over 120 innovations to launch. Inspired by the US MIT, the EIT Health program is on a mission to raise awareness of its value to healthtech innovators as it embarks on new methods of funding its own activities.