Life science news 13 July 2026: Vertex seals a $10 billion deal for rare endocrine specialist Crinetics, the FDA clears the first dual BAFF/APRIL inhibitor for IgA nephropathy, and Novartis acquires a UK cancer therapy spinout in a blockbuster week for pharma, biotech and healthcare.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals announced on 6 July that it will acquire Crinetics Pharmaceuticals for approximately $10 billion, or roughly $85 per share, in the largest deal in Vertex’s history. The acquisition adds Crinetics’ commercial drug Palsonify, which was launched in 2025 for acromegaly, a rare endocrine disorder, alongside a late-stage programme in congenital adrenal hyperplasia and additional pipeline assets. Crinetics shares rose more than 100 per cent in after-hours trading following the announcement. The deal extends Vertex’s diversification strategy beyond its dominant cystic fibrosis franchise and into endocrinology, adding near-term commercial revenue and a deep rare disease pipeline. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026, subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions.
The US Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval on 7 July to atacicept-vymj, to be marketed as Trutakna, for reducing proteinuria in adults with primary IgA nephropathy at risk of disease progression. Developed by Vera Therapeutics in partnership with Bristol Myers Squibb, Trutakna is the first approved therapy that inhibits both B-cell activating factor (BAFF) and a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL), the two cytokines thought to sit furthest upstream in the disease’s pathology. The decision rested on interim data from the Phase 3 ORIGIN 3 trial, which showed a 46 per cent reduction from baseline in proteinuria and a statistically significant 42 per cent reduction compared with placebo at 36 weeks. Trutakna is dosed at 150 milligrams once weekly via subcutaneous self-injection. Vera expects to report kidney function data from the confirmatory portion of ORIGIN 3 in the third quarter of 2026 and plans to file for full approval before the end of the year.
Novartis announced on 6 July that it has agreed to acquire Myricx Bio, a UK-headquartered biotechnology company, for up to $1.5 billion including $1.1 billion in cash upfront plus potential milestone payments. Myricx Bio was spun out of Imperial College London and the Francis Crick Institute and develops a novel class of antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) payloads using N-myristoyltransferase inhibitor (NMTi) technology. Its two lead assets, directed against B7-H3 and HER2, are designed to address the tolerability and resistance limitations of commonly used ADC payload classes such as TOPO-1 and tubulin inhibitors. Myricx raised a £90 million Series A in 2024 led by Novo Holdings and Abingworth. The acquisition is expected to close in the second half of 2026.
GSK notified Alector on 6 July that it is terminating their 2021 neuroscience collaboration and license agreement, bringing to an end a partnership originally valued at up to $2.2 billion. The termination follows the failure of latozinemab in the Phase 3 INFRONT-3 trial in frontotemporal dementia, reported in October 2025, and the discontinuation of a Phase 2 trial of nivisnebart in early Alzheimer’s disease in April 2026 after an interim futility analysis. GSK had paid $700 million upfront in 2021 for rights to both progranulin-elevating monoclonal antibodies, with up to $1.5 billion in additional milestone and royalty payments now largely forfeited. The termination takes effect on 2 January 2027 following a 180-day notice period. Alector’s shares fell 13 per cent in after-hours trading on the news.
In further life science news 13 July 2026, the week also brought significant clinical data in treatment-resistant depression, major regulatory policy developments on both sides of the Atlantic, and the European Medicines Agency fast-tracking review of a pancreatic cancer therapy.
Compass Pathways announced on 7 July the 26-week results from its second Phase 3 trial, COMP006, of COMP360 psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). In a population of nearly 600 patients with highly chronic depression, with current episodes lasting on average more than three years, 39 per cent of participants receiving the 25 mg dose achieved a clinically meaningful reduction in depression scores by week six and maintained that response through week 26. In the earlier COMP005 trial, 25 per cent of patients responded to a single dose, with the higher response rate in COMP006 supporting the potential value of a two-dose regimen. Compass reported that most adverse events were transient and occurred on the day of dosing. Compass Pathways has indicated that a rolling New Drug Application submission is underway with the US Food and Drug Administration.
The UK Department of Health and Social Care announced a series of pilot programmes in early July designed to test new approaches to medicines pricing, access and adoption across the National Health Service. The pilots, developed through a joint government-industry taskforce with input from patient organisations, are scheduled to begin testing in September 2026. One pilot will focus on fast-tracking innovative treatments, including rare disease therapies, that have already met safety and clinical standards. Others will explore productivity-based value assessment, industry co-investment in patient care pathways, and dedicated regional funding for priority medicines. The announcement builds on changes to the NICE cost-effectiveness threshold in April 2026, which have already led to nine additional medicines being approved for NHS patients in England and Wales. NICE estimates the combined measures could result in up to five additional medicines being approved each year.
Germany’s Bundestag voted on 10 July to pass healthcare legislation that more than doubles the mandatory manufacturer rebate on most branded prescription drugs, from 7 per cent to 15.5 per cent. The GKV-Beitragsstabilisierungsgesetz is part of a wider effort to close a sizable budget gap in the country’s statutory health insurance system, with pharmaceutical spending cuts expected to contribute approximately €1.9 billion in savings in 2027. The bill also raises the discount on patented vaccines to 9 per cent and imposes a price freeze on immunisation vaccines through 2030. The legislation has drawn sharp criticism from the pharmaceutical industry, with Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly both signalling reduced investment in German facilities. The bill now progresses to the Bundesrat, where a favourable vote is widely expected.
The European Medicines Agency announced on 7 July that it has begun a phased review of Revolution Medicines’ daraxonrasib for the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer, the RAS(ON) inhibitor that nearly doubled median overall survival in the Phase 3 RASolute 302 trial. Full data presented at ASCO 2026 in June showed daraxonrasib extended median overall survival from 6.7 months to 13.2 months compared with standard chemotherapy, representing a 60 per cent reduction in the risk of death. The phased review allows the EMA to assess data as they become available ahead of a formal marketing authorisation application, potentially bringing the drug to European patients sooner. Daraxonrasib is already under review by the FDA, with a regulatory decision expected in the second half of 2026.
That’s your life science news digest for 13 July 2026, back next Monday with the latest from pharma, biotech and healthcare at www.lifesciencedaily.news. Catch up on the 6 July news roundup.
This weekly life science news 13 July 2026 digest is produced by the Life Science Daily News editorial team. All stories are selected and written independently.
