Welcome to the Weekly Rundown where the DDN editors cover this week’s top biotech and pharma news.
Definium’s psychedelic drug delivers rapid relief in major depression in late-stage study
On Monday, Definium Therapeutics reported that a Phase 3 trial of its serotonergic psychedelic candidate DT120 met its primary and all key secondary endpoints in adults with major depressive disorder, delivering what the company described as rapid and durable symptom relief after a single dose. In the 149-patient Emerge study, participants receiving DT120 showed a mean reduction of 13.3 points on the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale at week six, compared with a 5.2-point reduction on placebo, translating to a placebo-adjusted difference of 8.1 points. The effect emerged quickly, with a significant improvement evident by week one, and was sustained through week 12. Definium noted that the magnitude of symptom reduction compares favourably with results reported for existing antidepressants such as Takeda’s Trintellix and Axsome Therapeutics’ Auvelity, and exceeds the placebo-adjusted effects seen with Johnson & Johnson’s ketamine-based nasal spray Spravato, while also cautioning that cross-trial comparisons are imperfect. DT120, an orally disintegrating formulation of lysergide D-tartrate that acts as a partial 5-HT2A receptor agonist, was generally well tolerated, with most adverse events mild to moderate and occurring on the day of dosing, and no increase in suicidal ideation reported. A second Phase 3 trial, Ascend, is testing a lower-dose arm designed to preserve blinding, with results expected next year, while additional late-stage studies are under way in generalized anxiety disorder as the company prepares for future regulatory discussions. – Bree Foster
Merck KGaA's $11.3B Bio-Techne deal is a major bet on multi-omics and spatial biology
Merck KGaA, the German science and technology company — not to be confused with US-based Merck & Co. — announced this week a definitive agreement to acquire Bio-Techne, a Minneapolis-based life science tools and reagents company, for $73 per share in cash, representing a total enterprise value of approximately $11.3 billion. The deal, expected to close by late 2026 or early 2027, is the largest acquisition in Merck KGaA's life science segment since its $17 billion purchase of Sigma-Aldrich in 2015. Bio-Techne brings a portfolio of more than 500,000 products spanning cytokines, growth factors, antibodies, and immunoassay kits, as well as ProteinSimple, a leader in automated protein analysis, and RNAscope, a widely used in situ hybridization platform for spatial biology. For drug developers, the strategic logic is clear: Merck KGaA is assembling end-to-end infrastructure across the research and manufacturing workflow, from discovery-stage multi-omics tools through cell and gene therapy process technologies. The deal adds particular depth in spatial biology and precision diagnostics, two areas seeing rapid adoption in preclinical research. Merck KGaA expects roughly 140 million euros in annual cost synergies fully realized by year three after closing. — Andrea Corona
Otsuka Phase 3b trial shows success in ADHD
On Thursday, Otsuka announced positive topline results for their drug centanafadine in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and comorbid anxiety. The candidate is a first-in-class norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin reuptake inhibitor (NDSRI), and it’s currently under Priority Review by the FDA to treat ADHD in children, adolescents, and adults with a decision expected by July 24th. The trial met its primary endpoint, showing improvements from baseline on the Adult Investigator Symptom Rating Scales total score at eight weeks. The new data strengthens their previous Phase 3 ADHD trials that did not include patients with anxiety, a common comorbidity found in an estimated 25 percent of people with ADHD. – Allison Whitten
Base editing in human embryos reveals a key gene's role in early development, reignites an ethics debate
Researchers at the University of Cambridge's Loke Centre for Trophoblast Research, led by biologist Kathy Niakan, have published the first use of base editing to study gene function in human embryos, with results appearing this week in Nature. Base editing is a more precise evolution of CRISPR/Cas9 that swaps a single nucleotide base pair without creating the double-strand DNA breaks associated with conventional genome editing, significantly reducing the risk of unintended chromosomal damage. Using the technique, the team blocked the NANOG gene in early-stage human embryos donated by IVF patients and found that without it, embryonic cells could not develop into the epiblast, the pluripotent cell layer that gives rise to the body's tissues and organs. Notably, the findings diverge from mouse studies, in which NANOG loss also disrupts the yolk sac — a difference that underscores the limits of animal models in predicting human developmental biology. The Cambridge paper is the second base editing study involving human embryos this month, following a Columbia University preprint demonstrating correction of disease-relevant gene variants. For the drug discovery and stem cell research communities, the implications are practical: More reliable pluripotent stem cell models depend on a clearer picture of the gene regulatory networks that govern their formation, and studies like this one are helping build it. The wider field, however, is moving fast enough that scientists and ethicists are calling for urgent public debate before clinical applications are pursued. — Andrea Corona
SK Biopharmaceuticals taps Insilico’s AI platform for CNS drug discovery
Insilico Medicine and SK Biopharmaceuticals announced that they have entered a research and development collaboration to discover AI-enabled drug candidates for neuroimmune disorders of the central nervous system (CNS), unveiling the deal at the BIO 2026 International Convention. Under the agreement, Insilico will deploy its Pharma.AI platform and preclinical discovery expertise to identify, design, and optimize novel neuroimmune candidates, while SK Biopharmaceuticals will lead late-stage development and commercialization, drawing on its established CNS capabilities. Insilico is eligible to receive up to $18 million in upfront and near-term milestone payments, with total potential deal value exceeding $2.5 billion in development, regulatory, and commercial milestones, plus single-digit royalties on net sales. The deal adds to a string of recent partnerships for Insilico, including a major pact with Eli Lilly worth up to $2.75 billion. – Bree Foster
RQ Bio raises $115M for long-acting flu antiviral
In an oversubscribed Series A financing round, RQ Bio secured $115 million to fund their long-acting antibody program. The company claims that their lead candidate, RQB01 — now in IND-enabling studies — has a dual mechanism of actions and could provide broad long-lasting protection against multiple influenza strains that could last for a full season. "Influenza remains a serious and persistent threat for patients whose immune systems cannot rely on vaccination alone," said Mike Westby, Chief Executive Officer of RQ Bio, in the press release. With annual flu shots fluctuating in their effectiveness each year, more options for preventive therapies could be a welcome addition to the market. – Allison Whitten
