Latest UK Life Sciences News

Scancell has received UK clinical trial authorisation from the MHRA for its registrational Phase III trial of iSCIB1+ in advanced melanoma, following FDA clearance in January. The trial will enrol 550 stage III/IV melanoma patients across around 90 sites in the US, EU, UK, Canada and Australia, testing iSCIB1+ alongside ipilimumab and nivolumab against placebo plus the same combination, with progression-free survival as the primary endpoint and initial data expected in H2 2028.

Nuformix has reported positive preclinical results for NXP002, its inhaled candidate for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and progressive pulmonary fibrosis. The study showed dose-dependent lung exposure after nebulisation with relatively limited systemic exposure, alongside attenuation of a key fibrosis biomarker in vivo, supporting planned additional dose-range-finding work.

Tagomics has launched LiquiPath, a cell-free DNA liquid biopsy platform for non-invasive, multi-organ drug safety monitoring across preclinical and clinical development. The platform traces circulating DNA back to its tissue of origin to flag treatment-related toxicity earlier than conventional biomarkers, and is already in development with pharma partners including AstraZeneca, with an early access programme now open to further partners.

SynGenSys has launched CHO.SET 2.0, an expanded library of synthetic promoters for improving protein production in CHO cells used in biomanufacturing. New data show selected vectors achieving over 4x higher antibody productivity and titres exceeding 2g/L in fed-batch flask models, with the library set to be showcased at BioProcess International in Boston this September.

MeiraGTx reported second-quarter 2026 results showing net income of $160.7 million on revenue of $321.4 million, a sharp reversal from a $38.8 million loss a year earlier, driven by service and related-party income from its Eli Lilly manufacturing contract and previously deferred Janssen and Hologen collaboration revenue. The company also received FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for its AAV2-hAQP1 gene therapy targeting radiation-induced xerostomia, and ended the quarter with $145.4 million in cash, up from $34.4 million a year earlier.

Arecor Therapeutics has published full results from its AT278-104 trial in the peer-reviewed journal Diabetes, Obesity & Metabolism, the first complete peer-reviewed data set for its ultra-concentrated (500U/mL) insulin aspart. AT278 was absorbed faster than both standard-strength insulin aspart and U500 human regular insulin, and crucially kept its rapid onset regardless of patient BMI, addressing a weakness that has limited earlier concentrated insulins and supporting Arecor's push to pair AT278 with automated insulin delivery systems.

bit.bio has launched ioScreen, a CRISPR screening platform that combines industrial-scale gene editing with its ioCells human iPSC-derived cell models, aimed at accelerating human cell-based drug discovery. Alongside the launch, the company appointed Sejla Salic-Hainzl as its first Chief Technology Officer, promoting her from nearly six years leading functional genomics R&D at bit.bio Discovery.

ValiRx's majority-owned subsidiary Cytolytix has received notice that the European Patent Office intends to grant a second patent covering its polyleucine-based anti-cancer peptides, licensed from King's College London. It follows the May 2026 grant of Cytolytix's first European patent for the nanoparticle delivery formulation, giving the platform two granted patents to support ongoing licensing and partnership talks.

Genedrive has completed neonatal intensive care unit patient recruitment for its PALOH-UK programme, with nearly 6,000 babies across 14 NICUs tested using the Genedrive MT-RNR1 ID Kit. Clinical cohort analysis is underway, with publication expected around October 2026; the kit has now moved from NICE's Early Value Assessment pathway to full technology appraisal, with NHS England targeting a tender notice by January 2027 and go-live by July 2027, subject to NICE guidance.

Broken String Biosciences has launched BaseMap ABE, extending its INDUCE-seq platform to characterise off-target editing from adenine base editing. The tool generates genome-wide off-target data directly from biologically relevant cells rather than relying on prediction-based approaches, and is available now through an Early Access Programme for researchers developing genome editing therapies.

A Phase 1 trial of Stablepharma's fridge-free tetanus-diphtheria vaccine, SPVX02, found it well tolerated with no vaccine-related serious adverse events. All participants achieved protective antibody levels by 28 days, comparable to licensed vaccines. The vaccine remained stable at up to 30°C for at least two years. Results were published in The Lancet's eClinicalMedicine, and a Phase 2b trial has since launched.

Coiled Therapeutics has dosed the first patient with a new lipid-based softgel formulation of AO-252, its TACC3 inhibitor for advanced solid tumours, with no treatment-related adverse safety findings observed. The reformulation is designed to improve drug absorption ahead of planned dose-expansion cohorts in ovarian and prostate cancer, targeting up to 30 patients by Q4 2026.