Daily Snap - 26. November 2025

Author

Joachim Eeckhout
November 26, 2025

 

Good morning! England’s NHS just gave the green light to Aucatzyl, a homegrown CAR-T therapy from Autolus Therapeutics for adults with relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, a rare, aggressive cancer with limited options. NICE, the national health guidance institution, fast-tracked its recommendation, highlighting strong remission data from the FELIX trial (77% of treated patients) and the promise of a more effective, less toxic alternative to standard care. The move adds another advanced therapy to the NHS roster alongside Kymriah, Tecartus, and CRISPR-based Casgevy, signaling continued momentum for cell and gene therapies even as parts of the industry pull back. The EMA also granted a conditional marketing authorisation for Aucatzyl in August. Finally, a British export that doesn’t require a kettle.

Enjoy today’s read!

—Joachim E.

SNIPPETS

What’s happening in biotech today?

⚖️ Weight win: Novo Nordisk is accelerating development of amycretin, a dual GLP-1 and amylin receptor agonist, after promising phase 2 results in Type 2 diabetes prompted a shift from its initial focus on obesity. The study showed dose-dependent reduction in HbA1c (average level of blood glucose) of up to 1.8% with weekly subcutaneous injections and 1.5% with daily oral doses, along with significant weight loss, up to 14.5% and 10.1% respectively, over 36 weeks. Most patients reached target HbA1c levels, and the safety profile was consistent with mild to moderate gastrointestinal events. Encouraged by the data’s similarity to CagriSema, Novo’s long-acting combination of amylin analog and a GLP-1 receptor agonist, the big pharma plans to begin phase 3 diabetes trials of amycretin in 2026.

✅ Spinal spin: The FDA has approved Novartis' Itvisma, an intrathecal version of its spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) gene therapy Zolgensma, for use in children over 2 years old, teens, and adults with less severe forms of the disease. Unlike Zolgensma, which is administered intravenously to infants under 2, Itvisma is delivered via spinal injection at a fixed dose. Approval was based on a Phase 3 trial showing a 2.39-point improvement on the Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale, compared to 0.51 in the control group. The therapy also stabilized motor function in patients who had discontinued other SMA treatments, expanding gene therapy access to older SMA patients.

🎯 Muscle target: Sarepta Therapeutics has announced a positive safety review and full enrollment of the third cohort in its phase 1/2 trial of SRP-1003, a small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapy for type 1 myotonic dystrophy (DM1), triggering a $200 million milestone payment to partner Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals. The favorable safety update allows Sarepta to proceed with further dose escalation, with a fourth cohort currently dosing and a fifth planned for early next year. The SRP-1003 program uses Arrowhead’s TRiM platform, designed for targeted delivery to skeletal muscle. Sarepta's stock rose 5% following the news, reflecting investor confidence in its siRNA-focused strategy.

⚡ Tumor takedown: Zetagen Therapeutics has closed an oversubscribed $12.9 million Series B1 funding round, led by JSTAR Capital Investments, to advance its proprietary Zeta Platform focused on intratumoral treatments for breast cancer. The funding will support the commercialization of ZetaMet for metastatic breast cancer to bone, clinical development of ZetaMast for liver metastases, and preclinical and manufacturing work on ZetaPrime for primary breast cancer. Positive Phase 2a results for ZetaMet showed complete response and bone regeneration, while ZetaMast and ZetaPrime have demonstrated promising preclinical outcomes. The company holds over 70 patents and will present new data in the coming months.

🤝 Asian partnering: Samsung has strengthened its focus on antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) with an equity investment in China-based Phrontline Biopharma, following an October licensing agreement that granted Samsung Bioepis co-development rights to two of Phrontline’s ADC candidates, including TJ108. The deal also included exclusive access to a topoisomerase-1 inhibitor for Samsung’s internal ADC pipeline. Phrontline’s proprietary platform uses bispecific antibodies and a branched dual-linker system to deliver two cytotoxic payloads, aiming to overcome limitations of first-generation ADCs. This investment, made through the Samsung Life Science Fund, aligns with Samsung’s broader oncology strategy and expands its ADC capabilities beyond biosimilars into novel therapeutics.

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