The Pharma Closeout | Daily Pharmaceutical & Biotech News in 15 minus

Jun 15, 2026 | CMS Targets SubQ Keytruda and Opdivo Loophole; Takeda Beats Sotyktu Head-to-Head

CMS proposes closing Medicare negotiation loophole threatening Keytruda and Opdivo subcutaneous strategies — billions at stake. Plus Takeda's zasocitinib tops Sotyktu, Novartis validates $12B Avidity deal, Elicio's KRAS vaccine crashes, and FDA approves Truqap in prostate cancer and Tzield for pediatric T1D. Visit us at www.thepharmacloseout.com pharma, pharmaceutical, FDA, clinical trials, biotech, drug approvals, healthcare, pharma podcast, The Pharma Closeout, CMS, Medicare drug price negotiation, IRA, Keytruda, pembrolizumab, Opdivo, nivolumab, subcutaneous, Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb, Takeda, zasocitinib, Sotyktu, deucravacitinib, TYK2, Novartis, Avidity Biosciences, del-brax, RNA therapeutics, Elicio Therapeutics, KRAS, cancer vaccine, ELI-002, pancreatic cancer, AstraZeneca, Truqap, capivasertib, prostate cancer, PTEN, Sanofi, Tzield, teplizumab, type 1 diabetes, Welireg, belzutifan, kidney cancer, J&J, Talvey, Darzalex Faspro, multiple myeloma, Summit Therapeutics, ivonescimab, oveporexton, narcolepsy, SLEEP 2026, Gan & Lee, bofanglutide, obesity, GLP-1, Eisai, Leqembi, Lilly, BMS

EHA 2026 Special — Full Meeting Recap

The Pharma Closeout's comprehensive recap of EHA 2026(Stockholm, June 11-14). HEADLINE: J&J's MonumenTAL-3 (talquetamab +daratumumab) in earlier-line R/R myeloma — PFS HR 0.28/0.33, complete-response 71% vs 34.5%, NEJM-published; ~73% dysgeusia the caveat. AML: the menin inhibitor frontline class war — ziftomenib KOMET-007 (CRc 96% NPM1m / 90%KMT2Ar) vs revumenib (frontline CRc 97%; SAVE ORR 88%) — and the gilteritinib-vs-midostaurin FLT3 survival miss (HR 1.02). CLL: BRUIN CLL-322 — pirtobrutinib + venetoclax-rituximab, PFS HR 0.55, first Phase 3 to beat a venetoclax control. LYMPHOMA: frontMIND (tafasitamab+len+R-CHOP, 1L DLBCL, PFS HR 0.75) and EPCORE DLBCL-1 (epcoritamab wins PFS, misses OS). MYELOFIBROSIS: SENTRY (selinexor+rux, SVR35 49.8% vs 28%, symptom co-primary missed). BENIGN HEME: warm AIHA gets two drugs (sovleplenib, nipocalimab) in a disease with no approved therapy; CASGEVY first pediatric gene-editing data. Lightning round, discipline corner (why three 'EHA' myeloma headlines were actually ASCO), and what to watch. Three throughlines: immunotherapy moving earlier andoff-the-shelf, a frontline standard-of-care reset, and the survival misses that set the discipline. Stock reactions qualitative only. pharma, pharmaceutical, hematology, blood cancer, clinicaltrials, biotech, EHA 2026, pharma podcast, The Pharma Closeout

Jun 12, 2026 | FDA Approves Merck Welireg-Keytruda for Kidney Cancer; Jazz Zepzelca Phase 3 Fails

FDA approves Merck's Welireg-Keytruda combo for adjuvant kidney cancer — 28% risk reduction vs. active Keytruda monotherapy in LITESPARK-022. Jazz's Zepzelca misses OS endpoint in Phase 3 LAGOON, Incyte acquires Vega Therapeutics for $1.25B, and Amgen files independent Duke review to fight FDA's proposed Tavneos withdrawal. pharma, pharmaceutical, FDA, clinical trials, biotech, drug approvals, healthcare, pharma podcast, The Pharma Closeout, Merck, Keytruda, Welireg, belzutifan, pembrolizumab, kidney cancer, renal cell carcinoma, LITESPARK-022, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Zepzelca, lurbinectedin, small cell lung cancer, LAGOON, Incyte, Vega Therapeutics, Star Therapeutics, Amgen, Tavneos, avacopan, AstraZeneca, Truqap, capivasertib, prostate cancer, Sanofi, Tzield, type 1 diabetes, Enliven Therapeutics, WuXi AppTec, CMS, Medicare, IRA, Novo Nordisk, oral semaglutide, M&A, GSK

Jun 11, 2026 | Takeda Zasocitinib Beats Sotyktu in Head-to-Head Phase 3; Summit Pulls $500M Offering

Zasocitinib hits 35% complete skin clearance at week 16,topping Sotyktu by more than 2.5x in Takeda's head-to-head Phase 3. Plus: Novartis validates its $12B Avidity AOC platform in FSHD, Summit withdraws $500M offering, and Genentech reshapes its research organization. Visit us at www.thepharmacloseout.com pharma, pharmaceutical, FDA, clinical trials, biotech, drugapprovals, healthcare, pharma podcast, The Pharma Closeout, zasocitinib, Takeda, Sotyktu, deucravacitinib, Bristol Myers Squibb, TYK2, plaque psoriasis, PASI 100, Novartis, Avidity Biosciences, AOC, muscular dystrophy, FSHD, SummitTherapeutics, ivonescimab, Kardigan, IPO, J&J, nipocalimab, Imaavy, wAIHA, Genentech, Roche, Vishva Dixit, Camurus, Oclaiz, acromegaly, CRL, Sensorion, Regeneron, hearing loss, Ethyreal, thyroid eye disease, Teva, Astellas, Xtandi, BMS

Jun 10, 2026 | Parabilis Sets Record $670M Biotech IPO; Sanofi Halts Riliprubart Phase 3

Parabilis Medicines prices the largest-ever venture-backed biotech IPO at $670M as 12 startups top $4.1B in 2026. Sanofi stops MOBILIZE Phase 3 for riliprubart in CIDP. TG Therapeutics surges on Briumvi myasthenia gravis data. AstraZeneca's oral GLP-1 elecoglipron hits 11.8% weight loss. Visit us at www.thepharmacloseout.com pharma, pharmaceutical, FDA, clinical trials, biotech, drug approvals, healthcare, pharma podcast, The Pharma Closeout, Parabilis Medicines, biotech IPO, zolucatetide, TG Therapeutics, Briumvi, ublituximab, myasthenia gravis, Sanofi, riliprubart, CIDP, complement inhibitor, AstraZeneca, elecoglipron, GLP-1, oral obesity, Novartis, Orionis Biosciences, molecular glue, Beren Therapeutics, adrabetadex, Niemann-Pick disease, SonoThera, Ethyreal, City Therapeutics, Shattuck Labs, Treeline Biosciences, COINS Act, Pfizer, Lilly, Moderna