Vaxxas, a clinical-stage biotechnology company commercializing a novel vaccination platform, today announced the publication in the journal PLoS Medicine of groundbreaking clinical research indicating the broad immunological and commercial potential of Vaxxas’ novel high-density microarray patch (HD-MAP). Using influenza vaccine, the clinical study of Vaxxas’ HD-MAP demonstrated significantly enhanced immune response compared to vaccination by needle/syringe. This is the largest microarray patch clinical vaccine study ever performed.

Johnson & Johnson has handed in its New Drug Application for its multiple sclerosis (MS) hopeful as it hopes to get in on this blockbuster market.

Epizyme has appointed Jeffery Kutok as its chief scientific officer. In luring Kutok away from Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Epizyme has gained a scientific leader it thinks will help find new uses for Tazverik and advance its pipeline prospects.

A phase 3 trial of Soligenix’s cutaneous T-cell lymphoma treatment has squeezed under the bar for statistical significance. The finding sent shares in the nanocap drug developer up almost 50% at points in premarket trading.

Novartis has published the phase 3 data it hopes will secure approval of cholesterol drug inclisiran. The trials linked the siRNA therapy to sharp declines in levels of LDL cholesterol, shedding more light on why Novartis decided to pay $9.7 billion to get its hands on the drug.

Chalk one up for Pfizer’s eczema hopeful—the JAK inhibitor beat placebo at reducing itch and skin inflammation in a third phase 3 study. The drug also posted a slight edge over Sanofi and Regeneron’s Dupixent (dupilumab) on an itch-related measure.

Merck has linked gefapixant to statistically significant improvements in chronic cough patients in two phase 3 trials. The results cement Merck’s status as the front-runner in the race to develop a P2X3 receptor antagonist but suggest there are enough chinks in its armor to encourage the chasing pack.

The best treatment for any disease, says Sigilon Therapeutics CEO Rogerio Vivaldi, M.D., is the body’s own cells.

Novo Nordisk has halted one midstage and two late-stage tests of its bleeding disease drug concizumab after seeing blood clots in some patients.

Biogazelle NV, a CRO specializing in genomics and transcriptomics, has announced the launch of HTPathwaySeq and HTTargetSeq, two novel, cost-effective, high-throughput RNA sequencing and data analysis services.