[MED] Desk

Medicine

Approvals, trial readouts and the science behind new treatments. Every ticker item and desk story tagged [MED], newest first, each with its Why it matters.

• [MED] FDA approved Hibsago, the first drug of its kind for chronic hepatitis B; in trials, 19% of patients kept the virus in check 24 weeks after stopping all treatment.
  Why it matters

  most people with hepatitis B take pills for life; this offers some a chance to stop.

  Oct 25, 2026 · The Moon Plan Resets, AI Pays for Rockets, and a New Way to Stop Hepatitis B · source
• [MED] FDA granted accelerated approval to the immunotherapy Jemperli for a genetic subtype of rectal cancer; 68% of patients had no visible cancer after 12 months.
  Why it matters

  for these patients, a drug may replace surgery that can change daily life permanently.

  Oct 25, 2026 · The Moon Plan Resets, AI Pays for Rockets, and a New Way to Stop Hepatitis B · source
• [MED] Merck and Moderna reported that their personalized melanoma vaccine, given with immunotherapy, lowered the risk of the cancer returning, or death, by 42% in a Phase 3 trial.
  Why it matters

  a vaccine built from a patient's own tumor is closer to becoming a standard cancer treatment.

  Oct 25, 2026 · The Moon Plan Resets, AI Pays for Rockets, and a New Way to Stop Hepatitis B · source
• [MED] FDA launched a neuroscience program whose first project aims to speed up treatments that prevent Alzheimer's.
  Why it matters

  the focus is shifting from treating memory loss to stopping it before it starts.

  Oct 25, 2026 · The Moon Plan Resets, AI Pays for Rockets, and a New Way to Stop Hepatitis B · source

• [MED] Hepatitis B patients get a chance to stop treatment

  

  The FDA approved Hibsago (bepirovirsen) from GSK, the first antisense medicine for chronic hepatitis B. It works by blocking the virus's genetic instructions. In trials, 19% of patients kept the virus controlled 24 weeks after stopping all treatment.

  Oct 25, 2026 · The Moon Plan Resets, AI Pays for Rockets, and a New Way to Stop Hepatitis B · source

• [MED] A personalized cancer vaccine passes a major test

  

  Merck and Moderna reported Phase 3 results for their melanoma vaccine, which is designed from each patient's own tumor and given with the immunotherapy Keytruda. After two years, 82.2% of patients were free of recurrence versus 70.0% on Keytruda alone, per Fierce Biotech.

  Oct 25, 2026 · The Moon Plan Resets, AI Pays for Rockets, and a New Way to Stop Hepatitis B · source

All desks