AstraZeneca has entered into an exclusive licence agreement with Dizal Pharmaceutical for Zegfrovy (sunvozertinib), a novel oral irreversible epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor for patients with lung cancer.

Zegfrovy is approved in the US and China to treat adults with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations, whose disease has progressed while on or after platinum-based chemotherapy.

Dizal recently announced positive results from the global WU-KONG28 phase 3 trial of Zegfrovy in 1st-line NSCLC with exon 20 insertion EGFR mutations. The data was presented at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting and also published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among men and women, accounting for about one-fifth of all cancer deaths. Lung cancer is broadly split into small cell lung cancer or NSCLC. Approximately 80-85% of lung cancer patients globally have NSCLC, with approximately 75% of people being diagnosed with advanced NSCLC. Additionally, about 10-15% of NSCLC patients in the US and Europe, and 30-40% of patients in Asia, have EGFR-mutated NSCLC.

Ipsen is set to acquire Memo Therapeutics in a deal worth more than €700m that is focused on potravitug, a phase 2 clinical-stage antibody against the BK polyomavirus (BKPyV).

BK polyomavirus-associated nephropathy (BKPyVAN) is a serious and frequent clinical complication in renal transplanted patients that can lead to graft loss and transplant failure. Potravitug is a monoclonal antibody directed against the BK virus VP1 capsid protein. It acts by blocking viral attachment and cellular entry, thereby preventing infection of host cells and subsequent viral replication.

The phase 2 SAFE Kidney II trial is the largest placebo-controlled clinical trial for the treatment of BKPyVAN in kidney transplanted patients, with 95 patients across 22 sites in the US. The full SAFE KIDNEY II data set presented at ATC 2026 further strengthens the clinical rationale for potravitug ahead of the planned SAFE KIDNEY III trial initiation later this year.

Potravitug was granted fast-track designation from the US FDA in May 2023 and orphan drug designation in the EU in December 2025. The transaction is expected to close during Q3 2026.

Biogen has agreed to acquire RayThera for up to $1bn, consisting of an upfront payment and payments contingent on the achievement of future clinical and regulatory milestones.

RayThera is a private biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing small molecule therapies in immunology. Its portfolio includes multiple anti-inflammatory assets that could potentially treat immune-mediated conditions across a range of indications. The lead candidate is expected to enter phase 1 development in early Q3 2026.

Priya Singhal, Executive Vice President and Head of Development at Biogen, said: “With this acquisition, we are further deepening our pipeline in immunology by adding a suite of assets that can allow us to expand into new disease areas. We believe these assets can meaningfully contribute to our long-term pipeline potential and we’re excited about the opportunity to rapidly advance the first candidate into the clinic.”

Qing Dong, co-founder, Chairman and CEO of RayThera, commented: “With its strong global development capabilities in immunology, we believe that Biogen is the natural fit to move these assets forward into phase 1 development and beyond.”