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Vivatides Therapeutics Announces Oversubscribed $54 Million Series A Financing to Accelerate Extrahepatic RNA Therapeutics Development

On April 10, 2026 Vivatides Therapeutics, a global biotechnology company focused on developing extrahepatic RNA-targeting therapeutics, reported the successful closing of an oversubscribed $54 million Series A financing. The round was co-led by Qiming Venture Partners and a leading industry fund, with participation from Highlight Capital, a leading venture fund, and TF Capital. Existing investor Apricot Capital also continued to support the company with additional investment. Proceeds from the financing will be used to further advance Vivatides’ extrahepatic delivery platform, accelerate multiple pipeline programs into clinical development, and expand its global team and R&D network. As an emerging player in the RNA therapeutics field, Vivatides has completed both its seed and Series A financings within less than one year of founding, underscoring strong investor confidence in the company’s technological innovation and execution capabilities in extrahepatic RNA delivery.

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RNA therapeutics, with their broad target space, high specificity, and durable efficacy, are poised to become the third major therapeutic modality following small molecules and antibodies. However, traditional RNA therapeutics have largely been limited to liver-targeted applications due to delivery challenges. Diseases involving extrahepatic tissues remain significantly underserved and represent the next major frontier for innovation.

With advances in extrahepatic delivery technologies, RNA therapeutics are rapidly expanding beyond rare diseases into large, chronic disease areas such as hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and oncology, unlocking substantial market potential.

Founded in 2025, Vivatides has been dedicated to the innovation and translation of proprietary extrahepatic RNA delivery technologies. The company’s globally experienced leadership team includes experts from leading RNA therapeutics companies. The team has previously led or played key roles in multiple extrahepatic RNA programs, several of which have progressed into clinical development. Leveraging this deep expertise, Vivatides has built a differentiated extrahepatic delivery platform with capabilities spanning both siRNA and antisense oligonucleotides (ASO). The company has achieved key advances in ligand conjugation, delivery efficiency, tissue targeting specificity, and safety, with encouraging in vivo results already demonstrated. Combined with strong capabilities in sequence design and target discovery, the platform enables rapid parallel advancement and expansion of a diversified pipeline.

"Extrahepatic delivery is the key that will unlock RNA therapeutics from niche rare diseases to broad chronic indications," said Keming Zhou, Founder of Vivatides Therapeutics. "We are honored to have the support and recognition of leading investors. This financing will accelerate the evolution of our platform and pipeline, advancing innovative RNA therapeutics into extrahepatic disease areas. We believe that overcoming delivery barriers will enable RNA therapeutics to transform treatment paradigms across a wide range of diseases. We also look forward to engaging with more long-term, value-driven partners to bring transformative therapies to patients worldwide."

Dr. Kan Chen, Partner at Qiming Venture Partners and Co-leads Qiming’s investments in the healthcare sector, commented: " We have long been optimistic about the application potential of small nucleic acid drugs across a broader range of disease areas. Continuous advances in extrahepatic targeting technologies are steadily expanding their clinical frontiers. Vivatides Therapeutics has demonstrated solid technological expertise and efficient execution capabilities in this field, with encouraging progress achieved on its platform. We look forward to the company driving further technological breakthroughs, accelerating the clinical translation of its pipeline, and delivering safer and more effective innovative therapies to patients worldwide."

Dr. Wei Ding, Partner at Apricot Capital, commented: "As an early investor in Vivatides’ seed round, we are delighted to see the company successfully complete its Series A financing and welcome new investors. Since its founding, Dr. Zhou and his team have consistently exceeded expectations with exceptional execution in platform development and pipeline advancement. We look forward to Vivatides translating its differentiated platform into breakthrough therapies that benefit patients worldwide and leading the next wave of extrahepatic RNA therapeutics."

Following the financing, Vivatides will further accelerate preclinical optimization and IND-enabling studies, expand its R&D and management teams, and continue to strengthen its extrahepatic delivery platform. Looking ahead, the company will remain focused on addressing unmet medical needs in high-prevalence extrahepatic diseases, becoming a leader in RNA therapeutics and delivering more effective and safer treatment options to patients worldwide.

(Press release, Vivatides Therapeutics, APR 10, 2026, View Source [SID1234664305])

IASO Bio Establishes International Partnership with Instituto Butantan to Develop Innovative Therapy for Hematological Cancer

On April 10, 2026 IASO Biotechnology ("IASO Bio"), reported that it has signed a technology licensing agreement with the Instituto Butantan, a leading Brazilian public institution, for the local development of a CAR-T cell therapy for hematological cancer in Brazil. The technology uses the patient’s own immune cells to treat the disease.

Under the agreement, the cells will be developed and manufactured at the Advanced Therapies Center of São Paulo (Nutera-SP), a facility coordinated by Butantan that has specific equipment for cell therapies.

The local development of the therapy by a public institution allows for lower costs, favoring its potential future incorporation into the Unified Health System (SUS). This type of treatment can cost up to US$500,000 (R$2.6 million) per patient. Today in Brazil, this therapy is only available in the private healthcare system.

"This treatment revolutionized the fight against hematological diseases, but access to it remains a challenge. The new partnership allows the Butantan Institute, as a public institution, to expand its portfolio of advanced therapies to meet the needs of Brazilian public health, expanding access to cutting-edge technologies," says the Director of the Butantan Institute, Esper Kallás.

For the coordinator of Nutera-SP, Vanderson Rocha, Full Professor of Hematology at the University of São Paulo’s School of Medicine, the local development of CAR-T by a public institution is a milestone for Brazilian science. "In the future, the therapy could expand treatment possibilities for patients who no longer respond to conventional therapies," he says.

"This partnership with Butantan is a pivotal milestone in IASO Bio’s global strategy to bring our innovative cell therapies to patients in Latin America," said Jinhua Zhang, Founder, Chairwoman and CEO of IASO Bio. "By combining our proprietary cell therapy technology with Butantan’s exceptional development and manufacturing capabilities as a public institution, we have a unique opportunity to significantly reduce costs and make this life-saving treatment accessible to many more patients in Brazil through the public health system."

(Press release, IASO Biotherapeutics, APR 10, 2026, View Source [SID1234664304])

New Survey Data Exploring Patient Experiences with Endometrial Cancer Care Presented at 2026 Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer

On April 10, 2026 Eisai Inc. reported the presentation of findings from a new survey, which evaluated the experiences and perspectives of 119 U.S.-based patients who have been diagnosed with endometrial cancer (EC) and who received at least one line of chemotherapy.† Conducted online in collaboration with the Endometrial Cancer Action Network for African-Americans (ECANA), Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE), the Foundation for Women’s Cancer (FWC) and The Harris Poll, the survey aimed to quantify patients’ perspectives on topics including the impact of treatment on daily life, preferences regarding treatment options, the role of shared decision-making, and more.

Endometrial cancer, the most common type of uterine cancer, is the sixth most common cancer in women across the globe, with more than 60,000 new diagnoses in the U.S. each year. In this survey, patients reported that EC and its treatment had negatively impacted not just their physical health, but also social, mental, sexual and financial wellbeing.

Chemotherapy – which is a standard component of the first systemic treatment patients receive ("first-line") – was reported as taking an emotional and physical toll on patients, manifesting in deeply personal ways. While it remains an important step in the clinical paradigm for EC treatment, chemotherapy is not the only option available to patients for whom another course of treatment ("second-line") is necessary. The survey uncovered a strong desire from patients to be more engaged in clinical decision-making, especially to be informed about all available treatment options and their respective side effects.

"These survey results quantify what many of us have been hearing from our patients for years: that they feel the burden of treatment and they want to be informed partners in decisions about their care," said lead author Ginger J. Gardner, MD, FACOG, Gynecologic Oncologist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Chair, FWC. "These findings are a clear call to action for providers in our field to ensure patients understand their options and have a voice in treatment conversations at every stage of their journey."

Key Findings: Chemotherapy Experiences and Preferences

When looking at all respondents (N=119), the survey found:

70% of patients reported that the burden of chemotherapy treatment was almost as much as the burden of the disease itself, and of those patients who received multiple lines of chemotherapy (n=64)*, 41% reported that their second-line of chemotherapy was worse than the first.
75% of those patients who had received multiple lines of chemotherapy* reported that the treatments had taken a toll on their personal lives.
*Denotes results based on small sample size (n=50-99); should be interpreted as directional only
95% of patients experienced hair loss (alopecia) with their chemotherapy treatment and 82% said that they would prefer a treatment option that causes less hair loss than chemotherapy, if one were available and applicable to them.
Beyond the immediate impact of treatment, patients reported a range of long-term side effects — most commonly fatigue (51%), followed by neuropathy (42%), trouble concentrating or remembering things (35%) and alopecia (35%).
71% of patients reported that they would prefer not to receive chemotherapy again in the future.
Key Findings: Treatment Decision-Making and Patient Education

When looking at all respondents (N=119), the survey found:

Only around 2 in 5 patients (42%) reported that they shared decision-making equally with their doctor and 79% indicated they wish their provider spent more time discussing what matters to them when it comes to their treatment.
9 in 10 patients (91%) wanted to know more about EC treatment options beyond chemotherapy.
92% of patients said they would prefer a treatment plan personalized to them over a one-size-fits-all approach.
Other Findings of Note: Differences in Treatment Experiences and Perceptions*

When looking specifically at respondents who identified as a person of color (n=47), the survey found:

They were less likely to feel informed about their EC treatment options overall (62% vs. 79% of white respondents);
70% reported spending 5 or more hours for a typical chemotherapy visit including scheduling and confirming appointments, getting to and from the appointment, and receiving treatment, while 55% of white respondents reported the same; and
74% agreed that they would prefer not to receive chemotherapy again in the future vs. 69% of white respondents.
*Denotes results based on extremely small sample size (n<50); should be interpreted as directional only

"It’s important that clinicians understand and acknowledge that there is a ‘trust gap,’ where patients of color may understandably doubt that their voices are truly being heard," said study author Adrienne Moore, President, ECANA. "In terms of treatment options, when the harsh physical toll of chemotherapy is compounded by the pressures of family, finances, and outside stressors – which often fall more heavily on communities of color – the combined burden can lead many to seek alternatives over repeating a chemotherapy treatment experience."

"The results of this survey provide a powerful reminder to the medical community that behind every data point is a person navigating one of the most difficult experiences of their life," said study author Sue Friedman, MD, Executive Director, FORCE. "So many of the people I connect with describe feeling overwhelmed by their treatment experience and wishing they had more time, more information, and more of a voice in their care. I encourage all patients to speak up, ask questions, and work with their healthcare team to build a treatment plan that reflects what matters most to them."

Findings from the survey will be presented as a poster, Endometrial Cancer: The Patient Voice is Center Stage, at the SGO Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer, taking place April 10–13, 2026, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The poster presentation (Abstract #1356) will happen in Exhibit Hall B on Sunday, April 12, 2026 from 11:00 AM–12:00 PM AST and 4:00–4:45 PM AST.

About the Survey

The Endometrial Cancer Patient Experience Survey was conducted online within the United States between April 21 and July 7, 2025, by The Harris Poll on behalf of Eisai Inc. in collaboration with ECANA, FORCE, and FWC. A total of 571 individuals were recruited to participate through a Harris Poll affiliate and through ECANA’s patient list, of whom 484 underwent eligibility screening (participation rate = 85%). Eligible respondents were ≥18 years of age, assigned female at birth, residents of the United States, diagnosed by a healthcare provider with uterine/endometrial/womb cancer and had received at least one line of prior chemotherapy. Of the 484 who underwent eligibility screening, 119 met the criteria for survey completion and subsequent data analysis (ECANA patient list, n=21; Harris Poll affiliate, n=98).

Select demographic and clinical characteristics of survey respondents included:

Median age: 59 years
Race/ethnicity: 61% White, 22% Hispanic, 16% Black/African American, 1% Asian
Mean time from first experiencing symptoms to EC diagnosis: 3 years
Treatment history (ever received): chemotherapy (100%), surgery (93%), radiation therapy (85%), immunotherapy (50%), oral targeted therapy (42%), hormonal therapy (40%)
54% received multiple prior lines of chemotherapy; 46% received one prior line of chemotherapy
Raw data were not weighted and are therefore only representative of the individuals who completed the survey. For this study, the patient sample data are accurate to within ±8.9 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest. All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to other multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including, but not limited to coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments.

About Endometrial Cancer

Endometrial cancer begins in the inner lining of the uterus, which is known as the endometrium, and is the most common type of cancer in the uterus. More than 90% of uterine body cancers occur in the endometrium. In the U.S., it is estimated there will be approximately 68,270 patients diagnosed with uterine body cancer and approximately 14,450 patient deaths from the disease in 2026. Globally, endometrial cancer is the sixth most common cancer in women and the 15th most common cancer overall. Despite these figures, endometrial cancer is severely underfunded relative to its rapidly increasing mortality rate. Following primary treatment, patients face a risk of their cancer returning, often as distant metastasis, which is associated with poorer outcomes.

(Press release, Eisai, APR 10, 2026, View Source [SID1234664303])

Whitehawk Therapeutics Presents Real-World Analysis Confirming MUC16 as a Highly Expressed, Clinically Relevant Target for Gynecologic Cancers at SGO 2026

On April 10, 2026 Whitehawk Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: WHWK), a clinical-stage oncology therapeutics company applying advanced technologies to established tumor biology to efficiently deliver improved antibody drug conjugate (ADC) cancer treatments, reported three posters from a real-world analysis supporting the therapeutic potential of targeting mucin 16 (MUC16) with a next-generation ADC for the treatment of ovarian and endometrial cancers at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) 2026 Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer, being held April 10-13, 2026, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

MUC16 is a cell-surface glycoprotein that promotes tumor cell proliferation, metastasis and immune evasion. MUC16 is overexpressed in multiple tumor types with limited expression in normal tissue. A large-scale RNA analysis demonstrated that MUC16 is highly and stably expressed across ovarian cancers and in the most aggressive and most common subtypes of endometrial cancer, including in later-stage disease, supporting its potential as a clinically meaningful ADC target and reinforcing the rationale for clinical development of HWK-016.

"Across both ovarian and endometrial cancers, MUC16 shows a high level of stable expression that is uncommon among many therapeutic targets," said Kathleen N. Moore, MD, Deputy Director and Director of Phase 1 Oncology Trials, The Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center. "The consistency of MUC16 expression across disease stage and platinum sensitivity supports the relevance of a MUC16-targeted ADC in earlier-line settings, as well as for heavily pretreated patients and as part of combination strategies."

Key Findings Include:

MUC16 in Ovarian Cancer

MUC16 has high, tumor‑selective expression, with concordance between MUC16 mRNA expression and MUC16 protein abundance by IHC.
MUC16 is highly expressed across most histologic subtypes, including the most common subtype, high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC), which accounts for ~70% of cases.
In HGSOC, MUC16 expression is stable across disease stages, metastatic status and platinum sensitivity, underscoring relevance in early- and late-line treatment settings.
MUC16 has the highest median expression, ranging from 2- to >100-fold higher than other clinically validated and emerging ADC targets, including NaPi2b, HER2, FRα, TROP2, B7-H4, CDH6 and CLDN6.
MUC16 in Endometrial Cancer

MUC16 has high, tumor‑selective expression, with concordance with MUC16 protein abundance by IHC.
MUC16 is most highly expressed in serous adenocarcinoma (the most aggressive subtype accounting for ~40% of deaths), followed by endometrioid adenocarcinoma (the most common subtype, accounting for ~90% of cases).
In serous adenocarcinoma, MUC16 expression is stable across disease stages and metastatic status, and has the highest median expression, 1.4- to 3.7-fold higher than other clinically validated and emerging ADC targets, including NaPi2b, HER2, TROP2, FRα and B7H4.
Earlier MUC16‑directed ADCs targeted the cleaved extracellular portion of the protein (CA125), which is shed into circulation, limiting tumor delivery. HWK‑016, Whitehawk’s investigational, next‑generation MUC16‑targeted ADC, is designed to overcome this antigen sink effect by selectively targeting the membrane‑bound, non‑shed portion of MUC16. HWK‑016 leverages a stable, cleavable linker to deliver a novel topoisomerase I (TOP1) inhibitor payload. HWK-016 is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1 clinical trial in patients with advanced ovarian and endometrial cancers [NCT07470853]. Initial clinical data are expected in the first half of 2027.

"The real-world data reported at SGO reinforce MUC16 as a ‘super expressed’ and durable target for gynecological cancers, strengthening the biological rationale for HWK-016," said Margaret Dugan, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Whitehawk Therapeutics. "By combining selective targeting of the membrane‑bound, non‑shed portion of MUC16 with our differentiated carbon‑bridge cystine‑repairing linker‑payload technology, HWK‑016 exemplifies our broader strategy of applying advanced ADC engineering to well‑validated tumor biology to potentially generate meaningfully improved outcomes for patients."

Poster Presentation Details:

Title: MUC16 in ovarian cancer: high, stable expression across histologic subtypes, disease stages, and platinum sensitivity status supports antibody-drug conjugate development
Presenter: Ursula A. Matulonis, MD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Date & Time: April 12, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM and 4:00 – 4:45 PM

Title: MUC16 as a therapeutic target: advancing antibody-drug conjugates for ovarian cancer treatment
Presenter: David M. O’Malley, MD, The Ohio State University
Date & Time: April 12, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM and 4:00 – 4:45 PM

Title: High and stable MUC16 expression in endometrial cancer highlights potential for targeted antibody-drug conjugate development
Presenter: Kathleen N. Moore, MD, University of Nebraska Medical Center
Poster Tour – Group 9: Targeted Tactics and Therapies
Date & Time: April 12, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM

The analysis was conducted as part of a previously announced collaboration between Whitehawk and Tempus AI. The posters will be accessible on the Presentations page of the Investors & News section of the Company’s website at www.whitehawktx.com.

(Press release, Whitehawk Therapeutics, APR 10, 2026, View Source [SID1234664302])

IDEAYA Biosciences to Announce Topline Results from Phase 2/3 OptimUM-02 Trial in Metastatic Uveal Melanoma on Monday, April 13, 2026

On April 10, 2026 IDEAYA Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: IDYA), a precision medicine oncology company, reported plans to issue a joint IDEAYA and Servier pre-market press release and host a conference call and webcast on Monday, April 13, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. ET to disclose topline results from their ongoing Phase 2/3 registrational trial, OptimUM-02, evaluating darovasertib in combination with crizotinib in patients with first-line HLA*A2-negative metastatic uveal melanoma. The call will include members of IDEAYA’s management joined by a distinguished key opinion leader.

Conference Call and Webcast Information

The webcast registration information can be accessed using this link or by visiting the Events section of the IDEAYA website. A replay of the webcast will be available on IDEAYA’s website for 30 days following the live event.

(Press release, Ideaya Biosciences, APR 10, 2026, View Source [SID1234664301])