The future leaves
signals in time.

STAT+ rounds up five biotech updates to read after this weekend's ESMO meeting. Among them, Moderna and Merck are racing to submit their personalized cancer vaccine for FDA approval, which Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel says is expected in 2027.

According to ScienceDaily, an AI system called REDMOD identified hidden warning signs of pancreatic cancer an average of 475 days before diagnosis and was reported as nearly twice as sensitive as experienced radiologists. These findings come from the reported study; real-world clinical impact is not yet established.

Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel discussed the company's future strategy following the recent success of its cancer vaccine.

According to a major clinical trial involving young children, a simple liquid painted onto teeth in seconds can stop cavities without drilling, injections, or anesthesia. The inexpensive treatment could spare thousands of children painful dental procedures while paving the way for broader FDA-approved use, the report says.

Nature Medicine published the phase 2 MDT-BRIDGE trial, which studied neoadjuvant durvalumab plus chemotherapy in patients with resectable or borderline resectable non-small-cell lung cancer. No trial results are provided in the available context.

Scientists found that pancreatic cancer cells continually reshape their genetic makeup to become more aggressive, spread, and evade treatment. In laboratory experiments, blocking a key gene reversed some of these changes, suggesting a potential new approach against the disease.

Researchers found that older adults with a specific genetic profile had a 70% lower relative risk of dementia when taking low-dose aspirin, although previous studies found no overall protective effect. The finding suggests genetics may explain why some people benefit while others do not.

USC researchers found that older adults who closely followed the Mediterranean diet had higher levels of the mitochondria-produced proteins humanin and SHMOOSE, which have been linked to protection against heart disease and Alzheimer's. The findings suggest a possible association, not a proven causal effect.

A small device that gently stimulates nerves through the ear may offer a new way to tackle stubborn high blood pressure. In a clinical trial of 63 patients already taking medication, the treatment proved safe, easy to use at home, and well tolerated. Although it did not significantly outperform a placebo overall, patients with more severe hypertension showed promising reductions in blood pressure.

A major study discovered distinct antibody patterns in the blood that could reveal hidden warning signs of inflammatory bowel disease up to 10 years before diagnosis. This could help predict who might develop Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, even distinguishing those at risk of more complicated disease.

A new mRNA vaccine personalized to a patient's tumor reportedly reduced the risk of melanoma recurrence by over 40 percent in a Phase 3 trial, which the outlet describes as another example of the promise of mRNA vaccines in treating cancer.

Scientists found that switching off a protein called Mitch makes human cells burn more fat and prevents new fat cells from developing. The finding builds on mouse experiments showing resistance to obesity and improved muscular endurance, raising hopes for a new weight-loss approach; it remains early-stage research.

Scientists discovered that the thick, sticky fluid surrounding glioblastoma tumors can make brain cancer cells smaller, more flexible, and better at invading surrounding tissue. Furthermore, some of these changes persist after the cells leave the fluid, revealing a previously overlooked mechanism that could aid the spread of this deadly cancer.

Nature Medicine reports 5-year survival and biomarker analyses from the phase 3 RELATIVITY-047 trial, which compared relatlimab plus nivolumab against nivolumab alone in advanced melanoma. Specific outcome data are not provided in the available context.

Nature Medicine reports the phase 2a GDFATHER-NEO trial evaluating neoadjuvant nivolumab with or without visugromab in muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Specific results are not provided in the available context.

As reported by STAT+, highly anticipated data for the Moderna-Merck personalized mRNA melanoma cancer vaccine were released early at ESMO. Per the supplied context, the released data concerned recurrence-free survival and the time until distant metastasis occurred.

According to STAT+, a patient has died in a Bristol Myers Squibb CAR-T trial for autoimmune conditions. The report raises the question of where the safety bar should be for studies investigating CAR-T therapies for autoimmune conditions; further trial details were not provided.