Pharma Pulse 6/23/25: Tracking Nation’s Growth in Pharma Innovation and Global Investment; Why AI and Automation Are Set to Become the New Normal in Clinical Research
China’s Trial Advantage: Tracking Nation’s Growth in Pharma Innovation and Global Investment
A recent Pharmaceutical Executive article highlights how China's rapidly maturing pharmaceutical innovation ecosystem—driven by faster, more affordable clinical trials, regulatory reforms, and a growing diversity of research areas—is positioning the country as a global hub for drug development and a prime target for international pharma investment and partnerships.
2025 DIA Annual Meeting: Why AI and Automation Are Set to Become the New Normal in Clinical Research
In an interview with Applied Clinical Trials, Emmes CEO Peter Ronco emphasized that AI and automation—already being quietly advanced by public agencies like the NIH and FDA—are poised to become the new normal in clinical research, accelerating regulatory processes, improving trial design, and reducing animal testing, while requiring continued human oversight, ethical safeguards, and cultural investment to fully realize their potential.
Unicorns Don’t Exist: Rethinking the Generalist Model in Oncology Pharmacy
In today’s complex oncology landscape, the traditional generalist model for pharmacists is no longer sustainable, as the rapid pace of drug development, operational demands, and clinical specialization now require oncology pharmacists to build depth in focused areas rather than be expected to excel across the entire cancer spectrum—highlighting the urgent need for role clarity, educational support, and realistic expectations to reduce burnout and improve patient care.
Early-phase data from a first-in-human trial support the safety and potential efficacy of a novel CRISPR-Cas9–based strategy that knocks out the intracellular checkpoint CISH to enhance tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte activity in patients with metastatic gastrointestinal cancers, offering a promising new avenue to overcome resistance to conventional immunotherapies and laying the groundwork for future, more accessible CISH-targeted therapies.
Gene Therapy Faces Fresh Uncertainty as Two More Top FDA Officials Depart
The sudden administrative leave of two senior FDA officials overseeing gene therapies has reignited concerns about regulatory stability and the future direction of cell and gene therapy oversight in the United States, as industry experts and investors grapple with leadership turnover, mixed policy signals, and mounting uncertainty amid an already fragile investment climate.
