Editor’s Briefing: October 8, 2026

In Short. Argenx stopped a late-stage trial of its marketed drug efgartigimod in Sjögren’s disease after an interim analysis showed it could not succeed, and reported a mid-stage win in celiac disease for a newer antibody. Gene therapy and goggles gave some blind patients limited sight, Roche’s amylin drug disappointed on blood sugar, and the drug industry’s lobby sued to stop Medicare tying drug prices to those abroad.

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Argenx halts its Sjögren’s trial for futility

Sjögren’s disease is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the glands that make tears and saliva, and it can damage other organs. Argenx’s efgartigimod blocks FcRn, a receptor that recycles antibodies, so it lowers levels of the antibodies that drive such diseases. The company already sells it as Vyvgart for myasthenia gravis, a muscle-weakness disorder. On Thursday argenx said it would stop UNITY, a phase 3 trial of the under-the-skin form in adults with moderate-to-severe Sjögren’s. An independent committee reviewed interim data and concluded the trial could not meet its main goal, a change in disease activity across the body at week 48. No new safety problems appeared. (argenx via GlobeNewswire; Fierce Biotech)

Argenx’s celiac antibody passes a phase 2 test

In celiac disease, eating gluten triggers an immune attack that flattens the villi, the finger-like folds of the small intestine that absorb food. FB102 is an antibody against CD122, a receptor that carries two immune signals, IL-2 and IL-15. Argenx gained it by buying Forte Biosciences for $2.2 billion. The phase 2 trial gave FB102 or placebo to 126 adults who then ate gluten on purpose. At day 78, the ratio of villus height to the depth of the crypts between them, a standard measure of gut damage, was significantly better on FB102. Argenx has released only the p-value, 0.0176, and plans a phase 3 trial. Teva’s TEV’408, which blocks IL-15 alone, passed a smaller phase 2a test last month. (Fierce Biotech)

Optogenetics gives blind patients some light sensitivity

Retinitis pigmentosa is an inherited disease in which the retina’s light-sensing cells die. Optogenetics uses a gene to make cells respond to light. A team led by José-Alain Sahel of the University of Pittsburgh and Botond Roska of the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel injected the gene for ChrimsonR, a light-sensitive protein from algae, into the worse eye of 10 blind patients. Camera goggles turned the scene into pulses of amber light the treated cells could detect. In the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday, the team reported the treatment was safe in all 10. Six gained meaningful light sensitivity, and four of the eight who finished testing could find a doorway or follow a line. None could read or see faces. (IOB; Science News)

Roche and Zealand’s amylin drug lags on blood sugar

Amylin is a hormone released with insulin that slows digestion and signals fullness. Roche agreed last year to pay $1.65 billion plus milestones for petrelintide, Zealand Pharma’s weekly injection that mimics it. On Thursday Zealand reported Zupreme-2, a phase 2 trial in 220 people with obesity or overweight and type 2 diabetes. At week 28 they lost up to 9.2% of body weight against 2% on placebo. HbA1c, a measure of average blood sugar over about three months, fell 0.65%, short of the 1.3% to 2.1% seen with rival drugs in other trials. Stomach side effects led 1.9% of patients on the drug to stop, against 1.7% on placebo. Roche has started three phase 3 trials. (Fierce Biotech)

PhRMA sues to stop Medicare’s foreign price benchmark

Medicare Part B pays for drugs given in doctors’ offices and hospital clinics, based on their average U.S. sales price. A rule called GLOBE, published on October 2, would require drugmakers to pay rebates that bring those prices down to benchmarks drawn from 19 wealthy countries. On Wednesday PhRMA, the industry’s main trade group, sued in federal court in Washington to have the rule struck down. It argues that Medicare’s authority to test new payment models does not let it rewrite drug pricing nationwide, and that the rule breaches constitutional limits. The rule exempts drugmakers that have signed separate pricing deals with the White House. PhRMA blocked an earlier version in 2020 on procedural grounds. (PhRMA; complaint)

What to watch

pdufa.bio lists FDA decisions on Roche’s Tecentriq for stage III colon cancer after surgery on October 9, Merck’s ifinatamab deruxtecan on October 10 and Roche’s Enspryng in thyroid eye disease on October 15.