Editor’s Briefing: November 12, 2026

In Short. The American Cancer Society now recommends regular PSA blood tests for men aged 50 to 69 at average risk. A large U.S. study found that nearly everyone carries a gene change that can affect a medicine.

American Cancer Society now recommends regular PSA tests for average-risk men

PROSTATE CANCER is one of the most common cancers in men and the second leading cause of cancer death among men in the United States. The American Cancer Society estimates that 333,830 men will be diagnosed in 2026 and that 36,320 will die of the disease (ACS announcement). On Thursday it issued a new guideline that directly recommends a blood test for prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, a protein made by the prostate, every two years for men aged 50 to 69 at average risk, after a discussion of benefits and harms. The 2010 guideline left the choice to most men and their clinicians, and did not recommend regular screening.

Black men, and non-Black men with a father, brother or son diagnosed before age 65 or more than one such relative diagnosed at any age, should have a yearly test from 45 to 69. Non-Black men with a single such relative diagnosed at 65 or older should be tested every two years from 45 to 69. From 70 to 74 the choice is individual, and screening is not recommended at 75 or older or for men not expected to live another ten years. A PSA of 3.0 nanograms per milliliter or higher at ages 45 to 69, or 6.5 or higher at 70 to 74, should be repeated within two weeks to three months and, if still high, followed by a prostate MRI scan or another validated marker before a biopsy. Men with a low-risk cancer should be offered close monitoring, known as active surveillance, first.

Gene differences that can change a medicine’s effect are common in a large U.S. study

People can carry small differences in certain genes, often called pharmacogenes, that change how the body handles a medicine, making a usual dose too strong, too weak or more likely to cause harm. A paper published Wednesday in Science Translational Medicine used whole-genome sequences and electronic health records from nearly 100,000 participants in All of Us, an NIH program (paper). Every participant carried at least one such variant among 16 genes examined, and 99.5% of those nearly 100,000 people had a predicted pattern of gene activity for which prescribing advice already exists. In 24.4%, that pattern was considered actionable and the person had already been prescribed a medicine covered by such advice. The authors also report thousands of previously unrecognized variants, especially in ancestry groups from the Americas and from Africa.

Pfizer expands a once-monthly obesity-injection program, with outside development funding

GLP-1 receptor agonists are medicines that copy a gut hormone and are used to help people lose weight. On Wednesday Pfizer and Blackstone Life Sciences said funds managed by Blackstone will pay up to $1.5 billion of development costs through 2028 for berobenatide, an experimental monthly GLP-1 injection (Pfizer announcement). The drug is being studied for long-term weight management and for conditions linked to obesity. Pfizer said this is part of more than 20 trials planned for obesity and related conditions in 2026, including 10 Phase 3 trials of berobenatide. In return Blackstone could receive milestone payments tied to U.S. approval of the monthly injection, used alone for long-term weight management, and to sales targets. Blackstone does not acquire rights or ownership in the drug, and Pfizer keeps full control of the program.

Neurosterix plans a mid-stage schizophrenia trial of an M4 receptor medicine

Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric illness that can include psychosis, a loss of contact with reality. Many older antipsychotic medicines block dopamine and can cause movement problems and metabolic side effects. On Wednesday Neurosterix, spun out of Addex Therapeutics, said it had completed a $105 million financing, mainly for a planned Phase 2 trial of NTX-253 (Addex announcement). The oral medicine increases the response of the M4 muscarinic receptor, a protein on nerve cells that can change dopamine signaling indirectly, by binding a site other than the usual one, known as positive allosteric modulation. Phase 1 studies of rising single and multiple doses are complete and, the company said, support a larger Phase 2 trial.

What to watch

By November 14 the FDA is due to decide on Cytokinetics’ aficamten, for a thickening of the heart muscle that can obstruct blood flow, and on a new at-home use of Teva’s IGALMI, a film of dexmedetomidine placed under the tongue, for agitation in bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. Capricor’s deramiocel for Duchenne muscular dystrophy is due on November 22.