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Genmab's Epkinly Wins Frontline Trial & Vaxcyte's Vaccine Passes With Caveats

Tue, Oct 6, 2026 15 min Hosts: Alex Mercer & Maya Patel
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Genmab and AbbVie's investigational frontline Epkinly (epcoritamab) combination cut progression-or-death hazard 51% versus R-CHOP in lymphoma patients with IPI scores of 3–5; it did not face Polivy's approved regimen. Vaxcyte's VAX-31 met its pivotal immune-response framework, with two serotypes clearing only a looser threshold against Merck's CAPVAXIVE—not proof of disease prevention. Deals span GE HealthCare–SOFIE and PET tracer FAPI-74, Shionogi–IntraBio and AQNEURSA in rare neurology, and CSL–Alentis for kidney-disease antibody lixudebart. CMS finalized rules for future prescription-drug files that could improve market-access pricing visibility if the schedule holds.Alex Mercer and Maya Patel host. Get the daily rundown in your inbox — subscribe at https://thepharmacloseout.com.

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