Andy Studna, Senior Editor

The FDA has introduced a secure, agency-wide agentic AI system to support complex regulatory workflows—enhancing reviews, surveillance, and inspections—while maintaining strict data protections and human oversight.

In today’s ACT Brief, we examine how the FDA’s CNPV Program is reshaping operational planning and accelerated submission readiness, review the FDA’s accelerated approval of Voyxact for IgA nephropathy, and explore new insights from the Veeva R&D and Quality Summit on modernizing clinical reference data management.

The FDA has granted accelerated approval to Otsuka’s Voyxact for adults with primary IgAN at risk of disease progression, based on Phase III VISIONARY trial results showing a 51% reduction in proteinuria at nine months and a generally well-tolerated safety profile, offering the first targeted APRIL-blocking therapy for this patient population.

In this Q&A, John Kirk, principal regulatory specialist at Veristat, explains how the FDA’s Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher (CNPV) Program is accelerating operational timelines, tightening cross-functional workflows, and redefining what sponsors and CROs must deliver to secure and execute an ultra-compressed one-to-two-month review.

In today’s ACT Brief, we examine how the CRA role is transforming alongside modern clinical trial technology, review the FDA’s approval of Imfinzi plus FLOT as the first immunotherapy regimen for resectable gastric and GEJ cancers, and look at Novo Nordisk’s fast-tracked submission of its higher-dose Wegovy injectable under the Commissioner’s Priority Review Program.

The approval of AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi in combination with perioperative FLOT chemotherapy marks the first immunotherapy regimen for resectable gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancers, delivering a 22% overall survival benefit and establishing a new standard of care.

In today’s ACT Brief, we examine how AI is being integrated into administrative workflows at investigative sites, highlight the FDA’s approval of the first gene therapy for adolescents and adults with SMA, and explore strategies for pharmaceutical companies to build high-performing hospital-based clinical trial programs.

FDA approval of Itvisma, the first gene replacement therapy for adolescents, teens, and adults with SMA, is backed by Phase III data showing meaningful gains in motor function and a consistent safety profile across previously untreated and previously treated patients.

In today’s ACT Brief, we examine how AI and functional service partners are reshaping global pharmacovigilance, look at new data on how investigative sites are investing in and integrating digital solutions, and explore how Trialbee assesses ROI across emerging multi-touch recruitment platforms.

Explore methods to evaluate recruitment performance across multiple platforms, including engagement tracking, conversion analysis, and data-driven optimization for emerging digital spaces.

Examine real-world examples of patient engagement through less conventional channels and see how targeted campaigns can reach high-quality participants even in low-volume or emerging platforms.

Understand the regulatory and policy considerations for running clinical trial recruitment campaigns on nontraditional or entertainment-focused platforms, and how ongoing collaboration with ad teams ensures compliant, effective outreach.

Phase III HERIZON-GEA-01 trial results show Ziihera combinations, with or without tislelizumab, significantly improve progression-free and overall survival in patients with HER2-positive advanced gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma, positioning these regimens as potential new first-line standards of care.

In today’s ACT Brief, we look at how Trialbee evaluates nontraditional digital platforms for patient recruitment, review new 48-week data from J&J’s APEX trial of Tremfya in psoriatic arthritis, and explore how agentic AI is poised to reshape commercial operations in life sciences.

Learn how demographic and behavioral insights inform platform-specific messaging, creative formats, and call-to-action strategies to engage patients and caregivers effectively across diverse digital channels.

New 48-week results from Johnson & Johnson’s Phase IIIb APEX trial show Tremfya delivers durable symptom improvement, slows radiographic progression, and maintains a consistent safety profile in biologic-naïve psoriatic arthritis patients—supporting J&J’s sBLA to expand the therapy’s label.

Explore which factors—audience relevance, content fit, and engagement quality—determine the best use of platforms like TikTok, Reddit, and Spotify for targeted patient recruitment campaigns.

In today’s ACT Brief, we look at how real-world data and AI are helping prevent costly study rescue, review the FDA’s approval of a first-in-class menin inhibitor for NPM1-mutated AML, and explore new insights on closing biomarker-testing gaps in oncology.

FDA has approved Komzifti (ziftomenib) as the first once-daily, oral menin inhibitor for adults with relapsed or refractory NPM1-mutated AML, supported by Phase II KOMET-001 data showing meaningful remission rates, durable responses, and a manageable safety profile in a population with limited treatment options.

In today’s ACT Brief, we examine declining site satisfaction and strategies to improve sponsor-site collaboration, review a new partnership enabling automated eSource-to-EDC data transfer, and highlight Gilead’s positive Phase III ARTISTRY-1 trial results in virologically suppressed adults with HIV.

The ARTISTRY-1 Phase III trial demonstrated that a single-tablet regimen of bictegravir 75 mg/lenacapavir 50 mg maintains viral suppression and simplifies therapy for people living with HIV, supporting safer, more convenient treatment options.

A new integration between Advarra and IgniteData will enable secure, automated transfer of clinical trial data from EHRs and eSource systems to sponsor EDCs.

Melissa Hutchens, vice president of research & benchmarking at WCG, and Jimmy Garza, senior director of clinical operations at Bayer, discuss findings from the latest WCG CenterWatch Global Site Relationship Survey, revealing a decline in overall site satisfaction. They explore key drivers behind this trend, including technology usability, communication gaps, and limited site input in protocol design, and share actionable approaches to strengthen sponsor-site partnerships and improve study execution.

In Vibrance-2, oral alixorexton significantly improved wakefulness and reduced excessive daytime sleepiness with a favorable safety profile, positioning the OX2R agonist for rapid advancement into Phase III trials.

In today’s ACT Brief, we look at how artificial intelligence is reshaping drug development decisions across pharma, discuss evolving sponsor oversight in site selection and protocol design, and review the FDA’s decision to update menopausal hormone therapy labels for clarity and safety.

Learn how organizing data assets, activating nonresearch HCPs, and building referral pathways with compliant remuneration can convert identified patients into enrolled participants.

In today’s ACT Brief, we look at how adaptive trial models are reshaping precision medicine, new data showing Wegovy’s impact on liver health, and Eli Lilly’s latest collaborations advancing genetic and RNA-based therapies.

Gain insight into why sponsors are taking a larger role in site selection and CRO oversight using robust data to validate feasibility before launch.

Novel trial designs are reshaping clinical development by improving efficiency, reducing redundancies, and accelerating timelines toward a new era of precision medicine.

Cogent Biosciences’ combination therapy cut the risk of disease progression or death by 50% compared to sunitinib alone, with a favorable safety profile and plans for FDA submission in early 2026.