Clinical trial coverage on Peptide News Digest pulls in Phase 1 through Phase 3 readouts across the peptide universe — GLP-1 obesity and cardiometabolic trials (SELECT, SURMOUNT-4, ACHIEVE-3, REDEFINE-1, SYNCHRONIZE-1), peptide vaccine work (AMPLIFY-201, MEL39), peptide-drug conjugate trials, and antimicrobial peptide programs.
Most of the noise sits with Lilly and Novo, but the interesting reads are usually elsewhere: Bicycle Therapeutics on solid tumors, Lirum on Ewing sarcoma, Cerapedics on lumbar fusion, Pelage on hair loss. Real-world evidence and registry data also land here when they reframe what the randomized trials showed.
Each entry names the sponsor, the phase, and the endpoint. Browse the latest below, or jump to the readouts by drug at #semaglutide, #tirzepatide, or #orforglipron.
The 26th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2026) closed Friday July 31, 2026 at Riocentro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil after six days of programming under the conference theme 'Rethink. Rebuild. Rise.' Approximately 10,000 attendees participated in person and virtually. Signature presentations across the week: the Wednesday July 29 Gilead-Merck ISLEND-1 and ISLEND-2 late-breaker with Week 48 detailed Phase 3 data on the investigational once-weekly oral single-tablet islatravir 2 mg / lenacapavir 300 mg regimen (0% ISLEND-1 vs 0.3% daily Biktarvy at Week 48; 0.3% ISLEND-2 vs 1.3% daily standard-of-care); Gilead's twice-yearly subcutaneous lenacapavir (Yeztugo for HIV prevention) 52-week open-label extension data from Phase 3 PURPOSE 1 and PURPOSE 2 (zero new infections across 7,178 person-years, one infection across 5,295 person-years); the Monday July 27 UNAIDS 'United to End AIDS' 2025 data report on 2025 HIV funding cuts; and Thursday July 30 lenacapavir implementation-science programming with a cross-country demand generation playbook for scale-up. Generic lenacapavir from Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, Hetero Labs, and four other manufacturers is expected in 2027 at approximately $40 per person per year across 120 low- and lower-middle-income countries. The next International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2028) will be held in Barcelona, Spain.
The 26th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2026) Day 4 continued Thursday July 30, 2026 at Riocentro in Rio de Janeiro. Two Thursday programming highlights: a cross-country implementation learning presentation on lenacapavir demand generation (16:33-16:41 BRT / 3:33-3:41 PM EDT) that introduces a structured demand generation playbook supporting effective introduction and uptake of lenacapavir within a broader PrEP Choice framework, following the Wednesday late-breaker on the Gilead-Merck ISLEND-1 and ISLEND-2 detailed Phase 3 data and the 52-week PURPOSE 1 and PURPOSE 2 open-label extension data on twice-yearly injectable lenacapavir. The ANRS RHIVIERA consortium (French research agency) satellite symposium (18:00-19:30 BRT) covers 'Treatment interruption and treatment resumption: lessons learned from HIV cure clinical trials,' addressing the analytical treatment interruption (ATI) research methodology and the observational learnings from HIV cure-focused trials that have paused antiretroviral therapy to test cure candidates. The conference closes Friday July 31 with the closing session and additional late-breaker presentations. Generic lenacapavir from Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, Hetero Labs, and four other manufacturers is expected in 2027 at approximately $40 per person per year across 120 low- and lower-middle-income countries.
Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: GILD) and Merck (NYSE: MRK) presented detailed Phase 3 ISLEND-1 and ISLEND-2 Week 48 data during the late-breaking session at AIDS 2026 Wednesday July 29, 2026 in Rio de Janeiro. The investigational once-weekly oral single-tablet regimen of islatravir 2 mg / lenacapavir 300 mg (ISL/LEN) demonstrated non-inferior efficacy versus daily standard-of-care antiretroviral therapy in virologically-suppressed adults living with HIV who switched from daily Biktarvy (ISLEND-1) or other daily oral regimens (ISLEND-2). Primary endpoint results: 0% of ISLEND-1 participants on once-weekly ISL/LEN had HIV-1 RNA at 50 copies/mL or higher at Week 48 compared to 0.3% remaining on daily Biktarvy; in the open-label ISLEND-2 trial, 0.3% of participants on ISL/LEN had HIV-1 RNA at 50 copies/mL or higher versus 1.3% on daily standard-of-care regimens. Safety profile was generally similar to comparator regimens with no new safety signals identified. The Week 48 data will support planned regulatory submissions for the first once-weekly oral HIV treatment regimen. Lenacapavir is Gilead's first-in-class HIV capsid inhibitor; islatravir is Merck's nucleoside reverse transcriptase translocation inhibitor (NRTTI).
Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: GILD) presented 52-week open-label extension (OLE) long-term data from the Phase 3 PURPOSE 1 and PURPOSE 2 trials of twice-yearly subcutaneous lenacapavir (Yeztugo, FDA-approved June 2025) for HIV prevention (pre-exposure prophylaxis, PrEP) at AIDS 2026 Wednesday July 29, 2026. PURPOSE 1 documented zero new HIV infections among participants receiving twice-yearly lenacapavir across more than 7,178 person-years of open-label follow-up at Week 52; PURPOSE 2 documented one HIV infection among participants continuing lenacapavir across 5,295 person-years. The 52-week OLE data confirms continued high efficacy, high adherence (participants generally reliably return for the twice-yearly injection), and consistent safety profile across broad and geographically diverse populations. Yeztugo has now been deployed in 10 priority sub-Saharan African countries including South Africa (national program launched June 5, 2026 by President Cyril Ramaphosa in Secunda, Mpumalanga), Zambia, and Eswatini through PEPFAR and Global Fund investments. Generic versions from Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, Hetero Labs, and four other manufacturers are expected in 2027 at approximately $40 per person per year across 120 low- and lower-middle-income countries.
The 26th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2026) Day 2 continues Tuesday July 28, 2026 at Riocentro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Key Tuesday programming includes: the World Health Organization (WHO) interactive workshop in Room 101C from 14:30-16:30 BRT on practical approaches to sustaining HIV, tuberculosis (TB), viral hepatitis, and sexually transmitted infection (STI) services for key populations through integrated primary health care (particularly timely following the UNAIDS 'United to End AIDS' report Monday documenting 2025 HIV funding cuts); the European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG) poster sessions Tuesday and Wednesday on the SCOPE, Belong, and RBDCOV research projects; the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) cost-effectiveness presentation on dual HIV/syphilis and triplex HIV/syphilis/HBV rapid diagnostic testing among pregnant women in Kenya and South Africa (15:27-15:35 BRT); and the ViiV Healthcare peer-support-in-HIV-care session from 12:00-13:00 BRT. All abstracts (oral, poster, e-poster, and late-breaker) became available on-demand on Monday July 27 at 14:00 BRT for registered delegates, with on-demand session recordings available 4-12 hours after they take place. The main peptide-adjacent industry late-breaker (Gilead-Merck ISLEND-1 and ISLEND-2 detailed data) is scheduled for Wednesday July 29.
AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN) reported Q2 2026 earnings before market open Monday July 27, 2026 with core earnings per share of $2.63 for the three months ended June 30 (+18% constant currency), beating consensus of $2.48. Revenue of $15.38 billion was in line with consensus of $15.39 billion (+5%). Analyst focus on the earnings call centered on the pipeline update: elecoglipron, the oral small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist AstraZeneca in-licensed and advanced through Phase 2 VISTA and SOLSTICE (positive data at ADA 2026 Scientific Sessions in June), has moved into a full Phase 3 program in Q2 2026. The Phase 3 program includes the EMBOLD trials in adults with obesity or overweight (with and without type 2 diabetes), the ELUMINATE trials in adults with type 2 diabetes (as monotherapy and in combination with dapagliflozin), and long-term cardiovascular and kidney outcome trials. AstraZeneca is now the third major sponsor competing with Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly for the oral GLP-1 market alongside oral semaglutide/Ozempic and orforglipron (Foundayo, FDA-approved April 2026). AstraZeneca separately revised the peak sales projection for tozorakimab (experimental respiratory treatment) to above $5 billion from the previous $3 billion estimate. AZN shares rose approximately 1.7% in London Monday morning trading.
The 26th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2026) main conference opened Monday July 27, 2026 at Riocentro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The opening ceremony ran 15:00-16:30 local time in the Global Village. UNAIDS released its 'United to End AIDS' 2025 data report on the opening day, documenting the severity of 2025 HIV funding cuts and their impact on HIV prevention, community services, key populations, and the sustainability of the global AIDS response. The WHO launched its first global mid-term assessment of progress under the Global Health Sector Strategies on HIV, viral hepatitis, and sexually transmitted infections, marking the halfway point to the 2030 targets and providing a comprehensive overview of where the world stands on the SDG 3.3 targets. Peptide-adjacent HIV modality content this week includes Gilead Sciences's twice-yearly lenacapavir (first-in-class HIV capsid inhibitor) PURPOSE 1 and PURPOSE 2 long-term extension data and the Gilead-Merck once-weekly oral islatravir/lenacapavir Phase 3 ISLEND-1 and ISLEND-2 detailed data late-breaker scheduled for Wednesday July 29. Merck plans separate presentations across daily, weekly, and monthly HIV treatment and prevention pipeline including alimatravir (MK-8527), the investigational once-monthly oral HIV prevention pill licensed July 24 to Aspen Pharmacare and six other generic manufacturers for 129 low- and middle-income countries.
The 26th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2026) pre-conference sessions open Sunday July 26, 2026 at Riocentro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with PATH, WHO, and Unitaid programming focused on 'Advancing HIV Prevention Science and Access' between 08:00-13:00 local time. Twice-yearly lenacapavir (Gilead's Yeztugo, FDA-approved June 2025) has been deployed in 10 priority sub-Saharan African countries including South Africa (Secunda, Mpumalanga launch by President Cyril Ramaphosa on June 5, 2026), Zambia, and Eswatini through PEPFAR and Global Fund investments. Generic versions from Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, Hetero Labs, and four other manufacturers are expected in 2027 at approximately $40 per person per year following Gates Foundation and Unitaid partnership announcements in September 2025 (compared to the current US Yeztugo list price of approximately $28,218 per person per year). The main conference opens Monday July 27 with the UNAIDS 'United to End AIDS' report release providing 2025 HIV data and the WHO's first global mid-term assessment of progress under the Global Health Sector Strategies on HIV, viral hepatitis, and sexually transmitted infections (marking the halfway point to the 2030 targets). Up to 10,000 attendees are expected in person and virtually across the seven-day program running through Friday July 31. Conference theme: 'Rethink. Rebuild. Rise.'
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ALNY) reports Q2 2026 earnings Thursday July 30, 2026 before market open. Analyst focus areas include the new ALN-6222 investigational subcutaneous siRNA obesity Phase 1 trial (NCT07624071, first-in-human single-ascending-dose randomized double-blind placebo-controlled design enrolling approximately 88 adults with BMI 30 to less than 40 kg/m² and HbA1c below 6.5% at a single site in Mount Royal, Canada through December 2027; molecular target of ALN-6222 has not been publicly disclosed). Also under focus: the Phase 1 ALN-2232 program (Alnylam's second obesity-track siRNA, with a Phase 1 readout expected in the second half of 2026), the Alnylam-PeptiDream peptide-siRNA conjugate extrahepatic delivery platform milestone announced December 2025 (demonstrating peptide-ligand-mediated targeted siRNA delivery to specific extrahepatic tissues), and the broader Alnylam 2030 strategy launch positioning beyond the Amvuttra (vutrisiran) transthyretin amyloidosis franchise. Alnylam's obesity pipeline is programmed against inhibin subunit beta E (INHBE) in liver and activin receptor type 1C (ACVR1C) in adipose tissue, both nucleic-acid modality targets that are distinct from GLP-1 agonism.
The 26th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2026) opens Sunday July 26, 2026 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and runs through Friday July 31. Two peptide-adjacent HIV modality readouts anchor the industry program. Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: GILD) will present twice-yearly lenacapavir (first-in-class HIV capsid inhibitor) long-term open-label extension data from the Phase 3 PURPOSE 1 trial, where zero new HIV infections occurred among participants receiving lenacapavir across more than 7,178 person-years of follow-up at Week 52, and from PURPOSE 2, where one HIV infection occurred among participants continuing lenacapavir across 5,295 person-years of follow-up. Separately, Gilead and Merck's once-weekly oral single-tablet islatravir 2 mg / lenacapavir 300 mg (ISL/LEN) Phase 3 ISLEND-1 and ISLEND-2 detailed data is scheduled for the late-breaking session on Wednesday July 29. Topline released July 21 showed 0% of ISLEND-1 once-weekly ISL/LEN participants had HIV-1 RNA at 50 copies/mL or higher at Week 48 (versus 0.3% remaining on daily Biktarvy). Merck plans separate presentations across its daily, weekly, and monthly HIV treatment and prevention pipeline including alimatravir (MK-8527), the investigational once-monthly oral HIV prevention pill licensed Friday July 24 to Aspen Pharmacare and six other generic manufacturers for 129 low- and middle-income countries.
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ALNY) confirmed a first-in-human Phase 1 trial of ALN-6222, an investigational subcutaneous siRNA therapeutic in adults with obesity, in a July 22 filing update on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT07624071). The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single ascending dose study will enroll approximately 88 participants with a BMI of 30 to less than 40 kg/m² and an HbA1c below 6.5% (excluding participants with diabetes). The primary endpoints are safety and pharmacodynamics; secondary endpoints include changes in body weight and metabolic markers. The molecular target of ALN-6222 has not been publicly disclosed. The trial is set to run through December 2027 at a single site in Mount Royal, Canada. ALN-6222 marks Alnylam's first clinical-stage entry into the obesity therapeutic area, joining a broader wave of nucleic-acid, peptide, and peptide-fusion modalities entering the space beyond the GLP-1 incumbents (Wegovy, Ozempic, Mounjaro, Zepbound) and the Alnylam-PeptiDream peptide-siRNA conjugate collaboration announced in 2021. Alnylam separately reports Q2 2026 earnings later this week and is expected to discuss the ALN-6222 program on the call.
The 26th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2026) opens Sunday July 26, 2026 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and runs through July 31. Gilead Sciences and Merck's Phase 3 ISLEND-1 and ISLEND-2 detailed data on the investigational once-weekly oral HIV treatment regimen islatravir 2 mg / lenacapavir 300 mg (ISL/LEN) is scheduled for the late-breaking session on Wednesday July 29. Topline numbers released July 21 showed 0% of once-weekly ISL/LEN participants had HIV-1 RNA at 50 copies/mL or higher at Week 48 in ISLEND-1 (versus 0.3% of participants who remained on daily Biktarvy). In ISLEND-2, 0.3% of participants receiving weekly ISL/LEN had HIV-1 RNA at 50 copies/mL or higher versus 1.3% on daily standard of care regimens. Safety profile was generally similar to comparator regimens with no new signals identified. Lenacapavir is a first-in-class HIV capsid inhibitor (peptide-adjacent modality); islatravir is a nucleoside reverse transcriptase translocation inhibitor (NRTTI). The data will support planned regulatory submissions and represents the first once-weekly oral HIV treatment regimen to clear Phase 3 endpoints. Merck also plans to present daily, weekly, and monthly HIV treatment and prevention pipeline updates at AIDS 2026.
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ARWR) reported positive Phase 3 topline results Thursday July 23, 2026 from the SHASTA-3 and SHASTA-4 studies of plozasiran, an ApoC-III-targeting siRNA administered as a 25 mg subcutaneous injection once every three months, in adults with severe hypertriglyceridemia (sHTG). Both trials met their primary endpoint: median triglyceride reductions of 79% (SHASTA-3) and 81% (SHASTA-4) at Month 12 versus approximately 27% for placebo. All prespecified secondary endpoints were met, including a statistically significant reduction in the rate of acute pancreatitis events compared with placebo. Arrowhead shares rose approximately 19% on the readout. The company plans to file a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) with the US FDA before the end of 2026 for the sHTG indication (which extends the current Redemplo label from familial chylomicronemia syndrome), and Arrowhead intends to use the SHASTA-3, SHASTA-4, and MUIR-3 program data for marketing authorization filings across multiple global geographies. Plozasiran is a nucleic-acid therapeutic (siRNA), an adjacent-modality to peptides that operates through RNA interference at the ApoC-III gene expression level to lower circulating triglycerides.
Boehringer Ingelheim announced Thursday July 16, 2026 the start of a Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating BI 3034701, its investigational triple GLP-1/GIP/NPY2 receptor agonist peptide, in patients with obesity and overweight. BI 3034701 is a potential first-in-class triple agonist designed to activate three complementary biological pathways: GLP-1 and GIP receptors reduce appetite and regulate metabolism, and the neuropeptide Y2 (NPY2) receptor modulates central hunger signaling. Phase 1 studies previously showed a generally favorable safety and tolerability profile that supported advancing the program. BI 3034701 is based on Gubra-discovered technology and licensed to Boehringer Ingelheim, which is responsible for global clinical development and commercialization. The program adds a distinct third target to the emerging next-generation obesity landscape: Eli Lilly's retatrutide (GLP-1/GIP/glucagon triple agonist in TRIUMPH Phase 3), Novo Nordisk's UBT251 (GLP-1/GIP/glucagon triple in Phase 1/2a), and Boehringer's dual glucagon/GLP-1 survodutide (Phase 3, 16.6% weight loss in obesity). The NPY2 receptor target is novel to the class and could carry a distinct safety and tolerability profile alongside the incretin-plus-incretin backbone.
Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) presented Kisunla (donanemab-azbt) modified titration regimen data and TRAILBLAZER-ALZ 2 long-term extension results at AAIC 2026 in London on Wednesday July 15, 2026 during the closing-day Developing Topics Session titled 'Donanemab in Early Symptomatic Alzheimer's Disease: Evidence to Address Clinical Questions.' The modified titration regimen for Kisunla used a 350 mg starting dose ramping to the standard 1,400 mg by week 4, which significantly reduced cases of ARIA-E (amyloid-related imaging abnormalities with edema) brain swelling relative to the standard titration schedule. The Phase 3 TRAILBLAZER-ALZ 2 long-term extension data documented that patients who met the criteria for ending treatment at 52 weeks maintained low amyloid levels through 154 weeks of follow-up, with an amyloid reaccumulation rate of 2.4 centiloid per year (comparable to the natural accumulation rate seen in untreated cognitively unimpaired individuals). John Sims, Eli Lilly senior medical director, framed the readout around a 1,400 mg once-yearly maintenance-dose hypothesis: 'If someone needed it, [1,400 mg once a year] could potentially keep that amyloid down and keep it low and steady.' Lilly is running an addendum study of the TRAILBLAZER-ALZ 6 trial to characterize the ability of a maintenance dose given at least a year after original treatment completion to sustain amyloid clearance.
Biogen (NASDAQ: BIIB) presented full Phase 2 CELIA study data for diranersen (BIIB080), an investigational tau-targeting antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) delivered intrathecally, at AAIC 2026 in London on Tuesday July 14, 2026 during the Developing Topics in Phase 2 Clinical Trials Session (2:00-3:30 PM BST). The 76-week placebo-controlled study evaluated three doses (60 mg every 24 weeks, 115 mg every 24 weeks, and 115 mg every 12 weeks) and did not meet its primary endpoint of dose response on the Clinical Dementia Rating-Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB) at Week 76. Strong reductions in tau pathology occurred across all studied doses, generally consistent with the Phase 1b study. Prespecified analyses of cognitive endpoints demonstrated slowing of clinical decline across all doses, with the effect particularly pronounced at the lowest 60 mg q24w dose. Biogen framed the results as the first randomized Phase 2 evidence of a tau-directed therapy showing both biomarker impact and cognitive benefit, and plans to advance diranersen to registrational Phase 3 development.
Eisai and Biogen announced Tuesday July 14, 2026 that data from the real-world Lecanemab in Early Alzheimer's Disease (LEADER) Study, presented at AAIC 2026 in London during the Developing Topics Session '#3-33-DEV-A: Lecanemab Three Years Post-Approval: A Comprehensive Multicenter, Real-World, Retrospective Study (LEADER) in Diverse US Clinical Settings,' documented durable clinical outcomes with LEQEMBI in early Alzheimer's disease. The analysis included 432 early Alzheimer's disease patients from diverse US clinical settings who had received at least seven LEQEMBI infusions as of May 2026. Over an average of 17 months of treatment, 75.9% of patients remained clinically stable and 6.6% improved (moving from mild Alzheimer's disease dementia to mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease). 87% of patients chose to remain on LEQEMBI treatment. Results were consistent across sex, race, ethnicity, and APOE genotype, supporting long-term benefits of continuous treatment outside of a controlled clinical trial setting.
Vaccinex (NASDAQ: VCNX) presented new biomarker data from the Phase 1b/2 SIGNAL-AD trial of pepinemab, a humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibody targeting Semaphorin 4D (SEMA4D), at AAIC 2026 in London on Monday July 13, 2026 from 9:00-10:30 AM London time at ExCeL London. Elizabeth Evans, PhD, Chief Operating Officer and Senior VP of Discovery and Translational Medicine, chaired the Featured Research Session 'Alzheimer's therapy: mechanisms beyond amyloid' and presented results titled 'Glial Biomarkers Associated With Disease Progression Are Regulated By SEMA4D Blocking Antibody Pepinemab in Patients With Early-Stage AD.' The presentation showed that SEMA4D blockade regulates glial biomarkers associated with disease progression in early Alzheimer's disease, supporting the mechanistically distinct approach of targeting neuroinflammation and reactive astrocytes rather than amyloid or tau directly. Vaccinex outlined plans for an enlarged Phase 2b SIGNAL-AD2 study to test the intervention at scale.