Peptide News Digest

ASCO 2026 Day 2 + EASL Close: Immutep Eftilagimod 7.7-Month Survival Gain, ImPact Padeliporfin Pancreatic Phase 1, EASL HBV Functional-Cure Late-Breakers, Cosmetic Copper-Peptide Wave

ASCO Day 2 + EASL close: Immutep eftilagimod 7.7-month survival gain, ImPact padeliporfin pancreatic Phase 1, EASL HBV functional-cure late-breakers, copper-peptide cosmetics.

6 stories · Covering clinical-trials, industry

Editor's Note

Saturday digest spans ASCO 2026 Day 2 in Chicago and the EASL 2026 closing day in Barcelona, with the freshest readouts coming from immune-activating proteins and the HBV functional-cure field rather than the GLP-1/MASH peptides that dominated the week. Immutep presented a pooled analysis of 592 late-stage cancer patients across five trials showing that those who mounted an immune response to eftilagimod alfa — a soluble LAG-3 protein that activates antigen-presenting cells via MHC class II — lived a median 7.7 months longer, with significant increases in circulating lymphocyte counts versus standard of care alone. ImPact Biotech showed first-cohort Phase 1 data for intra-arterial padeliporfin vascular-targeted photodynamic therapy in locally advanced pancreatic cancer, with early signs of converting unresectable tumors to surgically resectable. The EASL closing day delivered a wave of HBV functional-cure late-breakers — TUNE Therapeutics' TUNE-401 epigenetic silencer, Precision BioSciences' PBGENE-HBV gene-editing data showing first evidence of cccDNA elimination in patient liver biopsies, and Brii Bio's BRII-179 therapeutic vaccine ENSURE end-of-study data — the gene-and-immune approaches advancing alongside the entry-inhibitor peptides (bulevirtide, ABI-6250) covered earlier in the week. On the consumer side, the copper-peptide (GHK-Cu) cosmetic wave continued building, with Neurogan and Auro Wellness products anchoring the fastest-growing peptide search category of 2026. The week's broader signal: the peptide-and-protein therapeutic field is maturing across oncology immune activation, liver-disease functional cure, and consumer longevity in parallel.

Clinical Trials

Immutep Eftilagimod Alfa ASCO 2026 Pooled Analysis (May 30): Immune Responders Lived Median 7.7 Months Longer Across 592 Late-Stage Cancer Patients in Five Trials

Immutep presented a pooled exploratory analysis at ASCO 2026 (May 30, Poster 359, Abstract 2569) of 592 late-stage cancer patients across five trials — TACTI-mel, TACTI-002, TACTI-003, AIPAC, and AIPAC-003 — spanning non-small cell lung cancer, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, metastatic breast cancer, and melanoma. Patients who mounted an immune response to eftilagimod alfa (efti) lived a median 7.7 months longer than those who did not. Eftilagimod alfa is a soluble LAG-3 protein that activates antigen-presenting cells via MHC class II, driving rapid and sustained lymphocyte activation. The analysis showed that 30 mg subcutaneous efti plus standard of care (chemotherapy or a PD-1 antagonist) significantly increased circulating absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) — a blood-based immune-activity marker — versus standard of care alone. The data positions ALC increase as a potential pharmacodynamic biomarker of efti response. The result follows the earlier futility-halt of efti's Phase 3 first-line NSCLC trial, making the pooled survival signal a credibility rebuild for the MHC-II-activator mechanism.

#immutep #eftilagimod-alfa #lag-3 #mhc-class-ii #asco-2026 #overall-survival #lymphocyte-activation
Clinical Trials

ImPact Biotech Padeliporfin VTP ASCO 2026 (May 30): First-Cohort Phase 1 Data in Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Shows Potential to Convert Unresectable Tumors to Resectable

ImPact Biotech presented first-cohort Phase 1 data at ASCO 2026 (May 30, 9:00 AM CT, GI Cancer session) on intra-arterial padeliporfin vascular-targeted photodynamic therapy (VTP) in locally advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (LA-PDAC). The light-dose escalation study showed a consistent tolerability profile with early signs of clinical efficacy, including potential to convert patients with unresectable stage III tumors to surgically resectable candidates — a meaningful endpoint in pancreatic cancer where surgical resection is the only curative path. Padeliporfin VTP is a minimally invasive drug-device combination: the bacteriochlorophyll-derived photosensitizer is activated by non-thermal laser light delivered via optical fibers, producing selective tumor ablation in the tumor microenvironment. ImPact's lead program is the Phase 3 ENLIGHTED trial in low-grade upper-tract urothelial carcinoma (updated data at AUA 2026 in May). The pancreatic data extends the VTP platform into one of oncology's hardest-to-treat solid tumors.

#impact-biotech #padeliporfin #vascular-targeted-photodynamic #pancreatic-cancer #la-pdac #asco-2026
Clinical Trials

EASL 2026 Closing-Day HBV Functional-Cure Late-Breakers: TUNE-401 Epigenetic Silencer, Precision PBGENE-HBV cccDNA Elimination, Brii Bio BRII-179 Therapeutic Vaccine ENSURE

EASL 2026's final day delivered a cluster of hepatitis B functional-cure late-breakers spanning gene, epigenetic, and immune approaches. TUNE Therapeutics presented TUNE-401 (May 30, 13:30 CEST), a first-in-class epigenetic silencer of HBV demonstrating deep and durable antiviral activity. Precision BioSciences presented PBGENE-HBV gene-editing data from the ELIMINATE-B study showing first evidence of elimination and inactivation of cccDNA — the persistent viral reservoir that makes HBV functionally incurable — in liver biopsies from treated chronic HBV patients. Brii Bio presented end-of-study data from the Phase 2 ENSURE study supporting BRII-179, a protein-based therapeutic HBV vaccine designed to restore immune control. The functional-cure wave advances alongside the entry-inhibitor approaches covered earlier in the week — Gilead's just-approved bulevirtide peptide (Hepcludex) and Assembly Biosciences' oral ABI-6250 — illustrating that HBV/HDV is becoming a multi-modality battleground across peptides, gene editing, epigenetic silencing, and therapeutic vaccines.

#easl-2026 #hbv #functional-cure #tune-401 #pbgene-hbv #brii-179 #cccdna
Industry

Copper Peptide (GHK-Cu) Cosmetic Wave Builds Through Late May 2026 — Neurogan 2% Body Care, Auro Wellness Serum, Fastest-Growing Peptide Search Term

The copper-peptide (GHK-Cu, copper tripeptide-1) cosmetic category continued its 2026 surge through late May. Neurogan Health's 2% GHK-Cu body-care line documented a 32.8% reduction in wrinkle depth and 20-30% improvement in skin firmness in 12-week clinical testing. Auro Wellness, founded by peptide-delivery specialist Nayan Patel, anchors its copper-tripeptide serum on a proprietary delivery system. GHK-Cu is the fastest-growing peptide search term of 2026, with consumer interest spanning skin rejuvenation, hair loss, and systemic longevity. GHK-Cu activates over 4,000 human genes involved in collagen synthesis, anti-inflammation, and tissue remodeling. The cosmetic surge runs in parallel with the FDA's regulatory cycle: injectable GHK-Cu is on the docket for the February 2027 PCAC meeting alongside Melanotan II, LL-37, Dihexa, and PEG-MGF, while the topical cosmetic form remains in the lighter-regulated personal-care channel. The category illustrates the consumer end of the peptide landscape maturing alongside the therapeutic pipeline.

#ghk-cu #copper-peptide #cosmetic-peptides #neurogan #auro-wellness #collagen #skincare
Industry

ASCO 2026 Day 2 (May 30) Roundup — Peptide-and-Conjugate Oncology Slate Continues; Major June 1 Readouts Ahead (Bicycle Duravelo-2, Mayo TPIV200, Telix ProstACT)

ASCO 2026 Day 2 in Chicago continued the meeting's peptide-and-targeted-conjugate oncology programming. Saturday May 30 brought the Immutep eftilagimod alfa survival pooled analysis and the ImPact Biotech padeliporfin VTP pancreatic data, alongside the Bicycle Therapeutics zelenectide pevedotin dose-optimization poster (Abstract 4567, May 31) approaching. The meeting's heaviest peptide-mechanism day is Monday June 1: Bicycle Duravelo-2 zelenectide pevedotin + pembrolizumab oral presentation in 1L urothelial (Abstract 4516, 8:30 AM CT); Mayo Clinic TPIV200 folate-receptor peptide vaccine in triple-negative breast cancer (Abstract 536, 1:30 PM CT); Telix ProstACT PSMA radioligand Phase 3 Part 1; Sapience lucicebtide GBM poster. The Corbus CRB-701 Nectin-4 ADC data (42.9% OPSCC / 34.4% cervical) landed Friday May 29. The targeted-conjugate categories — Nectin-4, PSMA, B7-H3, FAP, SSTR2 — remain the densest peptide-adjacent oncology competition, with the bulk of definitive readouts concentrated in the meeting's back half through June 2.

#asco-2026 #peptide-oncology #day-2 #bicycle-therapeutics #mayo-clinic #telix-pharmaceuticals #chicago
Industry

EASL 2026 Closes in Barcelona — Week Establishes MASH as Multi-Mechanism Field and HBV/HDV as Multi-Modality Cure Race

EASL 2026 closed in Barcelona on May 30 after a week that reshaped two liver-disease narratives. On MASH: the GLP-1/glucagon peptide cohort (survodutide NEJM 47-62% MASH improvement, pemvidutide Best of EASL with cardiometabolic and fibrosis data, MetaVia DA-1726 9.1% weight loss) competed against THR-β agonism (Madrigal Rezdiffra, Aligos ALG-055009 46% liver fat), RNAi (Arrowhead ARO-INHBE), and FGF21 analogs (the Akero and 89bio programs that drew $5.2B and $3.5B acquisitions). On HBV/HDV: the entry-inhibitor peptides (Gilead's newly approved bulevirtide, Assembly's oral ABI-6250) shared the stage with gene editing (Precision PBGENE-HBV cccDNA elimination), epigenetic silencing (TUNE-401), capsid modulation plus ASO sequencing (Aligos), and therapeutic vaccines (Brii BRII-179). The combined week confirmed that liver disease is now a multi-mechanism therapeutic arena where peptides anchor the metabolic and entry-inhibitor lanes while gene and immune modalities pursue functional cure. ADA 2026 (June 5-8 New Orleans) is the next major readout window for the metabolic-peptide side.

#easl-2026 #mash #hbv #hdv #multi-mechanism #barcelona #week-wrap