June 16, 2026

The need-to-know this morning

Moderna said Ester Banque joined the company as chief commercial officer. She was formerly president of U.S. operations for Zoetis. Moderna President Stephen Hoge has also been given an expanded role overseeing several of the company's drug development programs.

technology

New AI model aims to improve trial enrollment

The biotech Verge Labs today released a new AI model that it says will help determine which patients will respond to treatment better, leading to fewer people dropping out while also increasing the statistical power of a trial.

In a test analysis, the model was able to predict which patients would respond to levodopa in a Parkinson’s study, based solely on the information in their initial visit. The results meant that a trial enrolling patients on this data would be able to keep the same statistical power with fewer patients — 57 instead of 100.

regulation

FDA to let Colorado import drugs from Canada

Colorado will now be able to bring in cheaper drugs from Canada, the second state authorized to do so after Florida.

Whether the state will successfully be able to do so, though, is another story. Florida got FDA approval in 2024, but has not yet actually imported any drugs. Both the Canadian and U.S. pharmaceutical industries have pushed back on such plans.

Read more from STAT's Lizzy Lawrence and Ed Silverman.

politics

Medicare's dilemma in covering obesity drugs

Starting next month, Medicare will cover obesity treatments as part of a temporary program started by the Trump administration. There are several issues with this plan, though, experts point out.

It's expected to be very expensive, and the costs will fall entirely taxpayers, since the program is being run outside of the regular Part D drug benefit. If the program ends in 2027 as it's currently scheduled to, patients would likely regain their weight and the spending would have largely been for naught.

If they try to extend the coverage beyond 2027 under the Part D benefit, insurers have no incentive to voluntarily agree to take up the costs, unless Medicare requires them to cover the treatments.

neuroscience

ARCH-launched Neumora stops depression program

Neumora Therapeutics said yesterday it will stop development of its depression drug candidate, after the treatment failed to show statistically significant improvements in two Phase 3 studies. It will also lay off about 35% of its workforce.

Psychiatry has been an extremely difficult field for drug development. In 2021, ARCH Venture Partners rolled up several existing companies to create Neumora, with the hope of reigniting the development of new neuro treatments.

The company will now be focusing on other drugs in its pipeline, including therapies for Alzheimer’s disease agitation, schizophrenia, and obesity.

More around STAT