Former Ignyta CEO’s well-funded Erasca obtained its first clinical-stage precision oncology candidates from NiKang and Asana, eyeing a first-in-class approach to RAS/MAPK-driven cancers.

Latest new drug approvals in Japan include the first anywhere for a topical JAK inhibitor and also a marketing clearance for a new contender in the large prostate cancer space.

Pfizer follows Lilly as the second company to report positive top-line Phase III results in AD for a JAK inhibitor. Safety is a key concern for the class, but Pfizer did not provide any details about abrocitinib's side effects.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) was a hot topic at the AAD meeting based on last year's Dupixent approval and the growing array of new systemic and topical therapies for the skin condition – and the large market those products may address.