Hamas Announces Dissolution Of Gaza Government, But Israel Warns It's A Sham

 Hamas formally announced Monday the final dissolution of its government in Gaza amid preparations to hand power to a technical committee backed by the United Nations as part of a Trump-brokered ceasefire deal.

The hardline Islamist group, which has fought Israel in a war for survival - especially since its brutal Oct.7 2023 terror attacks on southern Israel - has not indicated whether it will fully disarm, however. There's as yet no indication it will comply with handing over security to an international force. A fragile truce has remained in force, but there has been sporadic flare-ups in fighting over the last months, which has also at times seen renewed Israeli aerial assaults.

via The Arab Weekly

For this reason, the development has been met with mixed reactions, with Israeli officials asserting this is a deceptive PR stunt with no real significance. 

"The alleged resignation of the Hamas government, where all of the Hamas members stay in their positions, is a spin that has no significance," an Israeli official told the Times of Israel.

The response came on the heels of Ismail al-Thawabta, general director of the Hamas-run Government Media Office, having announced that "only technical and professional staff" would remain in their positions to run the Gaza Strip's daily administrative affairs.

"All employees working in service provision are 'state employees' and are fully prepared to work under the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza," he said at the press event held in the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah.

Additionally, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem touted that it marks "a positive step forward on the path to implement the ceasefire deal."

At the start of this year, back in January, special envoy Steve Witkoff said the second phase of the ceasefire plan would move the Palestinian enclave into a period that will see the demilitarization of Hamas and the establishment of a technocratic governance model.

This phase, now being implemented, is expected to also mark the start of reconstruction for the war-torn territory.

The Board of Peace, which is led by President Trump himself, issued a fresh statement linking any legitimate handover of power with a handover of weapons. "The core principle remains one authority, one law and one weapon," the board said on X. "This means the consolidation of all weapons under the control of the NCAG as provided for in the Comprehensive Gaza Peace Plan and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803," it continues.

"A genuine transfer of authority must enable the NCAG to exercise its mandate independently, including taking the administrative and governance decisions entrusted to it," the statement says, which strongly suggests the Board of Peace itself is also skeptical of the Hamas announcement.

As for the committee which is to assume responsibility in the interim, the Associated Press describes that "The committee of technocrats, which is based in Cairo, is chaired by Ali Shaath, a Gaza-born engineer and former official with the Palestinian Authority. It has a mandate to restore essential services and oversee civilian affairs under the supervision of the U.N. and Board of Peace." At this point Hamas militants probably worry they will be massacred if they give up their arms. For this reason not all armed members are likely to agree even if they are ordered to lay down their weapons by commanders.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/hamas-announces-dissolution-gaza-government-israel-warns-its-sham

AI-powered triage is coming to the NHS App

 The NHS will include an AI-powered triage tool in the NHS App in an attempt to cut waiting lists and improve care for millions of patients.

The move is part of a £10 billion plan over three years to deploy AI technologies across the health service to try to improve efficiencies, and according to a report that was leaked in May, allow the NHS to save money by reining in recruitment targets.

The triage tool will help to direct NHS patients to the most appropriate NHS service, "whether that's a GP appointment, pharmacy, A&E, community service or self-care advice," according to NHS England, which said AI notetaking tools are also being rolled out to cut the administrative burden on staff.

The update to the NHS App will start to roll out to around 200,000 patients in the next 12 months, ahead of a full rollout by April 2028.

"I'm certain the technological innovations I've chosen to prioritise will get patients to the right care faster, free our brilliant clinicians from mountains of paperwork, and help drive down waiting times," said Health and Social Care Secretary James Murray.

"By harnessing the power of AI – using it to direct people to the right service first time and giving clinicians back more time to spend with patients – we're making the NHS work better for patients and staff alike and helping make it fit for the future for its next 78 years," he added.

In trials of the triage tool, GP practices saw a 29% reduction in people waiting on the phone during the 8:00 am rush, with no adverse impact on patient satisfaction levels. One GP involved in the pilot, Dr Ragu Rajan from Wealden Ridge Medical Partnership in Sussex, said: "It hasn't replaced our judgement – it's given us back the time to use it."

Meanwhile, an NHS study published last year found that the AI notetaking tools, known as ambient voice technology, can free up clinicians to spend nearly a quarter more of their time with patients.

Scaling the technology nationally to over 11,000 A&E clinicians in England could create space for over 9,000 extra A&E consultations each day, according to the study, which was led by Great Ormond Street Hospital.

The new AI initiatives come alongside other digitalisation drives, including allowing NHS App users to join online appointments with clinicians across England using NHS Online, the new virtual hospital service, the introduction of a single patient record, and the rollout of Microsoft Copilot to half a million NHS workers.

https://pharmaphorum.com/news/ai-powered-triage-coming-nhs-app

Roche looks to Astex in $515m breast cancer deal

 Roche's Genentech unit has forged an alliance with Astex, worth up to $515 million, to partner on a fragment-based drug discovery programme in breast cancer.

The UK-based biotech, a subsidiary of Japanese group Otsuka, is getting an upfront fee of $25 million in return for exclusive rights to a programme that has emerged from an earlier collaboration between Astex, Newcastle University, and Cancer Research UK's innovation unit Cancer Research Horizons.

There is another $490 million in potential milestone payments if the small-molecule drug candidates – which are described as having selective inhibitory activity against an unidentified target in breast cancer – reach the market and perform as hoped.

Astex's Pyramid drug discovery platform uses small fragments to identify hotspots on protein targets, which are then elaborated into larger drug-like molecules, and has already generated a number of approved drug therapies, including Novartis' CDK4/6 inhibitor Kisqali (ribociclib) for breast cancer, a $4.8 billion-a-year blockbuster.

Others include AstraZeneca's AKT inhibitor Truqap (capivasertib) for breast cancer, which grew 68% to $728 million last year, and Johnson & Johnson's FGFR inhibitor Balversa (erdafitinib) for bladder cancer, which had been tipped as a potential blockbuster but has underwhelmed so far due to a combination of strict biomarker testing barriers, challenging side effects, and fierce competition from newer drug combinations.

Astex is providing existing candidates from its pipeline and will also work with Genentech on optimisation and development of lead candidates for preclinical development.

"Working together with colleagues from Newcastle University, Astex's fragment-based drug discovery expertise has led to the discovery of a novel and innovative approach to selectively inhibit this key oncology target for breast cancer therapy," said the UK-based company's president, Michelle Jones.

"Genentech's focus on embracing innovation, its expertise in oncology and its longstanding dedication to innovation for breast cancer patients makes [it] an excellent partner for this collaboration."

Astex is also partnering with MSD and Taiho on KRAS inhibitors for cancer, headed by oral KRAS G12C inhibitor calderasib (MK-1084), which started a phase 3 programme in 2024 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and colorectal cancer.

The company's in-house pipeline is headed by beroterkib. An ERK 1/2 inhibitor, partnered with Mosaic Therapeutics, which is being developed in mid-stage trials for solid tumours.

https://pharmaphorum.com/news/roche-looks-astex-515m-breast-cancer-deal

Hair loss biotech Veradermics, up 656% since its IPO, credits the obesity boom

 

After debuting on the public markets with $256.3 million and raking in an additional $472 million, Veradermics has emerged as one of biotech’s biggest post-IPO standouts. CEO Reid Waldman credits the weight loss craze for establishing consumer-driven channels.

It’s been six months of record-breaking IPOs and a recalibration to the new market normal, but one company has still managed to stand out: hair loss biotech Veradermics.

Since debuting in February on the New York Stock Exchange with an upsized offering of $256.3 million and the wildly appropriate ticker “MANE,” Veradermics’ stock has risen an electrifying 656%. This included an opening-day surge from an expected $17 per share to $37.75, and as of July 1 the biotech’s shares were trading at $128.48.

Fueling Veradermics is a late-stage, extended-release oral version of minoxidil (sometimes sold as Rogaine) that Veradermics hopes will secure the first oral approval in male pattern hair loss in 30 years, plus the first-ever oral nod for female pattern hair loss.

The company’s stunning rise stands in stark contrast to a sector where newly public biotechs often struggle to maintain their value. All too often, biotech share prices erode in the quarters following an IPO as incremental setbacks and underwhelming data steadily erode investor confidence. Indeed, the biotech-specific index XBI has risen just 24% over the last six months—a far cry from Veradermics’ meteoric climb.

So, what’s the secret behind the success? The obesity boom, Veradermics’ CEO Reid Waldman told BioSpace.

“Weight loss showed the playbook and viability of a cash-pay, consumer-directed market and gave investors and gave us conviction that hair loss could be the next weight loss,” Waldman said.

The GLP-1 boom—driven by industry giants Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk—continues to reach new highs, with money steadily flowing into next-gen obesity assets. Lilly even expressed interest in buying up to 4.9% of Veradermics’ shares at the IPO price, according to SEC documents, underscoring the company’s appeal to large-cap pharma and the possible duality of the indications.

“There is a next level of nuance there, though, which is that hair loss and weight loss are actually synergistic, and it creates opportunities,” Waldman said. “I think the future of pharma that we are seeing is the development of direct channels and a different way in which consumer pharmaceuticals engage the patient and put the patient at the center of healthcare access.”

His company, the CEO continued, is working in a space that is perfectly positioned to expand that patient relationship beyond obesity.

“Hair loss is a logical next conversation given that half of the population is losing their hair,” he explained. “The playbook and viability has been shown, and we are the next act.”

The story behind the anomaly

Despite the widespread volatility that can often unsettle most biotechs’ stock, Waldman isn’t surprised by Veradermics’ success.

“We were very confident that the IPO would go well based on the high prevalence of the condition and unmet need, the likelihood of trial success and the late-stage nature in an area where thematically it appears to be the future of the pharmaceutical industry,” he said.

The Connecticut-based company is high off the success of a Phase 2/3 trial evaluating its hair loss pill VDPHL01. The investigational drug was studied in more than 500 men with pattern hair loss and demonstrated statistically significant superior hair growth compared to placebo, with an average hair count increase of 30.3 hairs/cm² and 33 hairs/cm² in once daily and twice daily treatment arms, respectively. That’s compared to a 7.3 hairs/cm² increase from baseline at six months for placebo.

Going public has always been the plan, said Waldman, who formed the company in 2019. Unlike most biotechs, which often explore several options at once, Veradermics only had eyes for the public market.

Veradermics’ $150 million series C in October 2025 allowed the biotech to expand its shareholder base “into a large group of high-quality biotech specialist investors that participate on the public markets,” the CEO explained. That investor base gave the team conviction in the company’s ability to go public.

And while many biotechs have experienced investors pull back amid regulatory volatility in the high-risk space, Veradermics has remained fairly insulated from these headwinds.

Regulatory uncertainty is not something Veradermics has had to think about “given we’ve had consistent leadership in the derm and dental division at FDA,” according to Waldman. That department, known as DDD, operates within the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), currently helmed by Acting Director Michael Davis after ex-interim leader Tracy Beth Høeg was fired in May.

Veradermics’ studies are fueled by the series C cash, money that Waldman said is set to carry the company to potential new drug application (NDA) submissions. The upsized IPO—plus a $472 million follow-on priced nearly six times higher than the IPO—is set aside for manufacturing and commercialization activities.

Waldman anticipates that the second act of 2026 will be “equally exciting” for Veradermics. The biotech plans on sharing topline data from a Phase 3 confirmatory study for male hair loss later this year and is also recruiting for a female pattern hair loss Phase 2/3 trial. The company believes it can build a strong enough case for VDPHL01 to become the first FDA-approved oral pill for pattern hair loss in nearly 30 years, according to Waldman. The biotech has not revealed a potential timeline for any future NDA submissions.

The pattern hair loss market is one of the largest aesthetics markets globally and is projected to reach around $30 billion by 2028, according to Veradermics. The space includes competitor Pelage Pharmaceuticals, which is developing a new drug for androgenetic alopecia called PP405. Pelage’s drug is entirely experimental, as compared to Veradermics’ extended-release pill version of a drug that consumers are already familiar with.

And Veradermics has big plans, having already experienced immense success recruiting most of its Phase 3 patients through digital advertising.

“More than 100,000 people have gone to our trial website, submitted and passed an online screener to try and participate in one of our trials,” Waldman said. “I’ve never seen anything like this in clinical research.”

He attributes the extreme influx of interest to the fact that hair loss patients are an active information-seeking population. “[That’s] the beauty of hair loss: no one needs to be told they have hair loss,” he said.

“We’re trying to bring a medicine that we believe is meaningful to a very large number of Americans and people worldwide,” Waldman said. “When you think about hair loss, it is a condition that transcends being aesthetic. It’s deeply personal, it’s deeply psychological, and again, it’s essentially universal.”

https://www.biospace.com/business/hair-loss-biotech-veradermics-up-656-since-its-ipo-credits-the-obesity-boom

Oil up 1% amid renewed tensions in Hormuz

 Crude oil prices climbed on Tuesday as renewed tensions in the Strait of Hormuz once again raised supply concerns.

Two commercial vessels were hit in the critical waterway overnight. Iranian media reported that ships were attacked by Iranian forces after ignoring multiple warnings. The vessels allegedly attempted to pass through a route designated by Oman with the support of the United States Navy. Iran has repeatedly warned that any ship trying to transit Hormuz through a route not approved by Tehran would be targeted.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for August deliveries was up 1.10%, going for $69.36 per barrel at 3:15 am ET. Two minutes later, Brent for September's settlements advanced 1.22%, selling at $72.87 a barrel.

https://breakingthenews.net/Article/Oil-up-1-amid-renewed-tensions-in-Hormuz/66644337

Sweden: France, Canada to operate from our airbases from 2027

 Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced at the NATO summit in Ankara on Tuesday that from 2027, France and Canada will "start operating from Swedish airbases for the benefit to the alliance."

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who spoke minutes before Kristersson, revealed that several countries will jointly procure GlobalEye surveillance aircraft made by Sweden's SAAB AG. "I look forward to welcoming NATO into the GlobalEye family. It will strengthen our collective ability to deter aggression, to defend ally territory and safeguard the freedom and security of nearly one billion citizens," Kristersson said.

https://breakingthenews.net/Article/Sweden:-France-Canada-to-operate-from-our-airbases-from-2027/66644499

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c05y9pe5p1jo