10 clinical trials to watch in the second half of 2026

Lung cancer data may test the PD-1/VEGF thesis

The most mechanistically consequential readout described in the source material is Harmoni-3, a global trial in non-small cell lung cancer. The study is testing ivonescimab plus chemotherapy against the Keytruda-chemotherapy regimen often used in frontline care. The stated goal is to show whether the newer approach can delay disease progression and death.

This matters because PD-1/VEGF inhibitors sit at the intersection of immune modulation and tumor vascular biology. Earlier data from Akeso and Summit Therapeutics raised the possibility that this class could compete with widely used immunotherapies such as Keytruda and Opdivo. But subsequent results have left the future role of these drugs less clear.

The methodological detail worth watching is that Harmoni-3 is global, not China-only. That distinction is not cosmetic. A similarly structured China-only study reportedly met its objectives, with ivonescimab plus chemotherapy extending survival and keeping tumors controlled longer than a different immunotherapy-chemotherapy pairing. Yet the interpretation was contested. Critics pointed to possible differences in access to post-progression care, younger enrollment, and exclusion of patients over 75 years of age. That last point is clinically material, since BioPharma Dive notes that this age group accounts for 33% of U.S. patients receiving Keytruda or similar drugs.

For a longevity and cellular-aging audience, the lesson is broader than oncology. Therapies that look highly effective in selected cohorts can behave differently in older, more heterogeneous populations. Age-stratified efficacy and tolerability are not secondary details. They are central to external validity.

The sector’s capital recovery raises the evidence threshold

Several sources describe a biotechnology market that has regained momentum. BioPharma Dive reports a record pace of dealmaking in the first half of 2026 and notes that several biotechs raised $300 million or more in initial public offerings. GeneOnline’s headline frames global biotech M&A as recovering, with clinical data and efficacy becoming key deal-breakers. Streamlinefeed reports a mid-year capital influx above KES 1.5 trillion.

These are financial signals, not biological validation. They indicate that capital is again available for companies with credible pipelines. They do not indicate that a given intervention modulates disease biology in a durable or generalizable way.

This distinction is especially important in longevity science, where adjacent claims often migrate quickly from disease programs into broader narratives about immune aging, metabolic resilience, or cellular repair. A trial in lung cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, or infectious disease should be read first as a disease-specific test in a defined cohort. Any broader implication requires mechanistic continuity, reproducible efficacy, and safety data across relevant populations.

Regeneron appears in the source set as an example of a large biotechnology company emphasizing long-term growth, broad clinical programs, platform technologies, and disciplined capital allocation. The available material does not identify a specific second-half 2026 Regeneron readout. Still, the model is relevant: diversified pipelines can reduce dependence on any single trial, but they also require repeated conversion of mechanistic rationale into human outcomes.

What to watch in the readouts

The practical filter is straightforward. First, examine the comparator. A trial that beats a weak or region-specific control regimen is not equivalent to one that outperforms a current global standard of care.

Second, examine the population. Age distribution, exclusion criteria, and geography can change the meaning of efficacy. Harmoni-3 is important partly because it may test whether earlier findings persist in a broader global cohort.

Third, separate progression endpoints from survival endpoints. Both can be meaningful, but they answer different clinical questions. A therapy that delays tumor progression does not automatically produce the same magnitude of survival benefit, particularly when downstream care differs across health systems.

Fourth, track safety and tolerability, especially in older cohorts. In longevity-adjacent interpretation, efficacy without age-relevant safety data remains incomplete evidence.

The second half of 2026 may produce important clinical signals in lung cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, infectious disease, and autoimmune conditions. But the sober reading is that capital markets have moved ahead of the biology. The next step is not to assume a new therapeutic cycle has arrived. It is to see which programs can reproduce efficacy under stricter, more generalizable clinical conditions.