The Pharmafile Brief

January/February 2026 – The Pharmafile Brief

Welcome to the January/February issue of The Pharmafile Brief, where we bring you the latest developments and conversations shaping healthcare, life sciences and pharma.

This issue contains a special focus on spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The condition recently became a trending topic following singer Jesy Nelson’s disclosure that her newborn twins had been diagnosed with the disease.


SMA is a rare genetic disease affecting the motor neurons involved in muscle control. The most common variant of SMA is caused by mutations in a gene called survival motor neuron gene 1 (SMN1), and this variant can be divided into five main types. Some forms of SMA are mild to moderate in severity, while others are very severe, causing difficulties with breathing, swallowing and moving.

People living with SMA can also experience issues with their organs, and they carry a higher risk of complications from anaesthesia. There is currently no cure for SMA, but it can be managed through treatments such as physical therapy, medication and mobility aids.
Recent years have seen advances in treatment, but in the UK, a lack of prenatal screening for the condition means that it is often not diagnosed until after symptoms have become irreversible.

Our Five Facts feature for this issue explores facts about SMA. In related news, Biogen recently received European Commission approval for a high-dose regimen of Spinraza, its treatment for 5q SMA.

In an article on reproduction, Dr Jordan Abdi of U-Ploid Biotechnologies writes about advancements in fertility treatments and the potential successes of targeting molecular causes of infertility.

Our second theme for this issue is mental health. We report on a historic declaration from the UN promoting mental health treatment. The declaration aims to significantly increase the number of people with access to mental health care by 150 million by 2030

We also report on the rise of digital mental health technologies, and the work being done by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to ensure they are safe and effective.

In this month’s news round-up, EA Pharma launched a new trial of its schizophrenia treatment in Japan. Schizophrenia is a psychological disorder, with symptoms including hallucinations, delusions, emotional difficulties and cognitive impairment. The trial will focus on patients whose schizophrenia has proved resistant to depression. Many patients who take antipsychotics for schizophrenia find that they become less effective over time, highlighting an unmet medical need for new treatments.

Alto Neuroscience announced a new US patent for its depression treatment, ALTO-207. A clinical trial of the treatment showed significant improvements in patients receiving it. The trial also showed that it was safe and well-tolerated.

In other news, Johnson & Johnson submitted a robotic surgical system for De Novo classification, and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) announced data on the medicines it approved over the course of 2025.

There have also been a number of key industry appointments so far in 2026. Qureight appointed Rebecca Simmons as Chief Operating Officer and Steven Bishop as Chief Medical Officer; Crystalys Therapeutics appointed Justin Thacker as Chief Financial Officer; and Everdone appointed David Borkmann as Senior Medical Advisor.

We hope you enjoy reading this issue of The Pharmafile Brief – look out for our next issue in March!

Historic UN declaration supporting mental health – treatment to be given similar priority to chronic diseases

Published on January 30th, 2026

The 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has adopted the political declaration to combat mental health challenges and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) through a fully integrated approach. The declaration, Equity and Integration: Transforming Lives and Livelihoods through Leadership and Action on Noncommunicable Diseases and the Promotion of Mental Health and Well-Being, aims to elevate mental health...

Rare diseases – spinal muscular atrophy

Published on January 30th, 2026

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a rare disease characterised by voluntary muscle weakness that can lead to difficulties in activities such as sitting up, walking, swallowing and even breathing. Public interest in the condition recently spiked following singer Jesy Nelson’s announcement that her twins had been diagnosed with SMA, leading to a significant rise in...

Could targeting the molecular causes of infertility finally transform IVF success rates?

Published on January 29th, 2026

By Dr Jordan Abdi Over the past two decades, demand for IVF has risen sharply as parenthood is increasingly delayed across developed economies. Yet reproductive biology has not adapted to this socio-economic shift. Female fertility still declines steeply with age, and IVF success rates have remained stubbornly modest despite continuous optimisation of clinical workflows. For...

Digital mental health technologies – a valuable tool in supporting people with depression and anxiety

Published on January 29th, 2026

The potential benefits of digital mental health technology for managing depression, anxiety and stress, together with other forms of care, is supported by research and initiatives have already been established across the UK. These technologies are seeing a rapid increase in use by both individuals and the NHS, for example: Symptom-tracking apps AI-based assessments Virtual...

Five Facts about spinal muscular atrophy

Published on January 28th, 2026

1 Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a genetic disease involving the loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord.1 Its main symptom is muscle weakness, and it can lead to difficulties sitting up, walking, breathing and swallowing.2 2 The most common type of SMA can be divided into five main types, ranging from a very...

Everdrone appoints David Borkmann as Senior Medical Advisor

Published on January 28th, 2026

Everdrone, a provider of autonomous drone systems for use in healthcare and emergency response, has announced the appointment of David Borkmann as Senior Medical Advisor. Borkmann works at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Sweden as a specialist in anaesthesia and intensive care medicine, in addition to working in pre-hospital critical care. Anaesthetists and specialist nurses in...

Crystalys Therapeutics appoints Justin Thacker as Chief Financial Officer

Published on January 27th, 2026

Crystalys Therapeutics has announced the appointment of Justin Thacker as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Thacker has spent over 20 years in leadership roles across the life sciences industry. He was most recently CFO of Capstan Therapeutics, during which time he assisted in the $2.1bn acquisition of the company by AbbVie. He also held the role...

Qureight appoints Steven Bishop as Chief Medical Officer

Published on January 21st, 2026

Qureight has announced the appointment of Dr Steven Bishop as its new Chief Medical Officer (CMO). Bishop previously held the role of Chief Data Officer: in this role, he oversaw the training of Qureight’s AI and imaging biomarker models, as well as taking responsibility for the company’s worldwide data relationships network. Before joining Qureight, Bishop...

Qureight appoints Rebecca Simmons as Chief Operating Officer

Published on January 20th, 2026

Qureight has announced the appointment of Rebecca Simmons as Chief Operating Officer (COO). Simmons brings more than two decades of operational leadership experience to her new role at Qureight. She most recently held the role of COO at Riverlane, during which time she drove significant growth for the company. Her previous roles include Co-founder and...

European Medicines Agency recommended 104 medicines for approval in 2025

Published on January 20th, 2026

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has announced data from 2025 showing that over the course of the year it recommended a total of 104 medicines for approval, 38 of which contained a new active substance never before authorised in the EU. A variety of these medicines were thought to represent an important contribution to public...

Alto Neuroscience announces new patent for depression treatment

Published on January 15th, 2026

Alto Neuroscience, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company specialising in precision treatments for neuropsychiatric conditions, has announced the issuance of a US patent for methods of treating depression with Alto’s ALTO-207 (pramipexole and ondansetron). The patent protects the use of ondansetron to reduce side effects associated with pramipexole, allowing patients to take higher doses of pramipexole and...

Johnson & Johnson submits robotic surgical system for De Novo classification

Published on January 8th, 2026

Johnson & Johnson has announced the submission of its Ottava Robotic Surgical System for De Novo classification from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Ottava system encompasses surgical instrumentation and will, in future, be connected to the Polyphonic digital ecosystem. It is intended to address unmet need for surgeons.The De Novo classification request...

EA Pharma announces phase 3 trial for new schizophrenia treatment in Japan

Published on January 7th, 2026

EA Pharma, a subsidiary of Eisai, has announced the initiation of a phase 3 clinical trial of evenamide, a schizophrenia treatment, in Japan. The trial will evaluate patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia who have demonstrated poor or insufficient response to at least two antipsychotic treatments. It will study the efficacy, safety and tolerability of evenamide as...