1. Cochrane review links drug-company promotion to less appropriate prescribing
A systematic review of 93 studies, published Oct 9, concludes that industry gifts and payments to doctors increase inappropriate prescribing and prescription volume and probably raise costs. Conflict-of-interest policies probably improve prescribing appropriateness. Most of the evidence is observational and comes from the US. See the lead article above [1][2][3][4].
2. FDA approves atezolizumab plus chemotherapy as adjuvant therapy for stage III dMMR colon cancer
On Oct 8, the FDA approved Roche's Tecentriq (atezolizumab), and its subcutaneous form Tecentriq Hybreza, with a fluoropyrimidine and oxaliplatin after surgery for stage III mismatch repair–deficient colon cancer. In the randomized, open-label ATOMIC trial (711 adults and one pediatric patient), adding atezolizumab to mFOLFOX6 improved investigator-assessed disease-free survival (HR 0.50; 95% CI 0.35–0.73; p=0.0001). Median disease-free survival was not reached in either arm [5].
3. Early optogenetics trial restores some light sensitivity in advanced retinitis pigmentosa
A first-in-human, open-label, dose-escalation trial published in NEJM on Oct 7 treated 10 people with advanced retinitis pigmentosa using GenSight Biologics' gene therapy GS030 plus light-stimulating goggles. Six of 10 had clinically significant gains in light sensitivity, and 4 of the 8 who completed behavioral testing improved on some object-detection tasks. Vision was not restored to normal, and the investigators call the efficacy results exploratory. The research was supported by GenSight, and the therapy is not approved anywhere [6][7][8][9].
4. FDA says its mifepristone safety review will run into 2027
In a court-ordered filing in a Louisiana federal case on Oct 7, the FDA said it expects results of its mifepristone safety study in December 2026 and a report no later than March 2027. Only then will it decide whether to change how the abortion pill is prescribed or dispensed. Reuters reports that the study compares about 100,000 mifepristone users with a group who had surgical abortions [10][11].
Digest references
Mintzes B, Lexchin J, Grundy Q, Fabbri A, Spurling GKP, Qureshi R, Bero L. "Pharmaceutical industry information and promotional strategies aimed at prescribers." Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2026;(10):CD013423. Published October 9, 2026. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD013423.pub3. Full text: Link. Plain-language summary: Link
Parkinson M. "Pharmaceutical company marketing negatively influences prescribing." Cochrane (news release), October 9, 2026. Link
Silverman E. "Pharma's free lunches for doctors boost inappropriate prescribing, analysis finds." STAT (Pharmalot), October 9, 2026. Link
Taylor NP. "Pharma's free lunches for clinicians bloat prescription bills: Cochrane review." Fierce Pharma, October 9, 2026. Link
US Food and Drug Administration. "FDA approves atezolizumab in combination with chemotherapy for Stage III mismatch repair deficient colon cancer." October 8, 2026. Link
Sahel J-A, et al. "Optogenetic Therapy for Restoring Aspects of Visual Function." New England Journal of Medicine, October 7, 2026. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2602215. Link
UPMC. "News release on the optogenetic therapy trial in retinitis pigmentosa." October 7, 2026. Link
GenSight Biologics. "Pioneer trial on GS030 published in NEJM, visual signals in 6 out of 10 patients" (company announcement, as reported by Idéal Investisseur). October 8, 2026. Link
Merelli A. "In small trial, optogenetics restores some vision lost to retinitis pigmentosa." STAT, October 7, 2026. Link
Wiessner D. "Abortion drug safety review will be completed by March, US FDA says." Reuters (via KFGO), October 8, 2026. Link
Associated Press. "FDA says its safety review of abortion pill will continue into next year" (via STAT). October 8, 2026. Link
