David S. Hong MD

Thanks @bradloncar for highlighting my work! I do think there’s interesting concepts in the DeSci space. Doing my part to shed light into it. @vitarnabio @vitadao @Molecule_sci @artan_bio

This will not end well for the US biopharma industry. The BMS/Hengrui deal announced yesterday includes co-commercialization which is the last piece after manufacturing and discovery that has not been present in Chinese drug cos. If we want to maintain our lead in US biotechnology we need to: 1. Drop cost and increase speed of phase 1 clinical trials in US. Good progress here recently from @US_FDA 2. Drop cost and increase speed of the lab work that drives product development in therapeutics. At @ginkgo we believe you do this via autonomous robotic labs, but I'll take anything that works -- right now discovery is 1/3 the cost in China as bench scientists there are 1/3 the labor cost. 3. Improve IP protections so its not too easy to fast-follow a biologic -- often the ultra-risky first clinical work on a new target is done in US and Chinese startups are fast-following and easily designing around patent limitations on protein sequences. 4. Leverage the fact that US consumers are paying for 70% of the profits in the biopharma industry to put in place the sort of trade restrictions we use to protect domestic automotive, defense, AI, and other strategic industries. Easy way to get started here is add biotech to the COINS Act list of strategic technologies alongside chips, AI, quantum, drones, etc. We need to do it now. Democracies should control genetic engineering - it's not more complicated than that. "Hengrui, which has the option to co-develop certain assets and participate in commercialization globally, gains access to some of the fruits of BMS’ drug discovery engine, plus its partners’ global R&D, regulatory and commercial capabilities." fiercebiotech.com/biotech/bms-in…

Excited to be included in the 2026 Class of 40 Under 40 in Cancer, alongside many brilliant colleagues! Thanks @avbcancercare for this recognition. linkedin.com/posts/avbcc_as…

It may take a long time, but when brilliant scientists are funded to take on the toughest problems in biology and medicine, they will often succeed. Drugs against KRAS are now a reality for cancer therapy. nytimes.com/2026/05/12/hea…

I have been so impressed by the recent Daraxonrasib data that I forgot the 25 year anniversary of the precision medicine OG - STI571 (Gleevec). What a triumph of modern medicine. And congratulations to @MelDMann - still going strong all these years later! npr.org/2026/05/10/nx-…

RevMed is such a cool story. The trip from academia to a failed biotech (WarpDrive) to huge success is a microcosm of the circuitous path often taken in drug development. nytimes.com/2026/05/12/hea… via @NYTimes

new KRAS inhibitor trial A Phase 1 Dose-escalation Trial of KST-6051 in Participants With Advanced Solid Tumors With Kirsten Rat Sarcoma Viral Oncogene Homolog (KRAS) Mutation to open in April 2026 phase 1, 145 pts clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07458… "KST-6051 is a potent and selective inhibitor of KRAS, with balanced activity against KRAS in the active (GTP-bound) and inactive (GDP-bound) states..." kestreltherapeutics.com/patients/

Original Article: Daraxonrasib in Previously Treated Advanced RAS-Mutated Pancreatic Cancer nej.md/4f7xfhX Science behind the Study: Advances in RAS Therapeutics for Pancreatic Cancer nej.md/4neOTCE #Oncology #Gastroenterology

Channing J. Der, PhD, and Jen Jen Yeh, MD, describe the scientific foundations of a phase 1–2 study of daraxonrasib to treat metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas. Learn about the science behind the study in the editorial “Advances in RAS Therapeutics for Pancreatic Cancer,” from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (@unc): nej.md/4neOTCE

Channing J. Der, PhD, and Jen Jen Yeh, MD, describe the scientific foundations of a phase 1–2 study of daraxonrasib to treat metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas. Learn about the science behind the study in the editorial “Advances in RAS Therapeutics for Pancreatic Cancer,” from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (@unc): nej.md/4neOTCE

In a phase 1–2 study of daraxonrasib, treatment-related adverse events of grade 3 or higher occurred in 30% of patients with previously treated RAS-mutated pancreatic cancer, and up to 35% of patients had an objective response. Full study results: nej.md/4f7xfhX Science behind the Study: Advances in RAS Therapeutics for Pancreatic Cancer nej.md/4neOTCE