Parkinson’s in the Clinic, Insilico enters Phase III, Vertex Acquires Crinetics

Promise hits Parkinson’s disease therapy, as a Phase I/II clinical study has demonstrated the feasibility of transplanting stem-cell-derived dopamine progenitor cells into the brain. In preclinical research, a new platform uses the brain’s fluid transport pathways to effectively deliver AAVs to therapeutic targets in mice. We’ll also cover the accelerating infrastructure moment for AI-driven drug discovery, with billion-dollar investments flowing into end-to-end platforms driven by models and compute, rather than single drug assets. In business, Insilico’s revenue leaps as the company’s AI-developed lead candidate moves to Phase III, while Vertex acquires Crinetics for $10 billion.

Listed below are links to the GEN stories referenced in this episode of Touching Base:

Engineered AAVs Harness Glymphatic System to Reach Brain Targets in Mice
GEN, July 9, 2026

Stem Cell Therapy Shows Promise in First Human Parkinson’s Disease Trial
GEN, July 9, 2026

Pharma Races to Scale AI as Billions Flow into Drug Discovery
By Fay Lin, PhD, GEN Edge, July 6, 2026

StockWatch: Insilico Projects Profit, Revenue Leaps as AI-Developed Lead Candidate Moves to Phase III
By Alex Philippidis, GEN Edge, July 12, 2026

Vertex Eyes Expansion Beyond Cystic Fibrosis with Planned $10B Crinetics Buyout
By Alex Philippidis, GEN Edge, July 7, 2026

Top 20 Drugs Heading for the Patent Cliff, 2026-2029
By Alex Philippidis, GEN Magazine, Nov 1, 2025

Touching Base Podcast
Hosted by Corinna Singleman, PhD

Behind the Breakthroughs
Hosted by Jonathan D. Grinstein, PhD

The State of Biologics Testing 2026
Charles River Laboratories and GEN, June 10, 2026  

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