Fruits, vegetables and early-onset lung cancer; Trump orders FDA to fast-track psychedelic therapy review; Eli Lilly’s $7B cancer acquisition – Morning Medical Update

Healthy diet of fruits and vegetables linked to higher lung cancer risk in young non-smokers

USC researchers found that non-smoking lung cancer patients under 50 ate more fruits, vegetables and whole grains than the general population.

Young non-smokers who eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains may face a higher risk of lung cancer than their peers, according to preliminary research from USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center presented at the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting.

The study surveyed 187 patients diagnosed with lung cancer by age 50 and found they had an average Healthy Eating Index score of 65 out of 100, compared to the national average of 57, and consumed more daily servings of dark green vegetables and whole grains than the general U.S. population. Researchers speculate that pesticide residue on commercially grown produce may be a contributing factor, noting that agricultural workers exposed to pesticides have higher rates of lung cancer. The study also found that young women who don't smoke had higher lung cancer incidence than men, and also tended to eat more produce.

The findings are preliminary — researchers did not directly test foods for pesticides — and the team says the next step is measuring pesticide levels in patients' blood or urine. "These counter-intuitive findings raise important questions about an unknown environmental risk factor for lung cancer," said lead investigator Jorge Nieva, M.D.

Trump signs executive order to fast-track psychedelic drug review for serious mental illness

The order directs $50 million in federal funding toward psychedelic research and instructs the FDA to prioritize review of psilocybin, ibogaine and other compounds.

President Trump signed an executive order Friday directing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to fast-track review of psychedelic drugs including psilocybin and ibogaine as potential treatments for serious mental illness, marking the first time the federal government has moved to expedite approval of any psychedelic therapy.

The order instructs the FDA to issue National Priority Vouchers to psychedelic drugs that have received Breakthrough Therapy designation, directs $50 million through the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health to support state-level psychedelic research programs, and establishes a pathway for eligible patients to access investigational psychedelic drugs under the Right to Try Act. The FDA's commissioner said priority vouchers for three psychedelics will be issued next week, potentially compressing the review timeline to weeks.

The order also directs the attorney general to initiate rescheduling reviews for any Schedule I psychedelic that successfully completes Phase 3 clinical trials. Both psilocybin and ibogaine are currently classified as Schedule I substances. More info in the White House Fact Sheet.

Eli Lilly to acquire cancer biotech Kelonia for up to $7 billion

The deal gives Lilly access to Kelonia’s in vivo CAR-T therapy pipeline, including an early-stage treatment for multiple myeloma.

Eli Lilly has agreed to acquire Boston-based Kelonia Therapeutics for up to $7 billion, adding an experimental cancer therapy platform to its oncology portfolio as the company works to diversify beyond its obesity drug franchise. The deal includes $3.25 billion upfront with the remainder tied to milestone payments, and is expected to close in the second half of 2026. Kelonia specializes in "in vivo" CAR-T therapies — an approach that generates engineered immune cells inside a patient's body rather than modifying them externally.

The acquisition is part of a broader Lilly buying spree that has already exceeded its total M&A spending in any year since 2010, spanning inflammatory bowel disease, eye disorders and gene-editing therapies. Reuters has more.