Pharmaceuticals & Biopharmaceuticals

Suzhou – October 08, 2026 -- Suzhou Ribo Life Science (06938.HK) and its Swedish subsidiary Ribocure Pharmaceuticals AB have submitted a Phase I Clinical Trial Application in the European Union for RBD3133, a small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapeutic targeting the INHBE gene for overweight and obesity.

RBD3133 silences a gene linked to healthier fat distribution in human genetic studies

RBD3133 is designed to selectively suppress INHBE, which encodes the protein activin E. Human genetic data show that individuals with naturally occurring loss-of-function variants in INHBE exhibit healthier fat distribution, improved metabolic profiles, and a lower estimated risk of coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Shanghai – October 08, 2026 -- WuXi AppTec has secured its third consecutive Gold medal from EcoVadis, placing the pharmaceutical CRDMO among the top 5% of companies worldwide for sustainability performance.

EcoVadis scores companies across 21 criteria covering four pillars

The rating agency evaluates global supply-chain participants on Environment, Labor & Human Rights, Ethics, and Sustainable Procurement, with Gold medals reserved for the highest percentile tier. WuXi AppTec's repeat award signals sustained compliance across its value chain rather than a one-time achievement.

Delray Beach, Fla. – – October 08, 2026 -- The global Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) market will grow from USD 149.02 billion in 2026 to USD 199.42 billion by 2031, a 6.0% compound annual growth rate, according to new data from MarketsandMarkets.

North America commands 43.1% of global API sales as domestic manufacturing investment accelerates

North America held the largest regional share of the API market in 2025 at 43.1%, driven by established pharmaceutical R&D infrastructure and rising investment in domestic production capacity. The US leads regional output in high-value and complex API development, supported by a dense base of pharmaceutical companies, contract manufacturing organizations, and specialized API producers.

Galway – October 08, 2026 -- Medtronic plc has fixed the final exchange ratio for its split-off of MiniMed Group, Inc. at 4.5939 shares of MiniMed common stock for every Medtronic ordinary share tendered and accepted.

Medtronic caps the swap at the upper limit after shares priced above range

The company said the calculated per-share values of both Medtronic ordinary shares and MiniMed common stock, determined under the method set out in MiniMed's SEC-filed Prospectus, would have produced a ratio exceeding the deal's upper limit of 4.5939. Medtronic therefore locked the ratio at that ceiling, the maximum allowed under the offer's terms.

Orange County, Calif. – October 08, 2026 -- The Institute for Molecular Medicine (IMM) and Nuravax have dosed the first four participants in TAURUS-1980, a Phase 1 trial testing AV-1980R, described as the world's first active immunotherapy targeting pathological tau protein linked to Alzheimer's disease.

Trial targets at-risk adults before cognitive symptoms appear

TAURUS-1980 will enroll up to 48 cognitively unimpaired adults aged 65 to 80 who have biomarker-confirmed brain amyloid pathology, a known precursor to Alzheimer's. Participants are randomized 3:1 to receive AV-1980R or placebo across three ascending-dose cohorts of 20, 60, and 180 micrograms.

Sarasota, Fla. – October 08, 2026 -- Lakewood-Amedex Biotherapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: LABT) reported that its Bisphosphocin compound Nu-8, delivered intravesically to rodents infected with E. coli, achieved up to 97% inhibition of bacterial growth using a 10% solution, against no effect in a vehicle control group.

Nu-8 targets drug-resistant bacteria linked to catheter-associated UTIs

The Bisphosphocin class has shown in vitro activity against a broad range of resistant bacteria common in urinary tract infections, including E. coli, K. pneumoniae, and P. aeruginosa, and against biofilm-forming organisms. Complicated UTIs, particularly catheter-associated urinary tract infections, are frequently driven by drug-resistant strains and biofilm formation, a persistent challenge for hospital infection control.

Mesa, Ariz. – October 08, 2026 -- Bright Path, a U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturer, has been named a 2026 AZBio Fast Lane Award honoree by the Arizona Bioindustry Association, recognizing milestones reached over the past 18 months including a first-of-its-kind FDA manufacturing designation and committed commercial production of hospital medicines facing chronic shortages. The company was honored at the 23rd Annual AZBio Awards at the Phoenix Convention Center during Arizona Bioscience Week.

Johns Creek, Ga. – October 08, 2026 -- Boehringer Ingelheim has secured U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for a new Quarterable Snap-Tab design of PREVICOX (firocoxib) Chewable Tablets, enabling veterinarians to prescribe the canine pain medication to dogs as small as seven pounds.

Double-scored tablets expand dosing precision for veterinarians

The redesigned 57 mg and 227 mg tablets feature double scoring that allows division into quarters, giving veterinarians more granular, weight-based dosing options for dogs across a broader size range. PREVICOX is a COX-2 selective NSAID approved for controlling pain and inflammation from osteoarthritis and for postoperative pain following soft-tissue and orthopedic surgery in dogs.

New York – October 07, 2026 -- Three early-career scientists each received $250,000 unrestricted prizes at the 2026 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists, the largest such award available to researchers under 42 in the United States.

Three laureates emerge from a pool of 372 nominees across 43 states

The Blavatnik Family Foundation and The New York Academy of Sciences selected the winners from 372 nominees representing 187 academic and research institutions. An independent jury also named 15 Finalists, each receiving $15,000 in unrestricted funding, plus nine Blavatnik Regional Awards honorees.

Pleasanton, Calif. – October 07, 2026 -- More than 175 emerging biotechs have adopted Veeva Basics, a suite of pre-configured, pre-validated applications spanning clinical, regulatory, quality, medical, and commercial functions, Veeva Systems (NYSE: VEEV) announced.

Biotechs deploy Veeva Basics applications in weeks instead of months

The pre-configured systems allow high-growth companies to move from startup to commercialization without building internal IT infrastructure or managing complex customizations. Whitehawk Therapeutics, a company with under 40 employees developing antibody-drug conjugates for difficult-to-treat cancers, used the platform to replace paper-based processes. "Veeva Basics redefined how we operate, significantly improving processes across regulatory and quality for greater speed and compliance," said Bryan Ball, chief technology operations officer at Whitehawk Therapeutics.