Healthcare, Pharma & Life Sciences

Shanghai – November 03, 2026 -- IASO Bio's FUCASO, the first BCMA-targeted CAR-T therapy approved in Singapore, will be covered under the country's Cancer Drug List (CDL) from December 1, 2026. The coverage follows the product's commercial launch in Singapore on November 3 with local partner Pills and Pokes.

Singapore's HSA approved FUCASO in June 2026 for late-line multiple myeloma

The Health Sciences Authority cleared FUCASO for adults with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (R/R MM) who have progressed after at least three prior lines of therapy. Those lines must include at least one proteasome inhibitor and one immunomodulatory agent. IASO Bio describes the product as the world's first fully human BCMA-targeted CAR-T therapy.

HONG KONG – November 03, 2026 -- WuXi Biologics (2269.HK) won two Grand Awards at the ninth Hong Kong ESG Reporting Awards (HERA), the only pharmaceutical company to do so among 120 entries.

The contract research, development and manufacturing organization (CRDMO) took Best ESG Report (Large-Cap) and Excellence in Environmental Positive Impact. HERA categories span ESG governance, environmental and social impact, carbon neutrality and workplace well-being. A panel drawn from academia, finance, sustainability advisory and regulatory backgrounds judges the program independently.

SBTi validated WuXi Biologics' emissions targets across Scope 1, 2 and 3 in 2025

The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) validated the company's near-term, long-term and net-zero greenhouse gas reduction targets in 2025. The targets cover Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions and align with a 1.5°C pathway.

SEOUL – November 04, 2026 -- Hugel Inc. reported third-quarter net sales of KRW97.5 billion, with operating profit of KRW18.1 billion and net profit of KRW4.7 billion, as the South Korean aesthetics group absorbed a short-term hit from restructuring its U.S. sales model. Consolidated net sales for the first three quarters of 2026 totaled KRW352.1 billion, up 15% year-on-year.

Botulinum toxin sales fall 21% while fillers and cosmetics grow

Botulinum toxin net sales, domestic and international combined, came in at KRW47.2 billion in the third quarter, down 21% year-on-year. Hyaluronic acid (HA) dermal fillers and skinboosters rose 2% to KRW30.9 billion. Cosmetics and other businesses reached KRW19.4 billion, growing more than 25%.

HANGZHOU – November 04, 2026 -- Minghui Pharmaceutical will receive an upfront payment of USD 110 million from ASKA Pharmaceutical under an exclusive license for MHB018A in Japan, with up to USD 330 million in further milestone payments on offer.

MHB018A is a subcutaneously administered antibody targeting insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) for thyroid eye disease (TED). ASKA gains exclusive rights to develop, seek regulatory approval for and commercialize the drug in Japan. Minghui keeps all rights outside Japan and continues to lead global development.

Deal combines USD 440 million in headline value with royalties up to mid-30%

Minghui is eligible for development, regulatory and commercial milestones totaling up to USD 330 million, on top of the USD 110 million upfront. It will also receive tiered royalties of up to mid-30% on net sales in Japan.

BEIJING – November 04, 2026 -- China invested approximately 1.4 trillion yuan in health-related poverty alleviation between 2015 and 2020, according to a Lancet Commission report launched at Tsinghua University on October 29.

The Commission, led by Tsinghua University and chaired by Margaret Chan, Dean of the Vanke School of Public Health and WHO Director-General Emeritus, analyzed four years of data on China's health poverty alleviation policies and their implementation.

Out-of-pocket inpatient costs for the poor fell ten percentage points

The share of inpatient expenses paid out of pocket by people living in poverty declined from 41.0% in 2013 to 31.0% in 2018. A national monitoring system now tracks more than 80 million low-income rural residents to identify risks of health-related poverty.

Linköping – November 04, 2026 -- Sectra (STO: SECT B) has signed a seven-year contract with Mount Sinai Health System in New York to deliver Sectra Reporting across all radiology services, covering more than 1.2 million exams per year.

Mount Sinai becomes the first US health system to adopt Sectra for radiology reporting

Sectra Reporting is the native reporting module in Sectra One Cloud, the company's enterprise imaging solution. The contract was signed in the second quarter of Sectra's 2026/2027 fiscal year. Go-live is planned for spring 2027.

Mount Sinai already uses Sectra's enterprise imaging solution for radiology, breast imaging and enterprise archive. Sectra says adding reporting to the same platform reduces vendor complexity and simplifies IT management.

Incheon – November 03, 2026 -- Samsung Biologics (KRX: 207940.KS) has earned an ESG Risk Rating score of 9.0 from Morningstar Sustainalytics, placing the contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) among the top 0.5% of companies assessed in the pharmaceuticals industry.

Samsung Biologics moves from 'Low Risk' to the lowest of five risk categories

The company advanced to 'Negligible Risk' from its previous 'Low Risk' rating. Under Sustainalytics' methodology, scores below 10 indicate a negligible level of unmanaged ESG risk, and lower scores reflect lower overall risk.

Morningstar Sustainalytics, an independent ESG research and ratings provider, assesses approximately 16,000 companies worldwide. It measures their exposure to material ESG risks and how effectively those risks are managed.

RIDGEWOOD – – November 03, 2026 -- SportsMed Physical Therapy has opened its Jersey City Heights clinic, lifting its network to 58 locations across New Jersey and Connecticut.

Hudson County presence expands with the new site

The Jersey City Heights clinic adds capacity in Hudson County, where the company now serves more residents, families and athletes recovering from injuries, managing pain or improving mobility.

The site offers physical therapy, occupational and hand therapy, chiropractic care, acupuncture and HomeCare services.

Network has grown from 7 to 58 sites since 2018

SportsMed has expanded from 7 to 58 locations since partnering with Hildred Capital Management in 2018. Hildred is a New York City-based investor in lower middle-market healthcare companies, and SportsMed is one of its portfolio companies.

Holland and Knight acted as legal counsel to SportsMed on the opening.

SUZHOU – November 03, 2026 -- CStone Pharmaceuticals (HKEX: 2616) will lead Phase I development of Kimia Therapeutics' potential first-in-class DNA damage response (DDR) cancer drug in mainland China and Australia, while Kimia reimburses the applicable clinical development costs.

CStone gains milestone and royalty rights without funding the trials

Under the clinical collaboration agreement, CStone is eligible for milestone payments and royalties on global net sales of the asset during the applicable royalty term. Kimia will supply the clinical drug, scientific guidance and product-related regulatory oversight. The announcement did not disclose payment amounts or royalty rates.

The asset targets the DDR pathway, which solid tumor cells rely on to survive.

Arlington, Virginia – November 03, 2026 -- The President has signed the bipartisan ACT for ALS Act into law, extending the research and treatment access programs created under the original 2021 legislation through 2031, according to the ALS Association.

Reauthorization keeps 2021 research and access programs running to 2031

The measure continues the programs established when ACT for ALS first passed in 2021. The ALS Association says those programs have accelerated research into promising therapies. The reauthorization is built to help the field establish which treatments work and to deliver them to everyone living with ALS.