Healthcare, Pharma & Life Sciences

COLOGNE, GERMANY – November 1, 2026 – Informa Connect will host BIO-Europe 2026 in Cologne, Germany, on November 9–11, 2026, convening more than 6,000 senior executives from the global biotech, pharmaceutical, and investment sectors. The 32nd edition of the conference arrives as senior leaders report renewed confidence in biopharma dealmaking, even though financing challenges continue. Programming focuses on how scientific innovation is financed, developed, and brought to patients, alongside structured one-to-one partnering. For company teams, investors, and pharmaceutical partners, the event combines deal-making, strategic debate, and regional ecosystem access in one setting.

Tampa – October 31, 2026 -- Tampa General Hospital (TGH) has promoted Lijah Lokenauth, CPA, CFE, to executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective Jan. 4, 2027, replacing Mark Runyon in the system's top finance role.

Lokenauth currently serves as senior vice president of finance. He will oversee the financial strategy and operations supporting the academic health system's long-term sustainability and strategic priorities.

Runyon moves to executive special projects after raising more than $1.2 billion in bonds

Runyon, who joined TGH in early 2020, will become executive vice president of executive special projects, reporting directly to President and CEO John Couris. During his tenure, Runyon guided the system through the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and raised more than $1.2 billion in capital through bond financing. He also secured a credit rating upgrade and modernized systemwide financial reporting.

BOHEMIA, N.Y. – October 31, 2026 -- Datascan, a pharmacy software vendor serving independent community pharmacies in the United States and the Bahamas, said it will stay independently owned and will not be sold to a private-equity group, corporate consolidator or industry roll-up.

President and Owner Kevin Minassian said the company received repeated acquisition interest over several years. One offer was financially significant and advanced far enough that he seriously considered selling, but the proposed terms changed late in the process. Datascan walked away from the deal.

New York – October 31, 2026 -- Orbis International is committing an estimated US$32 million in financial and technical contributions from 2027 through 2030 to strengthen eye health systems, targeting better outcomes for more than 18 million people and professional development for more than 250,000 eye health professionals.

The pledge was announced in connection with the first Global Summit for Eye Health, hosted by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda in technical collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO). The summit targets the 1 billion people living with avoidable vision loss. Orbis has endorsed the St. John's Global Compact for Eye Health, and its commitments run from January 2027 through December 2030. They cover cataract, diabetic retinopathy, childhood eye health and refractive error.

Warren – October 31, 2026 -- PTC Therapeutics (NASDAQ: PTCT) granted stock options on 9,620 shares and 11,535 restricted stock units to 13 new employees, with the options struck at $63.02 per share.

Compensation Committee approved the grants on Oct. 28 under Nasdaq's inducement exception

The awards were made under the Nasdaq inducement grant exception, Listing Rule 5635(c)(4). PTC describes them as material to each employee's decision to accept employment. The options are non-statutory.

Option exercise price is set at the $63.02 closing price on the grant date

The exercise price matches PTC's closing share price on Oct. 28, 2026. Each option has a 10-year term and vests over four years. A 25% tranche vests on the first anniversary of the employee's hire date. After that, 6.25% of the original share count vests at the end of each three-month period until fully vested. Vesting depends on continued service.

FORT MYERS – October 31, 2026 -- Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute (FCS) President & Managing Physician Lucio N. Gordan, MD, will co-chair NCODA's inaugural Clinical Advances Summit (NCAS) in October 2027, with five FCS-linked leaders also named to NCODA's first Class of 2026 Fellows.

NCODA expands its conference format with a 2027 international summit

NCODA announced NCAS as the 2026 International Fall Summit drew to a close. The expanded meeting will bring together multidisciplinary and international oncology experts to address clinical innovations, research and emerging trends in cancer care. Gordan, who sits on NCODA's board of directors and executive council, will help shape the scientific direction of the event.

Gordan said "scientific progress reaches its full potential only when clinicians are prepared for what's ahead."

Madison – October 31, 2026 -- Accuray Incorporated (NASDAQ: ARAY) granted 650,000 restricted stock units and 650,000 performance-based restricted stock units (at target) to Sofiane Laoussadi, its new Senior Vice President, Global Services & Solutions. The two awards cover 1.3 million shares of common stock at target.

Awards fall under NASDAQ inducement rule 5635(c)(4)

The Compensation Committee approved the grants as a material inducement for Laoussadi to join the company, in line with NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635(c)(4). Accuray disclosed them as that rule requires. Both awards took effect on October 30, 2026.

The grants sit outside the company's current equity plan. Their terms are generally consistent with those of the 2026 Equity Incentive Plan.

Cerritos, Calif. – October 31, 2026 -- Millennium Dental Technologies and the Institute for Advanced Laser Dentistry (IALD) announced the death of Professor Raymond A. Yukna, DMD, MS (1942-2026). His 2007 human histology study gave the LANAP protocol, a minimally invasive laser treatment for moderate to severe periodontal disease, some of its earliest and most influential scientific validation.

Yukna's 2007 study documented new connective tissue attachment in humans

Yukna's research began with an International Association for Dental Research (IADR) abstract in 2003. He submitted his landmark study to the International Journal of Periodontics and Restorative Dentistry in 2006, and it was published in 2007. The work demonstrated cementum-mediated new connective tissue attachment in humans and gave the periodontal community evidence of the protocol's regenerative potential.

WASHINGTON – – October 31, 2026 -- The American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) has awarded U.S. Senator Susan M. Collins of Maine its 2026 National Leadership Award for Science and Medical Innovation, as kidney advocates push Congress to expand research funding by up to $1.8 billion through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Department of Defense.

Collins chairs the Senate Committee on Appropriations and serves on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), including its Primary Health and Retirement Security Subcommittee. AAKP cited her support for patient-centered policy, American science and organ donation reform.

Europe – October 31, 2026 -- Structured cross-border exchange of priority health information becomes a requirement in Europe from 2029 under the European Health Data Space, and IT services provider CGI is urging healthcare leaders to prioritize interoperability over adding new platforms.

CGI lists 10 actions to close the gap between digital tools and patient journeys

Healthcare organizations are investing in electronic health records, patient portals, cloud platforms, virtual care and AI. According to CGI, digital capabilities are advancing faster than connected care. Patients still repeat their medical history, while clinicians duplicate documentation and move between systems.