Healthcare, Pharma & Life Sciences

TAMPA – October 29, 2026 -- John Couris, president and CEO of Florida Health Sciences Center | Tampa General Hospital (TGH), earned a place on Florida Trend's 2026 "Florida 500" list for the sixth consecutive year, and four other TGH-linked leaders joined him on the list.

The other honorees are Board Chair Blake Casper (CEO of Caspers Company), Vice Chair and Corporate Secretary Gregory Celestan (president of Celestar, LLC), and Immediate Past Board and Governance Chair Drew Graham (managing partner of Ballast Point Ventures). Jennifer Crabtree, president of the Tampa Medical & Research District (TMRD) and a TGH senior vice president, is the fifth. The list covers more than 60 business categories. Florida Trend editors select honorees through independent research and interviews, and advertising plays no role.

HONG KONG – October 29, 2026 -- Ascletis Pharma (HKEX: 1672) reported that its oral small molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist ASC30 cut HbA1c by a placebo-adjusted 1.7% at the 40 mg dose, 1.6% at 60 mg and 1.7% at 80 mg in a U.S. Phase II study in type 2 diabetes. The 13-week trial (NCT07321678) met its primary endpoint and all secondary endpoints, the company said.

ASC30 delivers placebo-adjusted weight loss of up to 4.4% with no plateau

Placebo-adjusted body weight reductions at 13 weeks were 4.4% (40 mg, n=20), 3.8% (60 mg, n=29) and 4.0% (80 mg, n=28). No weight plateau was observed. Baseline average body weight was 93.7 kg. The weight results were statistically significant versus placebo (p = 0.001 to 0.003).

TOKYO – October 29, 2026 -- The Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund has committed about JPY 1.06 billion (USD 6.8 million) to nine R&D projects covering drugs, vaccines and diagnostics for malaria, neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and emerging infectious diseases such as Ebola.

Trachoma rapid test receives JPY 450 million for clinical validation and launch

The largest single award, about JPY 450 million (USD 2.9 million), goes to a point-of-care rapid diagnostic test for trachoma. The project is led by Drugs and Diagnostics for Tropical Diseases, Medical & Biological Laboratories (MBL), The Carter Center and Big Eye Diagnostics, and has received GHIT support since 2024.

SHANGHAI – – October 29, 2026 -- United Imaging Healthcare (688271.SH) reported revenue of RMB 10.58 billion for the first nine months of 2026, up 19.43% year-on-year, as overseas sales climbed 50.30% to RMB 3.00 billion.

R&D spending reaches 21.08% of revenue

The company invested RMB 2.23 billion in R&D over the nine months, equal to 21.08% of revenue and 0.14 percentage points higher than a year earlier. It employs 3,937 R&D staff. Cumulative R&D investment from 2022, the year of its public listing, through September 2026 totals RMB 10.50 billion.

Asia-Pacific revenue more than doubles, Europe grows nearly 30%

European revenue rose nearly 30% year-on-year in the period. Asia-Pacific revenue grew by more than 100% in Q1–Q3 2026, with progress in Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

SHANGHAI – October 29, 2026 -- United Imaging Healthcare (688271.SH) posted revenue of RMB 10.58 billion for the first nine months of 2026, up 19.43% year-on-year, as international sales grew 50.30%.

Third-quarter revenue reached RMB 3.53 billion. Net profit attributable to shareholders rose 13% year-on-year to RMB 138 million.

International sales reach 28.31% of group revenue

Overseas revenue totaled RMB 3.00 billion in the period. Its share of total revenue rose 5.82 percentage points from a year earlier to 28.31%.

Europe revenue grows nearly 30% on 850-plus deliveries

Cumulative deliveries in Europe exceeded 850 systems, with high-end imaging equipment deployed in more than half of EU member states. A regional team of more than 160 employees supports the business. In North America, the company expanded relationships with integrated delivery networks and secured eligibility under framework agreements.

STOCKHOLM – October 29, 2026 -- Sobi's investigational gout drug pozdeutinurad (AR882) met the primary endpoint of the Phase 3 REDUCE-2 study, with 69.2% of patients on the 75 mg dose reaching serum urate (SU) below 6 mg/dL at month 6, against 8.1% on placebo. The company is presenting the late-breaking data at ACR Convergence 2026.

Both pozdeutinurad doses beat placebo on the primary endpoint at month 6

REDUCE-2 randomised 811 gout patients to pozdeutinurad 75 mg, pozdeutinurad 50 mg or placebo. In the 50 mg arm, 56.6% of patients achieved SU below 6 mg/dL at month 6. Both doses were significant versus placebo (p<0.0001).

Pozdeutinurad is a once-daily oral, highly selective URAT1 inhibitor. Sobi is developing it for uncontrolled gout, defined as SU above 6 mg/dL with persistent flares and/or tophi despite oral urate-lowering therapy.

Frankfurt am Main – October 29, 2026 -- Germany recorded 772 postmortem organ donors from January to September 2026, up 28 or 3.8% on the same period last year, the Deutsche Stiftung Organtransplantation (DSO) said at the opening of its 22nd Annual Congress.

Organs removed in Germany and allocated through Eurotransplant for transplantation at home or abroad totaled 2,373, compared with 2,258 a year earlier, a gain of 115 organs.

DSO says about 8,000 patients still wait for a donor organ

DSO Medical Director Dr. Axel Rahmel said the positive trend from last year continues but remains well short of what is needed for the roughly 8,000 people on German waiting lists. He cited the lack of a documented decision by potential donors as a key reason for low numbers. Most Germans view donation favorably, but few record that stance in writing, and the resulting uncertainty often leads relatives to refuse consent.

RANCHO CUCAMONGA – October 29, 2026 -- Amphastar Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: AMPH) will publish results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2026, after the market closes on Thursday, November 5, 2026.

Amphastar schedules a 2:00 p.m. Pacific call to discuss the quarter

Management will hold a conference call at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time on the same day. Participants can dial 877-407-0989 toll-free or 201-389-0921 from outside the United States, ten minutes before the start. A webcast of the call will run on the Investors page of the company website, and a replay will be posted within 24 hours of the call's end.

BAQSIMI sales sustainability is a named risk factor

In its forward-looking statements, Amphastar states there is no guarantee that its sales strategies will succeed or that it will continue to see significant sales of BAQSIMI. The company's trademarked portfolio also includes Primatene MIST, Amphadase and Cortrosyn.

MADISON – October 29, 2026 -- First Choice Dental has expanded to 20 locations across southern and southeastern Wisconsin after Milwaukee Dental Partners (MDP), a three-practice group with more than 6,600 active patients, joined its network effective October 26, 2026.

Three practices in Washington and Ozaukee counties join the network

The practices are Oakbrook Dental in West Bend, Jackson Family Dentistry in Jackson and Sauk Trail Dental in Saukville. All three keep their current names, doctors, hygienists and team members, and continue to accept the same insurance plans.

MDP patients gain access to First Choice Dental's wider network of dentists and specialists. Services include orthodontics, periodontics, endodontics and oral surgery.

LOS ANGELES – October 29, 2026 -- Air Force Enlisted Village, a non-profit housing provider for surviving spouses of retired enlisted Air Force members, is the subject of a new "All Access hosted by Andy Garcia" segment on care models that go beyond basic accommodation. The segment was filmed in Shalimar, Florida, on August 17, 2026, and is aimed at Public Television audiences.

Air Force Enlisted Village combines health services, social enrichment and community support

The organization operates residential campuses in Northwest Florida and offers a continuum from independent living to assisted care and memory support. It uses resident feedback and data-driven operational strategies so that care plans adapt to changing demographics, according to the program.