News

Valby, Denmark – October 01, 2026 -- H. Lundbeck A/S reported that 60% of participants in its Phase IV THRIVE trial achieved 'much improved' or 'very much improved' status on a standardized patient scale after switching to eptinezumab, marketed as VYEPTI, following an inadequate response to a prior CGRP-targeting preventive migraine therapy.

Trial enrolled 164 adults who had failed one prior CGRP preventive treatment

The 24-week, open-label, multicenter trial (NCT06701526) was conducted in the United States and enrolled 164 adults with at least eight monthly migraine days who had previously used either a subcutaneous anti-CGRP monoclonal antibody or a preventive gepant, but had not received eptinezumab. Participants started on 100 mg of eptinezumab, escalating to 300 mg at week 12, with 147 receiving both infusions; 84% (138/164) completed the trial.

St. Helena, Calif. – October 01, 2026 -- Tres Agaves Tequila launched in the UK and Ireland on October 1, marking the family-owned Mexican producer's first entry into European on-premise and independent retail channels. The rollout extends to Germany, Switzerland, the Nordics and Spain in the following months, with a formal European trade introduction scheduled at Bar Convent Berlin in mid-October.

Single-source Amatitán production anchors the brand's European pitch

Tres Agaves distills every batch from a single source in Amatitán, built on nearly two decades of direct grower relationships. The brand carries USDA and Mexican organic certification and NOM-registered production status, credentials it is now extending to European bartenders and independent retailers for the first time.

Helsinki – October 01, 2026 -- ICEYE and Nokia have agreed to jointly develop secure, sovereign low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications systems for governments and defense customers, with the first satellites expected to launch in 2028.

Nations will own and control the full satellite communications stack

The partnership targets a system in which governments hold full ownership of the satellites, ground segment and terminals, removing reliance on foreign commercial operators' terms of service. The broadband LEO network is designed to serve defense, border security, emergency services and disaster response missions with high-throughput, low-latency connectivity over priority mission areas.

Johannesburg – October 01, 2026 -- Absa Group has selected Thunes as a strategic Multicurrency Clearing partner, expanding a collaboration that links Absa's Pan-African banking footprint to Thunes' Direct Global Network spanning more than 140 countries, 90 currencies, and 220 payment methods.

Deal builds on South Africa's Absa Global Pay launch

The new agreement extends the two companies' prior rollout of Absa Global Pay in South Africa, which combined Absa's banking franchise with Thunes' global payment connectivity and local-market capabilities. The expanded partnership now underpins Absa's broader cross-border payments strategy across African and global markets.

Clearing link enables payouts beyond bank accounts

By connecting directly to Thunes' network, the collaboration allows Absa to route payouts to mobile wallets and card rails, not just bank accounts, with 24/7 liquidity and enterprise-grade compliance built in.

Los Angeles – October 01, 2026 -- Three pharmacy benefit managers—CVS Caremark, Optum Rx, and Express Scripts—processed roughly 80% of U.S. prescription claims last year, a concentration that AlignRx says is squeezing independent pharmacies out of the market. The nation's largest independently owned Pharmacy Services Administrative Organization (PSAO) is the subject of a forthcoming feature on the public television series All Access with Andy Garcia, which examines the reimbursement pressures facing community pharmacies nationwide.

Vertically integrated PBMs leave pharmacies reimbursed below drug cost

The feature details how market consolidation among the three dominant PBMs has created a vertically integrated system in which patients face higher out-of-pocket costs and reduced choice. Community pharmacies, AlignRx says, are often reimbursed less than the cost of the medication they dispense, straining their ability to stay open.

Alghero – October 01, 2026 -- Hankook Tire & Technology, the exclusive tire supplier to the FIA World Rally Championship, will equip all competitors at Rally Italia Sardegna, the season-closing round running October 1-4 around Alghero on Italy's Sardinia island.

Rally Italia Sardegna replaces canceled Saudi Arabia round as 2026 finale

With Rally Saudi Arabia pulled from the WRC calendar, the 23rd edition of this historic gravel event now decides the 2026 Drivers' Championship. Teams face unpredictable October weather and demanding roads where tire strategy is expected to be decisive.

Courbevoie – October 01, 2026 -- ACI EUROPE, Amadeus, IATA, IDEMIA Public Security and SITA have formed the Responsible Biometrics Travel Industry Coalition, pressing EU policymakers to prevent the bloc's Digital Omnibus legislation from restricting voluntary biometric use in air travel.

The five organizations argue the current legislative proposal, designed to simplify Europe's digital rulebook and strengthen competitiveness, could unintentionally curb passengers' ability to opt into biometric verification at airports.

Aachen, Germany – October 01, 2026 -- INFORM has launched Passenger Assistance (PA) Dispatching, a cloud-native SaaS platform built to help airports manage surging demand for wheelchair, unaccompanied minor, VIP and special assistance services through real-time forecasting and automated decision support.

Airports face rising passenger assistance loads amid staffing shortages

Growing traveler volumes, stricter service expectations and persistent staffing gaps are straining manual dispatch systems, according to INFORM. Fragmented operational data leaves teams reacting to disruptions rather than anticipating them, the Aachen-based logistics software provider said.

Fredericksburg – October 01, 2026 -- Skanska has signed a USD 163 million contract, about SEK 1.5 billion, with the University of Mary Washington to build a new theatre and renovate fine arts buildings in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Contract value flows into Skanska's third-quarter 2026 US order bookings

The deal will be recorded in Skanska's US order intake for Q3 2026, adding to the construction group's North American pipeline.

Scope covers a new 293-seat theatre and renovation of existing arts facilities

The project includes site development, infrastructure, core shell and interior fit-out for a multi-story theatre spanning approximately 6,300 square meters (68,230 square feet) with a 293-seat performance hall. Work also covers 7,600 square meters (82,000 square feet) of renovations to existing fine arts buildings and an 800 square meter (8,950-square-foot) addition.

Dubai – October 01, 2026 -- IGEL, a global software company behind the IGEL Adaptive Secure Endpoint Platform, will host its Now & Next Workspace & Endpoint Security Summit at Dubai Knowledge Park on October 21, 2026, as organizations across the UAE face between 90,000 and 200,000 cyberattack attempts daily, according to the UAE Government Cybersecurity Council.

UAE cyberattack volumes drive enterprise focus on endpoint resilience

The one-day program will gather IT and security leaders to address endpoint security, operational resilience, and secure workspace delivery as regional enterprises expand investment in artificial intelligence, cloud services, and digital experiences. The growing complexity of these environments has widened the attack surface organizations must defend, according to IGEL.