Theme news

Aubonne – September 16, 2026 -- Intuitive has secured CE mark approval for its da Vinci SP surgical system to perform transvaginal gynecologic procedures, marking the first such indication for the Single Port platform anywhere in the world.

Approval widens da Vinci SP's European surgical scope beyond five existing categories

The new indication adds to da Vinci SP's current CE-marked applications in Europe, which cover endoscopic abdominopelvic, thoracoscopic, transoral otolaryngology, transanal colorectal, and breast procedures. The system now supports natural orifice surgery across transoral, transanal, and transvaginal routes.

Washington – – September 16, 2026 -- Elveo Mobile and Apex have agreed to establish a dedicated spacecraft factory in the United States to scale production of Elveo's direct-to-device (D2D) satellite constellation, using Apex's Factory X manufacturing model to compress timelines for the company's first satellite production facility.

Apex's Factory X model gives Elveo a vertically integrated production blueprint

Apex, known as The Spacecraft Platform Company, will supply proven spacecraft platforms and high-rate manufacturing expertise to help Elveo stand up and operate its own U.S. facility. Elveo plans to replicate this blueprint with regional partners to expand manufacturing into Europe and Asia, building what the company describes as a global supply chain for its low-Earth orbit (LEO) network.

Shanghai and Hong Kong – September 16, 2026 -- Antengene Corporation Limited (SEHK: 6996.HK) has published preclinical data showing that combining its CD73 inhibitor ATG-037 with selinexor suppressed tumor growth by 62% in a multiple myeloma mouse model, versus 31% for ATG-037 alone and 43% for selinexor alone. The peer-reviewed paper, developed with the Department of Hematology at Peking University Third Hospital, appears in Cancer Gene Therapy, an SCI journal under Springer Nature (DOI: 10.1038/s41417-026-01078-9).

San Francisco – September 16, 2026 -- The Agentic AI Foundation (AAIF) has launched the Model Context Protocol Associate (MCPA), the first official certification validating engineers' understanding of the Model Context Protocol (MCP), as monthly downloads of MCP's Tier 1 SDKs approach half a billion.

MCP usage has surged to nearly half a billion monthly downloads

Both the TypeScript and Python SDKs for MCP have each surpassed 1 billion total downloads. MCP tool calls from ChatGPT users reached 98 times their January level by August 2026, while email API provider Resend passed one million MCP calls in a single month.

Pasadena – September 16, 2026 -- Sophia Space has entered a $300 million financing framework with aerospace leasing specialist SLI to fund a 10-satellite edge computing constellation, applying asset-leasing models long used in aviation and energy to orbital infrastructure for the first time.

SLI will purchase and lease 10 satellites under a fixed-payment structure

Under the non-binding letter of support, SLI will buy the satellites from Sophia and lease them to end-users on fixed monthly or quarterly payments, aligning the financing timeline with Sophia's build and deployment schedule. The arrangement supports purchase and deployment of 10 Sophia TILE spacecraft through a long-term operating lease spanning the satellites' expected useful lives, with mission launches planned as early as 2028.

Suzhou – – September 16, 2026 -- Accro Bioscience said AC-101 tablets have been included in the National Medical Products Administration's Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) "Caring Plan-Extension" pilot program, targeting Blau syndrome as the proposed indication, with the public notice period closing September 11, 2026.

NMPA pilot program aims to accelerate rare disease drug development in China

The Caring Plan-Extension pilot, run by China's CDE, is designed to encourage innovative drug development for rare diseases. Accro Bioscience confirmed the inclusion took effect September 14, 2026, China Standard Time (UTC+8).

FDA granted AC-101 Rare Pediatric Disease designation three months earlier

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration awarded AC-101 Rare Pediatric Disease (RPD) designation for Blau syndrome in June 2026, ahead of the Chinese regulatory step.

Morristown, N.J. – September 16, 2026 -- Whitehawk Therapeutics (Nasdaq: WHWK) presented real-world data at the IASLC 2026 World Conference on Lung Cancer in Seoul showing that PTK7 expression remains stable in pretreated, EGFR wild-type non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), reinforcing the target biology behind its Phase 1 antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) HWK-007.

Seoul – September 16, 2026 -- Johnson & Johnson reported that its RYBREVANT (amivantamab-vmjw) plus chemotherapy combination extended median overall survival to 34.3 months in patients with EGFR exon 20 insertion-mutated advanced non-small cell lung cancer, compared with 27.9 months for chemotherapy alone, according to final data from the Phase 3 PAPILLON study.

Combination therapy nearly doubles historical survival benchmarks

The result marks the longest reported median overall survival for this patient population, which has historically faced a five-year survival rate of just 8 percent and a median overall survival ranging from 16 to 24 months. EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations account for approximately 12 percent of all EGFR mutations and have proven difficult to treat with existing targeted therapies.

Shanghai – September 16, 2026 -- Shanghai Electric has secured its first overseas heavy-duty gas turbine contract, landing the Unit 3 award for the 500 MW Sarawak Samalaju Combined Cycle Gas Turbine Project in Malaysia.

Shanghai Electric will deliver full EPC turnkey scope plus a 25-year service agreement

The contract covers a complete engineering, procurement and construction turnkey solution for the gas-fired plant, paired with a 25-year long-term service agreement (LTSA) spanning all major equipment. Gas turbines, steam turbines, generators, heat recovery steam generators and air-cooled systems will all be manufactured in-house by Shanghai Electric, which will also act as the sole provider for decades of maintenance and service.

Toronto – September 16, 2026 -- Franco-Nevada Corporation has agreed to a A$200 million (approximately $144 million) follow-on financing package with Minerals 260 Limited to advance the Bullabulling Gold Project in Western Australia, lifting its total backing of the project to an aggregate A$420 million (approximately $300 million).

The package comprises a A$170 million (approximately $122 million) gross royalty acquisition and a A$30 million (approximately $22 million) equity subscription as lead order in a future Minerals 260 capital raise.

Melbourne – September 16, 2026 -- IonOpticks has released Aurora Series 5, a nano-LC column platform that sustained over 10,000 unique protein identifications across more than 1,000 injections in extended laboratory testing, without a rise in backpressure beyond 1,400 runs.

Extended testing confirms durability across 1,400-plus injections on an 8-minute, 120-samples-per-day method

Testing was conducted on a Thermo Scientific Vanquish Neo UHPLC coupled to an Orbitrap Astral Zoom mass spectrometer. IonOpticks says the results allow laboratories to run nanoflow-level depth and sensitivity as a routine, high-throughput workflow rather than reserving it for select experiments.

The Woodlands, Texas – September 16, 2026 -- CB&I and AG&P Industrial have completed and commissioned two 60,000m3 full containment LNG storage tanks at the LNGPH Ilijan LNG Facility in the Philippines, marking the world's first in-service full containment all-steel LNG tanks.

Tank 1 achieves world-first status as all-steel full containment LNG storage

The commissioning of Tank 1 marked the industry's first in-service full containment LNG tank built entirely of steel. Tank 2 has since completed performance testing and is fully operational, giving the Ilijan facility two functioning units of the technology.

Fort Worth – September 16, 2026 -- BODYBAR Pilates completed the largest reformer Pilates class on record in the United States, gathering 100 participants on 100 reformers in Frisco, Texas, and raising $10,000 for the Foundation for Women's Cancer.

Franchise stages record-setting class tied to two milestones

The 50-minute session, held Sunday, September 13, coincided with the 100th anniversary of Pilates and BODYBAR's own 100th studio opening. The event took place during BODYBAR's annual franchise conference at the Omni Frisco Hotel at The Star and included franchise owners, instructors and media from across the brand's network.

Kamille McCollum, BODYBAR's Chief Brand Officer, President and Co-Founder, led the class alongside a team of certified instructors. She said the event exceeded expectations and reflected the growth of both the Pilates discipline and the franchise's community.

Seoul – September 16, 2026 -- Risvutatug rezetecan (Ris-Rez), a B7-H3-directed antibody-drug conjugate, reduced the risk of death by 54% compared with topotecan in patients with relapsed small-cell lung cancer, according to Phase III ARTEMIS-008 trial results presented at the IASLC 2026 World Conference on Lung Cancer.

Ris-Rez extends median overall survival to 18.5 months versus 10.3 months for topotecan

The multicenter, open-label trial (NCT06498479) randomized 461 patients in China 1:1 to receive Ris-Rez at 8.0 mg/kg every three weeks or topotecan at 1.2 mg/m2 on days 1 through 5 every three weeks. More than 80% of enrolled patients had previously received PD-(L)1 inhibitors. At the June 6, 2026 data cutoff, after a median follow-up of 12.2 months, the hazard ratio for death favored Ris-Rez at 0.46 (95% CI, 0.35–0.62; P0.0001), with the survival benefit consistent across relevant subgroups.

Hong Kong – September 16, 2026 -- Akeso, Inc. (9926.HK) reported that its bispecific antibody ivonescimab reduced the risk of death by 27% compared with Merck's pembrolizumab in a Phase III trial of PD-L1-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with results presented as a Late-Breaking Abstract at the 2026 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC).

Ivonescimab extends median survival to 30.8 months in head-to-head trial

In the intention-to-treat population of the HARMONi-2 study (AK112-303), patients treated with ivonescimab monotherapy achieved a median overall survival (OS) of 30.8 months versus 22.6 months for pembrolizumab (HR=0.73; 95% CI: 0.57–0.95; P=0.009). The data cutoff was August 20, 2026, with a median follow-up of 36 months and 234 OS events recorded. Professor Caicun Zhou, principal investigator and IASLC President, is scheduled to deliver the full oral presentation on September 15.

Seoul – September 16, 2026 -- Hyundai Motor Group has put its "Data Flywheel" system into full operation, converting real-world driving data from an annual fleet of 7 million vehicles sold across the Group into continuous AI training and validation cycles for autonomous driving technology.

Group unveils dual-track roadmap combining NVIDIA hardware with proprietary Atria AI

At the "HMG Autonomous Driving Media Day" held at 42dot headquarters in Gyeonggi Province, Hyundai Motor Group detailed a dual-track strategy pairing NVIDIA-based solutions with its own Atria AI stack. NVIDIA solutions-based Level 2+ production is targeted for the first half of 2028, with Level 2++ capability following in the second half of 2028. Atria AI-powered Level 2++ vehicles are scheduled for the second half of 2029.

Houston – September 16, 2026 -- Allstream Energy Partners has secured nominations in six categories for Fast Company's Best Workplaces for Innovators program, spotlighting the Houston-based firm's AI-driven marketing technology built for the oil and gas sector.

Six nominations span AI, leadership, and marketing categories

The company was nominated for Best Workplaces for Innovators North America, AI, Automation and Machine Learning Excellence, Advertising, Marketing and PR, Small & Mighty Companies, Innovative Team of the Year, and Innovative Leader of the Year, an individual honor for Founder and CEO Efrain Garcia.

Los Angeles – September 16, 2026 -- Two immersive media projects supported by Agog: The Immersive Media Institute captured two of the three prizes awarded in the Venice Immersive competition at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. Out of the Ashes, co-directed by Rory Mitchell and Nonny de la Peña, received the Venice Immersive Special Jury Prize, while Empire at Sea, created and directed by Peter Flaherty, earned the Venice Immersive Achievement Prize.

Austin, Texas – September 16, 2026 -- Oracle Corporation (NYSE: ORCL) confirmed that Executive Chair and Chief Technology Officer Larry Ellison has cancelled his 10b5-1 trading plan to sell company stock, halting a scheduled divestment before any shares changed hands.

Ellison cancels stock sale plan with zero shares sold

Oracle stated no stock was sold under the now-terminated 10b5-1 plan. The company added that Ellison currently has no other arrangements in place to sell any of his Oracle shares.

Ajman, UAE – September 16, 2026 -- The Ajman Department of Tourism, Culture and Media will participate in Arabian Travel Market 2026, running September 14-17 at the Dubai World Trade Centre under the theme 'Travel 2040: Driving New Frontiers Through Innovation and Technology.'

Fifteen tourism entities join Ajman's stand at Dubai trade event

The emirate's pavilion will feature 15 participating organizations spanning hospitality, wellness and travel services, including Ajman Saray (a Luxury Collection Resort), Al Zorah Beach Resort, Fairmont Ajman, Bahi Ajman Palace Hotel, Dusit Ajman Resort & Villas, Wyndham Garden Hotel and Radisson Blu Hotel. Additional participants include Zarya Wellness Spa Management Company FZE, Ewan Ajman Suites Hotel, Ajman Chamber, Bronz Tourism, MUSANDAM ADVENTURE Travel, Arabian Oryx Travel and Tourism LLC, Flash Horizon and Rida International Tourism & Travel.