Valby, Denmark – September 07, 2026 -- Lundbeck will present preclinical data at the European Epilepsy Congress in Athens showing its investigational drug bexicaserin simultaneously increases inhibitory and decreases excitatory neuronal activity in hippocampal brain tissue, a dual mechanism the company says supports broad-spectrum antiseizure potential across multiple epilepsy types.
Hod Hasharon, Israel & Shanghai – September 07, 2026 -- Raziel Therapeutics and Fosun Pharma reported that RZL-012, an injectable lipolytic drug for submental fat reduction, met every primary and secondary endpoint in a 480-patient Phase 3 trial in China, with the primary responder rate outperforming placebo by 30 percentage points after a single treatment cycle.
The registration study, conducted with Fosun Pharma affiliate JuveStar, enrolled 360 patients on active treatment and 120 on placebo, evaluating efficacy 84 days after one treatment cycle. Results showed a decisive statistical advantage across all measured endpoints, according to the companies.
Northbrook, Illinois – September 05, 2026 -- Kalohexis, Inc. has appointed Garry Menzel, Ph.D., to its Board of Directors, adding an executive who raised more than $500 million while leading oncology company TCR2 Therapeutics before its 2023 merger with Adaptimmune.
Menzel currently serves as an Operating Partner at Global Healthcare Opportunities (GHO) Capital, a European healthcare-focused private equity firm. He previously worked as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse, where he led global biotechnology franchises and worked on transactions totaling more than $100 billion, including IPOs and M&A deals.
Hong Kong – September 03, 2026 -- Ascletis Pharma Inc. has dosed the first participant in a global Phase III program for ASC30, an oral small molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist for chronic weight management, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange-listed biotech confirmed.
The program comprises two pivotal trials, AURORA-1 and AURORA-2, spanning clinical sites in the U.S., Europe, and Canada. AURORA-1 targets participants with obesity or overweight without type 2 diabetes, while AURORA-2 enrolls those with type 2 diabetes; both trials test 20 mg, 40 mg, and 60 mg maintenance doses against placebo over 72 weeks, with the primary endpoint measuring percentage change in body weight from baseline to Week 72.
INDIANAPOLIS and CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Aug. 31, 2026 -- Eli Lilly and Company agreed to pay up to $2.875 billion in cash to acquire Merida Biosciences, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biotechnology company developing antibody-degrading therapies for autoimmune and allergic diseases. The figure includes an upfront payment plus contingent milestone payments under a definitive agreement announced by both companies. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026.