Biopharmaceuticals

Belfast – October 14, 2026 -- Cumulus Neuroscience and Transpharmation Ltd. have formed a strategic partnership to align EEG and behavioral endpoints from preclinical models through first-in-human trials, targeting a therapeutic area where an estimated 6.7% of candidates progress from nonclinical development to FDA approval (Sertkaya et al., JAMA Netw Open, 2024).

Partners target the measurement break between animal studies and Phase 1

The two companies will jointly advise biopharma sponsors preparing for first-in-human studies. They will recommend which EEG paradigms to run preclinically based on how the same measures will be captured in the clinic. Each company will no longer scope its portion of a programme in isolation.

Maastricht – October 14, 2026 -- More than half of respondents to the MAPPA patient survey received a primary immunodeficiency (PID) diagnosis after age 18, and 28% reported permanent damage at the time of diagnosis, according to preliminary findings Kedrion Biopharma and AIP APS will present at ESID 2026.

MAPPA survey expands from Italy to Portugal, Spain and Turkey

The survey was developed by AIP APS, the Italian Association for Primary Immunodeficiencies, in collaboration with Kedrion. It collects real-world data on the experiences of people living with PIDs across Europe. The expansion from Italy to Portugal, Spain and Turkey is expected to provide new evidence on patient pathways, diagnostic journeys and unmet needs.

AIP APS President Alessandro Segato said that turning patient experiences into evidence helps identify shared needs that might otherwise remain unseen, and can strengthen diagnosis, care and support at a European level.

Melbourne – October 14, 2026 -- Telix Pharmaceuticals will present 20 company-related abstracts at the 39th Annual Congress of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) in Vienna on October 17-21, 2026. Twelve of them were selected for top-rated oral presentations, with the rest running as ePosters.

Three pivotal therapeutic programs lead the oral lineup

The Phase 3 IPAX BrIGHT trial of TLX101-Tx (iodofalan-131I) in recurrent glioblastoma will be presented on October 19 by Nelleke Tolboom of UMC Utrecht. The study tests the therapy with or without lomustine against lomustine alone at first recurrence. The same morning session includes the IODO-RISE study of TLX101-Tx in recurrent high-grade glioma.

Mount Pleasant, S.C. – October 13, 2026 -- Paradigm Therapeutics, Inc. has been named a finalist for the 2026 Prix Galien USA "Best Start-Up" Award, its second consecutive nomination after being a nominee in 2025.

The clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company is developing SD-101 (ZorblesiaTM), a topical cream for wounds and lesions across the entire skin surface in patients with Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB). The Galien Foundation manages the awards, which will be presented on October 29, 2026, at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

San Diego – – October 13, 2026 -- Inhibrx Biosciences (Nasdaq: INBX) will present phase 2 data on both clinical-stage candidates in its pipeline in four sessions at three oncology conferences between Oct. 25 and Nov. 20, 2026.

Ordastobart phase 2 primary analysis goes to ESMO on Oct. 25

The first session is an oral presentation at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress in Madrid on Sunday, Oct. 25, from 8:30 to 10:00 AM CET. Lead author Jong Chul Park will present the phase 2 primary analysis of HexAgon-HN, a phase 2/3 study of the hexavalent OX40 agonist ordastobart (INBRX-106) combined with pembrolizumab. The trial covers first-line treatment of PD-L1-high recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Olympia – October 13, 2026 -- Fungi Perfecti, LLC has published the first complete genome of the endangered Agarikon fungus, a 28.76-megabase nuclear assembly estimated to be 99.4% complete, in the peer-reviewed journal G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics.

The study, led by mycologist Paul Stamets and company scientists, is titled "Genomic characterization of the endangered medicinal polypore agarikon (Laricifomes officinalis syn. Fomitopsis officinalis)." Until now, Agarikon lacked a comprehensive genomic reference for genetic investigation.

Researchers annotate 8,717 predicted genes in the Agarikon nuclear genome

Fungi Perfecti researchers assembled and annotated both the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. Of the 8,717 predicted genes, 8,604 are protein-coding.

The team also identified 287 genes across 27 candidate biosynthetic gene clusters, including genes associated with pathways that produce specialized metabolites.

Santa Barbara – October 13, 2026 -- Rona Therapeutics will receive up to $100 million in upfront and near-term milestone payments from Roche under an exclusive worldwide license for its investigational RNAi candidate targeting activin receptor-like kinase 7 (ALK7), with potential for a further $1.06 billion in milestones.

Rona is eligible for $1.06 billion in milestones plus tiered royalties

The additional $1.06 billion covers development, regulatory and commercial milestones. Rona is also eligible for tiered royalties on global net sales. Combined with the upfront and near-term payments, headline deal value reaches roughly $1.16 billion if all milestones are met.

The candidate uses Rona's proprietary extrahepatic delivery platform, which targets tissue outside the liver. Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) receives the exclusive license for the asset worldwide.

Uppsala – October 13, 2026 -- Akiram Therapeutics reported no dose-limiting toxicities among the eight patients treated so far with its lead radiopharmaceutical candidate 177Lu-AKIR001 in a Phase I trial, with treatment-related adverse events limited to grade 1-2.

The Swedish clinical-stage biotech will present the first clinical data at the EANM 2026 Congress in Vienna, October 17-21. The abstract was selected as a Top Rated Oral Presentation (TROP).

Sustained tumor retention supports continued dose escalation

The first-in-human study is evaluating 177Lu-AKIR001 in patients with irresectable or metastatic CD44v6-positive solid tumors who have no remaining standard treatment options. At data cut-off, eight patients had been treated, and four of them received repeat treatment after the first administration.

Shanghai – October 12, 2026 -- Shanghai Ark Biopharmaceutical (ArkBio) has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance of its investigational new drug application for AK0406, allowing a phase II trial of the long-acting antiviral drug-Fc conjugate for influenza prevention in the general U.S. population.

CDC data shows 24,000 U.S. flu deaths despite vaccines

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the 2025–2026 influenza season caused at least 32 million illnesses, 380,000 hospitalizations and 24,000 deaths in the United States. ArkBio says shifting circulating viruses and variable immune response limit vaccine protection, particularly among older adults and immunocompromised people.

Dublin – October 12, 2026 -- Keenova Therapeutics plc will present an exploratory analysis of the CONFIRM trial on October 12 at the American College of Gastroenterology Annual Meeting (October 9-14, 2026). The analysis covers TERLIVAZ (terlipressin) in hepatorenal syndrome-acute kidney injury (HRS-AKI) patients who are ineligible for liver transplant.

Ten-author analysis targets liver transplant-ineligible patients

The presentation is titled "Efficacy and Safety of Terlipressin in Patients With Hepatorenal Syndrome-Acute Kidney Injury Ineligible for Liver Transplant: An Exploratory Analysis of the CONFIRM Trial." Nancy Reau, MD, Associate Director of Solid Organ Transplantation and Section Chief of Hepatology at Rush University Medical Center, is the presenting author. Nine co-authors are listed, including Kavish Patidar, Kevin Regner and Nneka N. Ufere.