Regulatory Update

New Orleans – October 16, 2026 -- The Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine has received preliminary accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), clearing the way to recruit its inaugural class, which starts in 2027.

The school describes itself as the only HBCU college of medicine in the Gulf South. It will begin recruiting students in the coming weeks, with applications available through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS).

Partnership of Xavier University of Louisiana and Ochsner Health reached accreditation in two years

Xavier University of Louisiana and Ochsner Health formed the College of Medicine in 2024. It earned candidate status in October 2025 and hosted an LCME survey visit in June 2026. The LCME then determined that the school met the requirements for preliminary accreditation.

Washington – October 15, 2026 -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has eliminated federal requirements for fuel additive containers, saving businesses an estimated $10.7 billion over 30 years and removing $545.7 million in annual regulatory costs.

CPSC rules fuel additives are not flammable liquid fuels under the Portable Fuel Container Safety Act

The action clarifies that additives used to clean engines, improve performance, extend engine life, prevent weather-related effects, or stabilize fuel do not qualify as "flammable liquid fuels" under the Act. Manufacturers of these products will not have to equip containers with flame mitigation devices designed for gasoline cans and other portable fuel containers.

Cambridge, Mass. – October 15, 2026 -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted a second Fast Track Designation to Marengo Therapeutics' invikafusp alfa, extending the drug's expedited status from one tumor type to all tumor mutational burden high (TMB-H) solid tumors regardless of tissue of origin.

The new designation covers unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic TMB-H solid tumors that have progressed after prior treatment, including immune checkpoint inhibition, and for which no satisfactory treatment options exist. Marengo believes invikafusp alfa is the first immuno-oncology T-cell agonist to receive Fast Track Designation in a biomarker-defined, tissue-agnostic indication.

London – October 15, 2026 -- National Grid has asked Ofgem to approve 19 electricity transmission projects worth around £4.5 billion across England and Wales, filed under the RIIO-T3 load re-opener process.

Package combines £2.3bn from May with £2.2bn filed in October

The £4.5 billion total comprises £2.3 billion across six projects already submitted in the May re-opener, which are progressing through Ofgem's assessment. A further £2.2 billion is proposed in the October submission. Re-opener figures are in 2023/24 prices, in line with Ofgem's guidance for RIIO-T3 price control submissions.

Singapore – October 15, 2026 -- Caladan's Cayman Islands entity, CLDN Cayman Ltd, has been registered with the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA) as a Registered Person under the Securities Investment Business Act (SIBA), effective 7 October 2026.

Caladan builds its derivatives business on the Cayman registration

The proprietary trading group and digital asset liquidity provider plans to develop its institutional derivatives business through CLDN Cayman Ltd. The registration gives the firm a regulatory foundation in the Cayman Islands for that expansion.

Julia Zhou, President of Caladan, said the registration supports the next stage of the firm's institutional derivatives strategy.

Tianjin -- Taoping Inc. (Nasdaq: TAOP) has until October 15, 2026, to lift its share price back to US$1.00 after Nasdaq notified the company on October 15, 2026, that it fails the minimum bid price requirement under Listing Rule 5550(a)(2).

Nasdaq based the notice on the closing bid price of Taoping's ordinary shares over the 30 consecutive business days from October 15, 2026 through October 15, 2026. Under Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), a deficiency lasting 30 consecutive business days constitutes a failure to meet the requirement. Taoping disclosed the letter under Listing Rule 5810(b), which requires prompt disclosure.

Taoping must close at US$1.00 or higher for ten consecutive business days to regain compliance

The company has a 180-calendar-day compliance period. If the closing bid price reaches at least US$1.00 for a minimum of ten consecutive business days within that window, Nasdaq will confirm compliance in writing and close the matter.

Woonsocket – October 15, 2026 -- CVS Health's MinuteClinic has earned its seventh consecutive Joint Commission Ambulatory Health Care Accreditation, covering more than 800 locations nationwide and MinuteClinic Virtual Care, and for the first time the survey assessed its primary care sites under Medical Center standards.

Approximately 80 percent of the locations surveyed offer primary care and were evaluated under those standards. More than 65 percent of all MinuteClinic locations now offer primary care to patients 18 and older through health system and payer affiliations.

San Francisco – October 15, 2026 -- ZestyAI's risk models have surpassed 500 regulatory approvals across 317 carrier rate and rule filings, with the company's regulatory footprint now spanning 44 U.S. states.

The approvals cover perils responsible for the vast majority of U.S. property losses: wildfire, severe storm, hail, non-weather fire, and non-weather water. They span personal and commercial property lines.

State insurance departments accepted ZestyAI models in rating and underwriting

Each approval reflects a state Department of Insurance reviewing a ZestyAI model within a carrier filing and accepting its use in rating or underwriting. The total includes new adopters as well as carriers extending ZestyAI models into additional states, perils, and programs.

Des Moines – October 14, 2026 -- The U.S. FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine has approved Kemin Industries' chromium propionate as a source of organic chromium in broiler breeder chicken and laying hen diets, extending its approved use to seven animal categories.

Chromium propionate is now cleared for swine, broiler chickens, cattle, horses, growing turkeys, broiler breeder chickens and laying hens. Kemin says its KemTRACE® Chromium is the only FDA-reviewed source of chromium propionate on the market and has been fed to millions of animals worldwide.

Kemin's research base of more than 30 years supported the FDA decision

Kemin conducted the research that served as the basis for the approval. The company says peer-reviewed studies across species show chromium can reduce cortisol, the hormone secreted in response to stress. That reduction may limit the effects of stress events such as extreme heat or cold, diet changes and disease challenges.

Stockholm – October 14, 2026 -- SciBase Holding AB (STO: SCIB) has received its first positive medical policy for Nevisense from Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, which serves more than 7 million members across multiple US states. The decision moves eligible use of the skin-lesion device from a predominantly cash-pay model into covered care through a major private insurer.

Highmark policy applies to all commercial lines and opt-in self-funded groups

Highmark considers electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) medically necessary when a dermatologist is evaluating a clinically atypical suspicious pigmented lesion and is considering a biopsy. The procedure is reported under CPT code 0658T. The policy covers all Highmark commercial insured lines of business and self-funded (ASO) employer groups that elect it.

Coverage is limited to defined cases: