By Editor , 30 September 2026
Activation Capital Names Paul Nolde Chair, Ending Rao's 17-Year Tenure

Richmond, Va. – September 30, 2026 -- Activation Capital, the operating name of the Virginia Biotechnology Research Partnership Authority, has elected Paul Nolde as chair of its Authority Board, succeeding Virginia Commonwealth University President Michael Rao, Ph.D., who held the role since 2009. Rao will remain an active board member.

By Editor , 30 September 2026
Lilly's Retatrutide Cuts Weight 20.8%, A1C 1.6% in Phase 3 Trial

Indianapolis – September 30, 2026 -- Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) reported that its investigational triple hormone receptor agonist retatrutide produced an average weight loss of 49.6 lbs (20.8%) over 80 weeks at the 12 mg dose in patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity, with more than half of participants no longer meeting BMI criteria for obesity. The Phase 3 TRIUMPH-2 results were presented at the 62nd Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Milan and simultaneously published in The Lancet.

By Editor , 29 September 2026
PhRMA Names Eric Cantor as Next President and CEO, Effective Nov. 9

Washington – September 29, 2026 -- The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) has named former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor as its next president and chief executive officer, effective November 9. Cantor succeeds Stephen J. Ubl, who has led the trade group since 2015 and will remain as a strategic advisor through January 15, 2027.

By Editor , 29 September 2026
Maryland Stem Cell Fund Awards $4.8M as Demand Outpaces Capital

Columbia, Md. – September 29, 2026 -- The Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission has awarded more than $4.8 million through the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund (MSCRF) in the first funding cycle of fiscal year 2027, backing 15 investigators across the state's regenerative medicine sector.

By Editor , 29 September 2026
MassChallenge Secures Renewed Grant, Names Dallas Second U.S. HQ

Dallas – – September 29, 2026 -- MassChallenge, ranked the No. 2 accelerator in the U.S. by TIME and Statista, has named Dallas its second U.S. headquarters, backed by a renewed two-year grant from Lyda Hill Philanthropies. The investment extends a five-year partnership at Pegasus Park and will fund two ten-week accelerator tracks in Health & Life Sciences and Security & Resiliency, plus Founder Access Clinics connecting early-stage founders with academic, clinical and corporate stakeholders.

By Editor , 29 September 2026
PBS Biotech Embeds Rockwell Automation Tech in Cell Therapy Bioreactor

Milwaukee – September 29, 2026 -- PBS Biotech has embedded Rockwell Automation technology into its MiniPRO multi-parallel bioreactor platform, a system with up to 24 independently controlled bioreactors designed to speed cell therapy process development and reduce risk during scale-up to commercial manufacturing.

By Editor , 29 September 2026

New York City – – September 29, 2026 -- Demy-Colton has released the agenda for BioFuture 2026, a two-day conference set for October 27–28 at Cure, 345 Park Avenue South, drawing more than 100 speakers and over 50 presenting companies from biopharma, investment, technology and policy sectors.

By Editor , 29 September 2026

Staten Island, N.Y. – September 29, 2026 -- Acurx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACXP) has enrolled the first patient in its PATHFINDER clinical trial evaluating ibezapolstat in patients with multiply-recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (rCDI), a condition affecting up to 40% of patients treated with vancomycin after multiple prior episodes.

By Editor , 29 September 2026
Lilly's Zepbound 15 mg Outpaces Wegovy HD by 4.5% in New Weight-Loss Analysis

Indianapolis – September 29, 2026 -- Eli Lilly and Company said a new indirect treatment comparison shows Zepbound (tirzepatide) 15 mg produced 4.5% greater body-weight loss than Novo Nordisk's Wegovy HD (semaglutide 7.2 mg) in adults with obesity, intensifying the competitive battle in the obesity-drug market. The 10 mg dose of Zepbound delivered 3.2% greater weight reduction than Wegovy HD, according to data presented at the 62nd Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Milan.