STOCKHOLM – November 02, 2026 -- BioArctic AB will keep the full USD 30 million upfront payment from Novartis Pharma AG after Novartis terminated their Option, Collaboration and License Agreement, the Nasdaq Stockholm-listed company (BIOA B) announced.

TAMPA – October 27, 2026 -- Akari Therapeutics (Nasdaq: AKTX) plans to begin Phase 1 clinical development of its lead antibody drug conjugate, AKTX-101, in mid-2027, with the compound now moving through IND-enabling toxicology and safety studies and large-scale GMP manufacturing.

CEO Abizer Gaslightwala laid out the strategy in a new CEO Corner segment. He argues that payload differentiation will matter more as ADCs move into front-line therapy and patients develop resistance to current payload classes, leaving few follow-on options.

Washington – October 14, 2026 -- Vanda Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: VNDA) has put its VQW-765 program on hold after the Phase III Study 3201 in adults with social anxiety disorder missed its primary endpoint, and the company said the data did not confirm earlier Phase II findings.

Dover, Delaware – October 06, 2026 -- The Digital CMC Consortium has launched as a new industry collaboration aimed at the end-to-end digitalization of Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC) processes in drug development. Founding participants include Novartis, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Takeda, Rockwell Automation, Flagship's Pioneering Medicines, Stellix, ZS Associates, and QbDVision.

Suzhou – October 02, 2026 -- Novartis has agreed to pay Abogen Biosciences an upfront fee of USD 575 million to secure worldwide rights to ABO2203, an mRNA-encoded CD19xCD3 T-cell engager for autoimmune diseases, with total deal value reaching up to approximately USD 7.2 billion if all milestones and options are exercised.

London – September 9, 2026 -- CD&R has appointed Giovanni Caforio, current Chair of Novartis and former CEO of Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), as an Operating Advisor to its funds, tasking him with sourcing and evaluating healthcare investment opportunities globally.

Daejeon – – September 07, 2026 -- Alteogen Inc. (KOSDAQ: 196170) has signed an option and license agreement with Novartis worth up to US$3,223 million, granting the Swiss drugmaker rights to develop subcutaneous formulations for multiple Novartis products using Alteogen's ALT-B4 hyaluronidase.