United States – October 27, 2026 -- Solid Biosciences has expanded its INSPIRE DUCHENNE gene therapy trial to 43 participants and now accepts children aged 4 to under 12, up from the previous range of 4 to under 8.

Three participants dosed with no serious adverse events

INSPIRE DUCHENNE is a first-in-human, multicenter, Phase 1/2 open-label study. It tests the safety, tolerability and efficacy of a single intravenous infusion of SGT-003, a next-generation AAV gene therapy candidate, in ambulant boys with Duchenne.

United States – October 27, 2026 -- Families affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy have early data on SGT-003, an investigational gene therapy from Solid Biosciences: 90 days after dosing, three boys showed average microdystrophin expression of 110%.

Global – October 27, 2026 -- Fifty-three boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy have now received the investigational gene therapy SGT-003, and a Phase 3 trial is already enrolling patients in Australia and Canada. Solid Biosciences shared the update in a letter to the Duchenne community as the annual Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD) conference got under way.

United States – October 27, 2026 -- Fifteen people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy had received the investigational gene therapy SGT-003 in the INSPIRE DUCHENNE clinical study as of August 12, 2025, according to developer Solid Biosciences.

Ten trial sites span four countries

The multi-center, open-label trial now runs 10 active clinical sites in the United States, Canada, Italy, and the United Kingdom. More sites are expected to open later this year.

United States – October 27, 2026 -- Solid Biosciences has dosed 33 children aged 1 to 10 with its investigational gene therapy SGT-003 for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and a Phase 3 trial has enrolled its first patient.

Canada – October 24, 2026 -- A set of Canadian banking case studies shows how mortgage insurance premiums, 0% balance transfer offers and card disputes can raise costs for ordinary customers.

Homebuyers and balance transfers face extra costs

Mr. and Ms. D put down less than 20% of the purchase price, so Canadian mortgage rules required an insured mortgage. The bank arranged the insurance. Their case centres on late disclosure of a higher premium, which added costs for the couple and ended in a low settlement.

San Antonio – October 21, 2026 -- Thirteen beluga whales from a closed marine park in Canada have now arrived at U.S. aquariums, completing two transports in what the rescue partners call one of the largest and most complex marine mammal rescues ever attempted.

The whales belong to a group of 30 belugas at a Canadian park that could no longer support their long-term care. Several accredited aquariums, including SeaWorld, were invited earlier this year to help build a rescue plan.

Quebec – October 19, 2026 -- Diego Poncelet Sanchez-Cuenca has ridden a downhill skateboard at 94.34 mph (151.83 km/h), making the 27-year-old from Spain and Switzerland the fastest downhill skateboarder in history. The run took place on Route du Port in Les Éboulements, Quebec, on the same slope where the previous Guinness World Record was set nine years ago.

Fairbanks – October 19, 2026 -- Researchers in the US and Canada are studying whether detecting and putting out remote Arctic fires faster could keep permafrost carbon in the ground. Woodwell Climate Research Center, the University of Victoria's Polis Institute for Ecological Governance and the nonprofit Alaska Venture Fund are now partnering on a multimillion-dollar initiative called North Fire to study these interventions and raise public awareness of them.

Dallas – October 19, 2026 -- OptimalFit, a new AI-powered fitness platform, is available in the United States and Canada on iOS and Google mobile devices. Charter Member pricing is $19.95 per month or $199 per year.

Joel Freeman, creator of the BODi programs LIIFT4, LIIFT MORE and 10 ROUNDS, and his wife Megan Freeman, a PNBA Natural Olympia World Champion and NPC competitor, spent more than two years developing the platform. It launched October 18, 2026.