Today Stories

Innovative technology platform reshapes how sponsors, CRO, and clinical sites manage complex clinical trials at scale   Almac Group has today announced a $48 million investment in eClinical technologies that includes the launch of Almac Trial Coordinator™ – a first-in-class interoperable clinical trial technology platform, enhancements to its eClinical ecosystem capabilities, and creation of over 100 advanced technology roles globally. This investment addresses the top technology challenges facing sponsors, CROs, and clinical sites through the solution’s market-disrupting and interoperable approach to integration, enabling high-quality, efficient trials with full visibility, reduced risk, and enhanced patient engagement.   Almac Trial Coordinator™ is purpose-built to unify operational proc…

Discovery Park in Sandwich, Kent, has announced the launch of a new specialist sixth form for science-focused students aged 16 to 18. Named Carbon 6 Academy of Science, the school will open in September 2026 and will deliver a dedicated STEM curriculum. Located within the Discovery Park innovation campus, Carbon 6 will give students direct access to professional laboratories and real-world scientific environments. The academy will offer A-levels in Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics, with options for Further Maths and an Extended Project Qualification. Students will benefit from close connections to the science and pharmaceutical companies based at Discovery Park, gaining opportunities for mentoring, guest lectures, and research placements. The programme is designed to prepare lea…

The UK BioIndustry Association (BIA) and Japan Bioindustry Association (JBA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen ties between the UK and Japanese biotech ecosystems. The agreement, formalised at BioJapan 2025 in Yokohama, aims to accelerate medical innovation and the commercialisation of engineering biology. Both countries are recognised as major global biotech hubs, with governments prioritising life sciences to drive economic growth. The MOU outlines plans to foster collaboration through delegations, joint events, and information sharing, and to align on global policy impacting the sector. This partnership builds on a longstanding relationship, furthered by recent UK Government visits to Japan. The agreement was signed by JBA’s CEO Mr Tetsuya Tanaka and BIA’s Di…

Medicines Discovery Catapult (MDC) has been named as a new Innovate UK Knowledge Base in the Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) programme, strengthening the UK’s life sciences innovation ecosystem. MDC will now act as a partner in KTPs — working with businesses and embedding KTP Associates into projects (12 to 36 months) to transfer advanced knowledge in drug discovery and commercialisation.  As a Knowledge Base, MDC offers access to its extensive laboratory infrastructure, technical skills, and translational capabilities. This gives participating firms a path to validate new ideas, reduce development risks, and accelerate bringing therapies to patients.  KTPs combine public and private resources: Innovate UK co-funds projects alongside partner companies. Since 2010, KTP projects have ad…

AI-native biotech startup expands to Oxford to develop predictive models for safer, faster drug discovery Fukuoka, Japan – October 3, 2025 – Tres Alchemix, a cutting-edge biotechnology company applying artificial intelligence (AI) to drug discovery, has closed a $4.4 million Series A funding round (approx. ¥650 million JPY), led by DNX Ventures, with support from Waseda University Ventures. The funding will fuel the development of Tres Alchemix’s human in silico drug-design platform, a technology that integrates multi-omic datasets, quantum-chemical calculations, and AI modeling to simulate drug interactions in the human body. This enables direct predictions of both therapeutic effects and potential adverse reactions, dramatically improving the speed and safety of early drug discovery. The…

A new industry and academic consortium has been formed to advance OpenFold3, the latest version of the open-source AI model for molecular structure prediction. The AI Structural Biology consortium brings together leading pharmaceutical companies and research institutions with the goal of improving predictions of protein and small molecule interactions, a critical challenge in drug discovery. OpenFold3 builds on previous versions of the model by integrating broader datasets and advanced cloud computing capabilities. It is designed to expand beyond protein structure prediction and achieve industrial-level accuracy for modeling how drugs interact with their molecular targets. A key feature of the consortium is its federated learning approach. Instead of sharing sensitive data directly, pharma…

Oxford North, a landmark £1.2 billion innovation district, has been officially opened by Lord Hague of Richmond, Chancellor of the University of Oxford. Developed through a joint venture between St John’s College’s Thomas White Oxford, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, and Stanhope, the project aims to transform the UK’s science, technology, and AI infrastructure. Phase 1A has delivered 158,500 sq ft of new workspace, including two lab buildings and The Red Hall, a 33,000 sq ft innovation centre. Units range from 2,000 to 56,000 sq ft, with a further 13,500 sq ft undergoing fit-out by December. Billed as Oxford’s first seven-day science and technology community, the district offers 25,000 sqm of amenities, including a café, town hall, coworking spaces, a public square, and Fallaize Park, whi…

President Donald Trump is poised to unveil a new direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical platform called TrumpRx, designed to let Americans purchase prescription drugs online from manufacturers at government-negotiated discounts. The initiative would bypass some traditional intermediaries and aim to reduce costs for patients. In parallel, Trump announced a deal with Pfizer under which the company will lower the prices of its drugs sold through Medicaid and commit to a $70 billion investment in domestic research, manufacturing, and development. Through TrumpRx, Pfizer is expected to sell certain products directly to consumers at prices aligned with the administration’s “most favored nation” pricing policy. While supporters argue the move will increase pricing transparency and help shift market dy…

GSK announced that its chief executive, Dame Emma Walmsley, will step down at the end of 2025, marking the close of an eight year tenure. She will be succeeded by Luke Miels, currently the company’s chief commercial officer, who is set to take over on 1 January 2026. Walmsley became the first woman to lead a major pharmaceutical company when she took on the role in 2017. During her leadership she oversaw a major transformation of GSK, including the 2022 spin off of its consumer health business Haleon, and sharpened the company’s focus on specialty medicines, vaccines and research investment. While her time as CEO drew some criticism over share performance, she guided the company through a significant period of change and positioned it for future growth. The GSK board praised her leadership…

Concept Life Sciences has officially opened its expanded integrated drug discovery facilities in Chapel-en-le-Frith, creating one of the UK’s largest drug discovery research sites. The opening was marked by local MP Jonathan Pearce, who praised the investment for bringing high-skilled jobs to the High Peak region and strengthening the UK’s role in global life sciences. The site now brings together chemistry, ADMET and screening biology expertise under one roof, with 130 scientists based on site. The expansion is designed to accelerate early-stage drug discovery by streamlining workflows and providing clients with tailored, solution-oriented services. Jonathan Critchley, Chief Financial Officer at Concept Life Sciences, highlighted the company’s ability to turn breakthrough science into via…

Moderna has opened its Moderna Innovation and Technology Centre at the Harwell Science Campus in Oxfordshire, the first facility of its kind in the UK dedicated to mRNA vaccine manufacturing and research. The centre is part of a 10 year strategic partnership with the UK Government, involving more than one billion pounds of investment. The site has the capacity to produce up to 100 million mRNA vaccine doses each year, with potential to scale to 250 million in a pandemic scenario. It will support NHS vaccination programmes and allow rapid adaptation of vaccines for emerging viral threats. In addition to respiratory illnesses, the centre will focus on research into cancer, rare diseases and immune disorders. It has also secured a manufacturing licence from the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare p…

Sanofi has announced a new commitment of $625 million to Sanofi Ventures, its corporate venture capital division, in a multi year allocation aimed at accelerating investments in biotech and digital health innovation. This infusion expands the fund’s assets under management to more than $1.4 billion. The capital will support emerging companies working in Sanofi’s strategic focus areas including immunology, rare diseases, neurology and vaccines. The company has also signalled an interest in new domains such as ophthalmology, neuropsychiatry and pain biology. Since its founding in 2012, Sanofi Ventures has invested more than $800 million across over 70 companies. Its structure is evergreen, meaning that returns from exits are reinvested to fuel future deals and maintain long term impact. Sano…

Pfizer has announced plans to acquire Metsera, a biotech firm developing next generation obesity medicines, in a deal that could reach up to 7.3 billion US dollars. The deal structure includes an upfront cash payment of 47.50 dollars per share, plus potential additional payments tied to future performance milestones. Metsera, founded in 2022, has no marketed products yet but is advancing a pipeline of injectable and oral therapies targeting obesity and metabolic disease. Its lead asset, MET 097i, is a long acting GLP 1 agonist that in mid stage trials achieved average weight loss of about 11.3 percent over 12 weeks. The company also recently disclosed positive Phase 1 results for an amylin analog candidate, MET 233i, which demonstrated up to 8.4 percent placebo subtracted weight loss at Da…

Recent comments from President Donald Trump have reignited debate about autism and possible contributing factors. The administration linked acetaminophen use in pregnancy to autism risk and promoted leucovorin as a new autism treatment. However, scientists stress that the evidence is far from conclusive. Large population studies in Europe and the United States have found little to no causal link between maternal acetaminophen use and autism once family factors are considered. Reviews note associations in some observational research, but major health bodies including ACOG and the NHS continue to recommend acetaminophen as the safest option for pain and fever during pregnancy when used at the lowest effective dose. The FDA has also approved leucovorin for symptoms of cerebral folate deficien…

President Donald Trump’s administration has introduced controversial health guidance connecting use of acetaminophen (Tylenol) during pregnancy with an increased risk of autism in children. At a White House event alongside Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump urged expectant mothers to avoid acetaminophen unless absolutely necessary. Experts immediately pushed back noting that current scientific evidence does not confirm a causal link between the drug and autism. In the same announcement the administration said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will approve leucovorin, a folinic acid drug, as a therapy for a specific subgroup of autism where cerebral folate deficiency (CFD) is present. Leucovorin is not being promoted as a cure for autism overall, but as a treatment for sympto…

University College London is leading a new clinical trial called ADAPT (Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosis and Plasma p-tau217) that could transform how Alzheimer’s is diagnosed in the UK. The trial centres on a blood test that detects a protein marker p-tau217, which reflects the build-up of amyloid and tau proteins in the brain, two key hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease. The goal is to see whether this test can increase diagnostic accuracy from around 70 percent with current clinical assessments to over 90 percent. Over 1,000 people with suspected dementia will be recruited from about 20 NHS memory clinics. Participants will be randomised into two groups: half will receive results within three months, the other half after 12 months. Researchers will examine whether earlier feedback improves di…

MSD (Merck & Co., Inc.) will vacate its laboratories at the Francis Crick Institute in London by end‑2025 as it winds down discovery research in the UK. The move follows the decision to scrap a planned £1bn Discovery Centre at Belgrove House, with about 125 London R&D roles affected and work consolidating in the United States. MSD cited a challenging UK market and policies that under‑value innovative medicines. The company says it will continue UK clinical development and business operations. The Francis Crick Institute and MSD only opened the ‘Skylab’ collaboration space on the institute’s roof in 2024 to expand early‑stage research programmes, underscoring the scale of the reversal.

Novo Nordisk is embarking on a sweeping global restructuring program that will eliminate 9,000 jobs; approximately 11–11.5 percent of its 78,400-strong workforce. Around 5,000 of these reductions will take place in Denmark. The move is intended to simplify the organisation and hasten decision-making as the company contends with mounting competitive pressures, particularly in obesity treatments from rivals such as Eli Lilly, and slowing growth in key markets. The firm has already imposed a hiring freeze for roles deemed non-critical. This restructuring is expected to yield annual savings of nearly 8 billion Danish kroner (about $1.25 billion) by 2026, although it will incur one-off costs of around 9 billion kroner (~$1.26 billion) in the third quarter. Novo has revised its operating profit…

Eli Lilly has unveiled TuneLab, an innovative AI and machine learning platform that gives smaller biotechnology companies access to powerful drug discovery models built on over a billion dollars of Lilly’s research data. Engineered to level the playing field, the platform connects biotech startups to advanced capabilities previously limited to large pharmaceutical firms. Participants such as Insitro, Circle Pharma, Firefly Bio, and Superluminal Medicines can deploy Lilly’s models via a secure, federated system that protects proprietary data while enabling Lilly to refine and enhance those models using contributed insights. As part of its broader Catalyze360 program, Lilly integrates TuneLab alongside initiatives including venture investment, lab access, and R&D support. This combined s…

Highly experienced Chief Financial Officer set to drive corporate and strategic goals of Resolution. Accomplished Chief Business Officer will drive business development and partnering deals. Appointments follow the announcement of the first patient dosed and safety cleared in its Phase I/II EMERALD study. Edinburgh and London, UK, 10 September 2025 – Resolution Therapeutics (“Resolution” or “Company”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on pioneering novel regenerative macrophage therapies to treat inflammatory and fibrotic diseases, today announces the appointment of Lucy Singah as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Daniel Kennedy as Chief Business Officer (CBO). Dr. Amir Hefni, Chief Executive Officer of Resolution Therapeutics, said: “We are delighted to welcome Lucy…