Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne alphavirus causing fever, severe joint pain, rash, and muscle aches, mainly transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. The outbreak began on islands in the Indian Ocean and had spread to 119 countries by 2025, including temperate regions such as France. Key control strategies include vector control, surveillance, health system preparedness, and international cooperation. Sino Biological supports research by providing recombinant CHIKV antigens and antibodies, which are useful for vaccines, antiviral drugs, and diagnostics.

Novo Nordisk has entered a collaboration with research institute BioMed X in an effort to regain market position lost to leading competitors in diabetes and obesity treatment. The partnership is focused on improving the low bioavailability of orally administered peptide-based medicines.

Swedish immunoncology specialist Anocca AB has raised SEK440m (€38.36m) ahead of enrolling pancreatic cancer patients in a Phase I umbrella trial evaluating the safety of its T-cell receptor-engineered T cell (TCR-T) programmes ANOC-001, ANOC-002 and ANOC-003.

Sana Alajmovic has been appointed as the new CEO of the Swedish company Enzymatica AB by the Board of Directors. The current CEO, Claus Egstrand, will become a member of the Board.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement regarding new tariffs on pharmaceutical goods imported into the United States has been delayed. Despite the President’s threat early last week that a tariff disclosure would come “within the next week or so,” the much-anticipated announcement is now expected to be “weeks away,” according to a report from Reuters citing industry and government sources.

German CPTx GmbH, its CDMO Gxstrands, and the US start-up NanoCell Therapeutics have been awarded a Eurostars grant for their QUIET-CAR project, funded through the EU’s Horizon Europe programme and the Eureka Network. The focus of the project will be on the development of scalable in-vivo CAR-T therapies against cancer and autoimmune diseases.

Pilatus Biosciences AG, a Swiss biotechnology company headquartered in Epalinges with operations in the United States and South Korea, has entered into a clinical trial collaboration with Roche AG. As part of the agreement, Roche will provide its PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitor atezolizumab for use in a Phase I study evaluating the combination of atezolizumab with Pilatus’s investigational CD36 inhibitor, PLT012, in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Bayer AG’s Pharmaceuticals division in Berlin has expanded its oncology pipeline through a licensing and collaboration agreement with US-based Kumquat Biosciences Inc., which may yield up to US$1.3bn in total consideration. Should Kumquat successfully complete its high-risk Phase Ia clinical study targeting the common KRAS G12D mutation, Bayer will assume responsibility for further development and global commercialisation of the candidate.

Immunotherapy company Centauri Therapeutics Ltd, based in Alderley Park, Cheshire, UK, has announced the appointment of Dr Debra Barker as Chief Medical Officer (CMO).

UK-based contract research, development and manufacturing organisation (CRDMO) Arcinova announced the appointment of Dr Christian Dowdeswell as its new managing director at the beginning of August. Co-founder and CEO Paul Ryan steps down.