From Brisbane to London to Paris: Australian vaccine innovation sparks US$1.15 billion deal with french Sanofi with an additional US$450 million tied to clinical milestones and underscoring a major commitment to next-generation respiratory vaccines.

In a watershed moment for both patients and investors, shares in Abivax (Euronext Paris: ABVX / Nasdaq: ABVX) skyrocketed by a staggering 500% following the announcement of positive Phase 3 results from its pivotal ABTECT induction trials investigating obefazimod, a first-in-class oral miR-124 enhancer, for moderate to severely active ulcerative colitis. Abivax cashes in with a US$400m public offering following suite.

AstraZeneca announces a US$50 billion investment in the USA amid pharma’s transatlantic drift. Virgina is set to become the multi-billion-dollar drug manufacturing hub.

French CARBIOS SA signs strategic agreement with Indorama Ventures and Michelin amid broader company transition and sees itself back on track. Before opening of its production plant (delayed to later in 2026), the company has shown some success in concluding production agreements with several larger industry corporates.

Paris-based One Biosciences, a pioneering “techbio” company at the intersection of artificial intelligence and oncology, has announced a €15 million Series A funding round to accelerate the clinical application of its flagship technology.

The UK Government launched a ten-year Life Sciences Sector Plan to drive innovation and health reform within the NHS. This Life Sciences Sector Plan is part of its broader Industrial Strategy.

That deserves a closer look: The recently announced partnership between Axxam S.p.A., a leading provider of integrated early discovery services, and Molecular Health GmbH, a pioneer in AI-powered data solutions for pharmaceutical R&D, is more than a standard collaboration. It exemplifies the convergence of consolidated in-vitro biology-led drug discovery with modern, data-intelligent drug development methodologies. As an example for breaking the silos of clinical and preclinical target validation.

Spanish biotechnology company Oncomatryx Biopharma has been selected for funding under the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator, part of the EU’s Horizon Europe 2021–2027 Research and Innovation Programme. The award includes a €2.5 million grant and a €10 million equity investment, to be deployed in the company’s next financing round to proceed with the proprietary ADC platform.

The planned US$10 billion acquisition of UK-based Verona Pharma by US pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. underscores several key dynamics reshaping the global biotech industry. Not only does the deal reflect Merck’s strategic push to diversify in anticipation of the looming patent expiry of its blockbuster cancer drug Keytruda, but it also highlights the growing appeal of European biotech for US investors.

The new funding includes €2.5m grant and €10m equity investment and supports Belgian AmphiStar’s potential to reshape the surfactants market. This investment will accelerate scale-up and market entry of sustainable biosurfactants, which AmphiStar has already set up transatlantic in a recent partnership.