The Biotechnology week,distilled.

Labcorp has agreed to acquire assets from BioReference Health for $722 million in an upfront cash transaction.

Isomorphic Labs, a London-based AI drug discovery spinout from Google DeepMind, is reportedly in negotiations to raise new capital at a valuation between $40 billion and $50 billion.

OMass Therapeutics has secured $310 million in a Series C funding round.

Iambic, an AI-driven drug discovery company, has announced plans to raise $150 million through an initial public offering.

OMass Therapeutics Ltd. has raised $310 million in a Series C funding round, marking one of the largest venture investments for a U.K.-based biotech company.

Also: 18 Oct — medcitynews.com

Belgian startup Armed Cell Therapeutics has acquired cell therapy assets from Lakefront Biotherapeutics, formerly known as Galapagos.

In September 2026, 38 companies joined the Crunchbase Unicorn Board, contributing $71 billion in total value.

Liquidia has agreed to pay approximately $380.7 million to United Therapeutics to settle six lawsuits regarding patent infringement, trade secrets, and antitrust claims.

SimBioSys has received FDA clearance for its TumorScope software, a tool that uses MRI data to predict breast cancer recurrence.

The FDA approved Roche's Enspryng (satralizumab) on October 16, 2026, as a subcutaneous treatment for adults with thyroid eye disease.

ORCA Computing has launched its third-generation photonic quantum computer, the PT-3, at Digital Realty’s innovation lab in London on October 15, 2026.

On October 15, 2026, a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft successfully docked at the International Space Station to deliver over 6,300 pounds of supplies and scientific equipment.

On October 15, 2026, Paris and Boston-based company Biomemory launched DNA Shield, a managed service for sovereign data protection using DNA storage technology.

The biotechnology company Colossal Biosciences has introduced an AI tool named GenoMorph.

MassRobotics has opened applications for the sixth cohort of its Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst Program, with a deadline of December 31, 2026.

On October 13, 2026, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, creating a visible 'jellyfish' light phenomenon across the eastern United States.

City Therapeutics and Iambic Therapeutics completed their initial public offerings in the US, raising $200 million and $150 million respectively.

The article provides a market analysis of mid-cap biopharmaceutical companies in 2026, highlighting Iovance Biotherapeutics as a top performer.

City Therapeutics Inc. completed an upsized $200 million IPO on NASDAQ, pricing shares at $18.

Iambic Therapeutics CEO Tom Miller discussed the company's recent $150 million IPO and the future of AI in drug development.

Tech.eu reports that over 65 European tech funding deals totaling more than €1.8 billion occurred during the week of October 16, 2026.

Johnson & Johnson shares experienced a 6% decline on October 14, 2026, which analysts interpreted as a sign of broader market volatility.

JPMorgan analyst Chris Schott upgraded Biogen stock from Neutral to Overweight on October 12, 2026, raising the price target from $210 to $300.

Venture capital investment in biopharmaceutical companies dropped to $6.44 billion in the third quarter of 2026 from $10.17 billion in the second quarter, according to data from Evaluate.

Liquidia and United Therapeutics have reached a settlement to resolve six lawsuits involving patent infringement, trade secrets, and antitrust claims.

A London employment tribunal ruled that Francesco Rossi, a bioscientist at Cell Therapy Catapult, was wrongfully dismissed for gross misconduct.

The U.S. Supreme Court reversed a $28 million judgment against Monsanto, ruling that federal law preempts state-level failure-to-warn claims regarding the herbicide Roundup.

Researchers from Columbia University and UC Berkeley published a study in Nature on October 17, 2026, revealing that microplastics can react with water to form reactive oxygen species.

Scientists led by Erik Finger at the University of Minnesota have successfully rewarmed pig kidneys that were cryopreserved at -150 °C for over a year.

French biotech company Osivax is shifting its development strategy toward a combination vaccine approach following the failure of its standalone influenza vaccine candidate in a phase 2 clinical trial.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, led by Li-Huei Tsai, discovered that the APOE4 gene variant disrupts Wnt signaling in oligodendrocytes, leading to impaired myelin production in the brain.

Researchers have developed a method to initiate mouse embryogenesis using chemically induced totipotent-like stem cells (ciTotiSCs).

Researchers have utilized RFdiffusion methods to de novo design metalloproteases capable of cleaving specific human disease-associated proteins, including TDP-43, amyloid-β, and serum amyloid A. Out of 135 tested designs, 36% successfully catalyzed peptide bond cleavage, with the most effective design achieving a 10^10-fold acceleration of hydrolysis. The study, published in Nature on October 14, 2026, also demonstrates the creation of caged cytokines and receptor antagonists activated by these proteases.

Researchers have developed a new myosin-specific and capillary-selective vasodilator drug, R(+)2501, to treat capillary no-reflow in acute myocardial infarction and acute kidney injury.

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals has reported that its experimental RNA interference drug successfully crossed the blood-brain barrier in a clinical study.

A Russian researcher died from an unknown illness while working at a remote anti-plague facility in Russia.

Users of gray market peptides, including Dylan Meetze and an individual identified as Dominik E, have reported severe adverse health effects such as fatigue, anxiety, muscle spasms, and migraines after using substances like BPC-157 and TB-4.