Fierce Biotech Fundraising Tracker '26: Superluminal snags $60M; AusperBio adds $120M

• Pharmaceutical companies are rebounding as clarity emerges regarding U.S. drug pricing regulations. • Diversified firms like Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and AstraZeneca (AZN) are utilizing strong research and development pipelines to offset looming patent cliffs, which occur when exclusive rights to a drug expire.

• The FDA approved Rasonque, a new pancreatic cancer drug developed by Revolution Medicines. • Patients seeking the treatment have found that insurance coverage can take several weeks to catch up with the official approval.

• European biomedical innovation is declining as clinical trials and investment shift toward other global regions. • The region previously led the world in pharmaceutical research and delivered medical advances that transformed millions of lives.

• The FDA recently approved the intravenous antibiotic fosfomycin, marketed as Contepo, for adults with complicated urinary tract infections. • This medication targets infections caused by resistant Gram-negative pathogens, which are bacteria that resist common antibiotic treatments.

• Assort Health raised $120 million in a funding round to expand its AI-driven healthcare tools. • The company secured $120 million to scale its operations and technology.

• COVID-19 cases are increasing across at least 45 U.S. states as the summer season ends. • The rise in activity is occurring nationwide, though specific regional case numbers were not provided.

• Infectious disease specialists and Democratic lawmakers are opposing a Trump administration plan to eliminate a clinical research unit at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. • The Infectious Diseases Society of America and the HIV Medicine Association cited an August 28 notice from the National Institutes of Health that provided few details and a five-day comment period.

• The FDA approved a new cancer drug from Revolution Medicines last week after founder Greg Verdine spent 14 years developing the treatment. • Former Senator Ben Sasse, who has stage 4 pancreatic cancer, called the daily pill a "miracle" for shrinking his tumor volume and reducing pain.

• Researchers from the University of East Anglia and Oxford BioDynamics identified a common biological link for chronic exhaustion across five different health conditions. • The study found that genes related to these conditions are connected to shared networks involving immune responses, cellular energy production, and hormone signaling.

• The CDC, FDA, and state public health officials investigated a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis infections linked to shell eggs. • The investigation involved regulatory officials across several states to identify the source of the bacterial contamination.

• Donald Trump has introduced new deals regarding drug pricing as part of his health policy updates. • The latest health reports also cover research on the effects of cannabis edibles on driving and the use of Paxlovid for long Covid.