Funding Tracker '26: Ours Privacy, Arintra and Happy Health

• NBC News is tracking confirmed measles case counts and state infection tallies across the U.S. through a dedicated map. • Measles case counts reached a 34-year high in 2025 and have increased further in 2026.

• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a combination of the oral drugs WELIREG and LENVIMA for adult patients with advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma who have received prior treatment. • This approval follows the Phase 3 LITESPARK-011 trial, which compared the dual regimen against the drug cabozantinib.

• The US Food and Drug Administration is expected to announce measures in the coming days to accelerate the approval process for nicotine pouches and vaping products. • The agency plans to revisit a 2021 rule that outlines the specific requirements for new tobacco applications.

• Measles outbreaks have recently documented hundreds of cases across Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah. • Most of the reported infections have occurred among people who are unvaccinated.

• Beacon Therapeutics announced on Monday that its experimental gene therapy improved reading ability in low-light conditions during a late-stage trial for people with an inherited eye disease. • The therapy targeted a specific condition that causes progressive vision loss and successfully met its primary trial goal.

• The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) will open Round 3 registrations for the National Eligibility and Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET UG) on September 22. • This registration phase applies to candidates seeking admission to MBBS, BDS, and B.Sc Nursing courses for the 2026 academic year.

• The Centre for Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine announced that stem cell therapy for autism must only be conducted within approved clinical trials. • Dr. Dinesh Arab noted that new, sophisticated drugs have failed to reduce the overall incidence of heart attacks and strokes.

• Helus Pharma announced the results of its annual and special shareholder meeting held on September 22, 2026. • Shareholders approved a legal name change for the company from Cybin Inc. to Helus Pharma Inc. and appointed a new auditor.

• Doctors are increasingly integrating artificial intelligence into cancer care to help navigate complex treatment decisions and support patients. • AI tools act as digital consults by aggregating evidence from rapidly evolving clinical trials, drug approvals, and resistance biology.

• The US FDA approved a drug combination from Eli Lilly on Friday to treat adults with advanced breast cancer that has spread to other organs. • This medical approval specifically targets patients with advanced stages of the disease where the cancer is no longer localized.

• A new academic publishing platform launched this week to combine peer-reviewed scientific research with direct community expertise in public health studies. • The initiative pairs traditional clinical investigators with local populations to ensure health interventions reflect lived experiences and real-world needs.