Innovation and Product Development news (page 8)

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  30 March 2026

  Itabus fleet adopts Enilive HVO

  Entire 100-vehicle fleet runs on HVO made from waste, cutting CO2eq by 79.5%. In 2025 it logged 20M km, used over 3M L HVO (53% avg, 75% peak in Dec).
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  30 March 2026

  UBE obtains food-contact approval for UBECycle recycled PE/PA films

  Accredited migration testing plus RecyClass‑certified recycling (following Paulowsky acquisition) confirm regulatory compliance and open use of mechanically recycled PE/PA in regulated packaging.
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  30 March 2026

  GSK's bepirovirsen accepted for regulatory review in China for chronic hepatitis B

  China NMPA accepted NDA for bepirovirsen after Phase III B-Well trials showed significant functional cure rates in treated CHB patients; granted Breakthrough Therapy; acceptable safety.
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  30 March 2026

  GSK’s Exdensur approved in China for severe eosinophilic asthma

  First ultra-long-acting IL-5 biologic for eosinophilic severe asthma; twice-yearly dosing cut annual exacerbations by ~48–58% in SWIFT trials and lowered hospital/ED visits.
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  29 March 2026

  LOTTE Chemical to merge with HD Hyundai Chemical after Daesan spin-off, pivots to specialty materials

  Targets >60% specialty by 2030; building a 500k t/yr compounding plant; creating hydrogen value chain—four fuel-cell plants (80MW) and 450‑bar H2 hub; expanding high-end copper foil and TMAH output.
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  29 March 2026

  Merck: WINREVAIR Phase 2 CADENCE shows proof‑of‑concept in CpcPH‑HFpEF

  Met primary endpoint with significant PVR reduction at 24 weeks vs placebo. Also favorable mPAP/PAWP, NT‑proBNP and 6MWD trends, delayed clinical worsening; safety consistent with known profile.

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  28 March 2026

  Amgen: Repatha cuts first major cardiovascular events 31% in high‑risk patients without significant atherosclerosis

  VESALIUS‑CV subgroup (3,655 high‑risk diabetics without known atherosclerosis) showed a 31% reduction in first major CV events vs placebo; median LDL‑C 44 mg/dL over ~4.8 years.
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  28 March 2026

  Takeda’s Zasocitinib: Once‑daily pill achieves rapid, durable clearance in plaque psoriasis

  Phase 3: ~70% reached sPGA 0/1 at week 16; PASI90 up to 61%, PASI100 up to 33%. Responses rose through week 24 and >90% of responders maintained effect to week 60. Safety consistent with prior studies
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  28 March 2026

  Johnson & Johnson STEMI-DTU RCT: LV unloading with delayed reperfusion does not increase infarct size

  Neutral trial. 30‑min Impella improved pre‑PCI TIMI flow. Age 61+ trended smaller infarcts. More bleeding/vascular events but no higher 12‑month mortality. Elevated lactate predicted larger infarcts.
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  28 March 2026

  Johnson & Johnson: ICOTYDE (icotrokinra) 52‑week data show sustained skin clearance and favorable safety

  ICONIC Phase 3: PASI100 rose to 49%/48% (ADVANCE 1/2) by Week52; placebo switchers matched. Adolescents: 57% PASI100, 86% PASI90 at 52w. No new safety signals; fewer AEs vs deucravacitinib.
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  28 March 2026

  Lilly: Taltz + Zepbound superior to Taltz alone in psoriatic arthritis with obesity

  Phase 3b TOGETHER‑PsA: combination therapy improved ACR50, MDA, fatigue, function, QoL and cardiometabolic markers; 36‑week primary endpoint met (ACR50+≥10% weight loss 31.7% vs 0.8%).
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  27 March 2026

  EMA recommends Amgen’s Imdylltra for relapsed extensive‑stage SCLC

  EMA backs EU approval for a bispecific T‑cell engager for relapsed extensive‑stage SCLC post‑platinum; phase 3: OS 13.6 vs 8.3 months. Main risks: CRS, ICANS
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  27 March 2026

  Lilly's EBGLYSS: durable 4‑year control in moderate‑to‑severe atopic dermatitis

  Up to four years of monthly maintenance produced durable skin clearance (EASI‑75 94%, EASI‑90 75%, IGA 0/1 68%), itch relief (Pruritus NRS≤4: 78%), 80% without topical steroids; safety consistent.
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  27 March 2026

  Fondazione MAIRE presents Climate Goals study in Berlin

  Fourth edition of Climate Goals study shows Germany as highly aware, pragmatic on energy transition; emphasizes technical focus, workforce upskilling, and shift of momentum toward emerging economies.
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  27 March 2026

  GSK bepirovirsen accepted for EMA review for chronic hepatitis B

  EMA accepted bepirovirsen MAA for chronic hepatitis B after Phase III B‑Well 1/2 showed higher functional cure rates vs standard of care; safety profile acceptable.
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  26 March 2026

  FDA approves Novo Nordisk Awiqli, first once-weekly basal insulin for adults with type 2 diabetes

  ONWARDS trials (~2,680 pts) showed A1C reductions vs daily basal; safety aligned with class. Key risks: hypoglycemia, injection-site reactions, weight gain. US launch pending
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  26 March 2026

  Novo Nordisk gains US approval for Awiqli, first once‑weekly basal insulin for adults with type 2 diabetes

  ONWARDS phase‑3 (~2,680 adults) showed HbA1c reductions vs daily basal insulin with similar safety. US launch planned H2 2026; also approved in EU and 13 other countries.
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  26 March 2026

  Arkema builds recyclable speed board for Zephir record attempts

  Eco-designed speed board uses recyclable liquid thermoplastic resin with recycled carbon fiber and matching foam, delivering thermoset-like performance, precision and full chemical recyclability.
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  26 March 2026

  Topsoe terminates supply agreements with First Ammonia

  Partner missed key milestones despite extensions, triggering automatic termination. Company still has a 50 MW offtake in place and will complete an SOEC commercialization roadmap by end Q2 2026.
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  26 March 2026

  BASF pressure-sensitive adhesive for PET labels compatible with recycling

  RecyClass-approved acResin UV 3532 PSA enables filmic labels to wash off in standard PET recycling, supporting high-clarity, design-friendly recyclable bottles.
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  26 March 2026

  Dow launches 525 kV ENDURANCE™ XLPE HVDC insulation system

  Fully cross-linked XLPE HVDC insulation and semiconductive system, qualified for 525 kV and 90°C operation, enabling higher transmission capacity and simpler cable manufacturing.
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  26 March 2026

  BASF launches Elastollan GripTec TPU outsole portfolio

  New TPU outsole series: three grades delivering improved traction, abrasion resistance and transparency options; optimized processing and 41% lower manufacturing carbon footprint vs rubber.
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  26 March 2026

  BASF opens world-scale Verbund site in Zhanjiang, China

  World-scale integrated chemical site with 2,000 staff; basic, intermediate and specialty chemicals; 100% renewable power; 1 Mt/yr ethylene cracker with e-drive compressors; up to 50% lower CO2; €8.7bn
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  26 March 2026

  Asahi Kasei stops Crystal IS UVC LED production, shifts to AlN substrates

  Discontinues UVC LED device production; redirects resources to develop 100 mm single-crystal AlN substrates for RF and power semiconductors. Financial impact immaterial.
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  26 March 2026

  Siemens launches Drivetrain Analyzer Onsite — on‑prem AI analytics for industrial drives

  On-prem module offers local AI condition monitoring of drivetrain vibration and analog signals (PTP‑synced), local preprocessing on IPC, web dashboards, MQTT/gRPC/OPC UA
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  25 March 2026

  Toray develops size-controlled PMMA porous fibers to selectively remove pathogenic proteins

  PMMA porous fibers with controllable pores (several nm to ~1,000 nm) selectively capture high-MW pathogenic substances (autoantibodies, lipoproteins, exosomes), enabling blood purification and biopharma
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  25 March 2026

  EU dialogue on cement industry's low‑carbon transition

  Stakeholders urged lead markets, funding (Industrial Decarbonisation Bank), standards, CCS, CO2 transport & storage, skills, stable ETS to speed decarbonisation and competitiveness
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  25 March 2026

  Petrobras and Finep launch R$30m biorefining R&D call

  R$30m R&D call for biorefining to develop low‑carbon biofuels from residual feedstocks via biotechnological routes; part of a Technological Ecosystems initiative (up to R$120m). Deadline 29/5
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  25 March 2026

  PureCycle secures €40M Innovation Fund grant for Antwerp PP recycling plant

  Will build a 59,000 t/yr PureFive® polypropylene recycling plant in Port of Antwerp-Bruges (ASTRA PP), using P&G dissolution tech; targets 85% GHG reduction and EU regulatory compliance
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  25 March 2026

  WuXi Biologics Posts Record 2025 Results on Digital‑Native Operations

  Revenue +16.7%, IFRS gross profit +30.9%, gross margin up 5ppt to 46%, adjusted gross profit +25.5%. Built intelligent labs, predictive analytics and a cloud client portal to speed development.