Seaport Therapeutics IPO Draws Big Pharma Attention

LB Pharmaceuticals announced the presentation of four posters at the 39th European College of Neuropsychopharmacology Congress in Munich, Germany, running October 10-13, 2026. The posters cover new preclinical data on LB-102's differentiated mechanism of action, the pivotal Phase 3 program in schizophrenia known as NOVA-2 and NOVA-3, the ongoing late-stage Phase 2 ILLUMINATE-1 trial in bipolar depression, and a previously reported analysis of LB-102's impact on cognitive performance from the Phase 2 NOVA-1 trial in schizophrenia. The preclinical data showed that LB-102 can modulate dopamine signaling through engagement of pre-synaptic D2 autoreceptors, increasing dopamine neurotransmission, which the company said supports a potential mechanism for addressing the hypodopaminergic state associated with anhedonia and diminished motivation in depression. A post hoc analysis of the Phase 2 NOVA-1 trial found that the dose-dependent, statistically significant improvements in cognitive performance were primarily a direct effect of LB-102 rather than an indirect consequence of the drug's effect on total schizophrenia symptoms. LB-102 is a novel, once-daily, orally administered investigational small molecule engineered as a modification to amisulpride, and the company believes it has the opportunity to be the first benzamide antipsychotic drug approved for neuropsychiatric disorders in the United States.

AB Science reported an operating loss of €10.4 million for the first half of 2026, compared with a loss of €2.7 million a year earlier, and announced the appointment of Stéphane Ledermann as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. The wider loss was mainly due to a €6.5 million provision tied to the Research Tax Credit dispute with French tax authorities, following an unfavourable Paris Administrative Court ruling on 22 September 2026; net income came to -€9.0 million versus -€5.2 million in the first half of 2025. Revenue, consisting solely of veterinary drug Masivet sales, was €498 thousand, down slightly from €515 thousand, while cash and cash equivalents stood at €8.9 million as of 30 June 2026, supplemented by €16.5 million raised through private placements in July and August 2026. The company also obtained clinical trial insurance for its Phase 3 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis study with a liability limit of €25 million that can be increased to €39 million, and reported a 67% overall response rate in Stage 3 of the Phase 1 AB8939 plus Venetoclax study in relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukaemia. AB Science said it expects to resume the Phase 1 acute myeloid leukaemia study in the first quarter of 2027 and the Phase 3 ALS study in the fourth quarter of 2027, and will hold a web conference on 14 October 2026 to present its new roadmap.

Buchang Pharma announced on October 9 that the company recently received the Drug Registration Certificate for atomoxetine hydrochloride oral solution approved and issued by the National Medical Products Administration. The indication of this drug is for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, in children and adolescents aged 6 years and older.