Each week, our Regional Roundup delivers the most important and timely life sciences news from around the region. From groundbreaking research to fundraising, new development projects, and who’s hiring — we bring you the top stories that matter most. Stay informed with a curated selection of the latest news, delivered directly to your inbox weekly.
North Carolina’s life sciences crowd spent this week building something you can’t fund with a single check: a bench deep enough to actually use the money.
Start with the pipeline. UNC, NC State, and N.C. A&T launched a new NIH-funded T32 program that will train the next generation of drug delivery scientists across all three campuses. Meanwhile, 120 students suited up at Wake Tech’s fourth annual Biotech White Coat Ceremony, lab coats courtesy of FUJIFILM. One of them had spent 20 years teaching biology before this program gave her a job building it.
The leadership bench got stronger too. Kincellis Advanced Therapies named Bruce Thompson Chief Scientific Officer. Pace Life Sciences tapped Andy Fenny as president, right after its RTP lab passed another FDA inspection. And Humacyte brought Scott Coward and Paul Kuznik onto its board as it gears up to launch its ATEV in dialysis access.
Then the money showed up to match it. NCBiotech handed out 141 grants and loans worth $7.4 million this fiscal year, and its portfolio companies turned that into another $89.7 million in follow-on funding. CorestemChemon picked Winston-Salem’s Innovation Quarter over a flashier biotech hub for its first U.S. office. Toss in Atsena’s strong 18-month gene therapy data and CivaTech’s first commercial CivaDerm patients, and the message is simple: North Carolina isn’t just raking in investment anymore. It’s building the people and leadership to actually run with it.
Financial
Tracking the capital moving through North Carolina— funding rounds, M&A activity, and investment trends shaping NC’s life sciences companies.
Why ARCH Venture Partners Just Bet $25 Million on a Microscope Built for Machines, Not Humans
Durham-based Ramona Optics has secured an oversubscribed $25 million Series A round led by ARCH Venture Partners, alongside contributions from Stealthpoint Ventures, ND Capital, Fall Line Capital, Hamamatsu Ventures, Murchison Capital Partners, and Overlap Holdings. By leveraging multi-camera array microscopy, the company solves historical trade-offs in traditional imaging, delivering expansive, high-resolution datasets required to power biological AI models that were once cost-prohibitive or impractical to acquire. Read More >
NCBiotech Deploys $7.4M in Grants and Loans, Driving $89M+ in Follow-On Capital across North Carolina
During fiscal year 2026, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center funneled upwards of $7.4 million into regional life sciences through 141 individual grants and loans, providing targeted Small Business Research Loans and Strategic Growth Loans to over twelve companies alongside broader academic research and community event support. This initial non-dilutive backing enabled portfolio companies to secure more than $89.7 million in subsequent financing—highlighted by Raleigh-based Belhaven Biopharma’s $32.2 million venture round. Read More >
People
Who we’re buzzing about this week — the leadership moves, board appointments, and rising names shaping the region’s life sciences community.
Humacyte Expands Board Expertise with Appointment of Scott Coward and Paul Kuznik
Durham regenerative medicine firm Humacyte has named Scott Coward and Paul Kuznik to its Board of Directors as the company accelerates commercial launch initiatives for Symvess and prepares the market rollout of its Acellular Tissue Engineered Vessel (ATEV) in vascular access. Coward brings deep governance expertise from his previous role as chief legal officer at Exact Sciences, joining the Audit Committee, while former Terumo Aortic leader Kuznik joins the Commercial Committee to drive clinical adoption strategies. Read More >
CDMO Kincellis Advanced Therapies has appointed Bruce Thompson, Ph.D., as Chief Scientific Officer
Cell therapy CDMO Kincellis Advanced Therapies has appointed Bruce Thompson, Ph.D., as Chief Scientific Officer to steer its technical organization and CMC strategy following a recent merger. Operating out of Research Triangle Park, Thompson, who previously served as CEO and co-founder of Kincell Bio—brings deep industry experience from prior leadership positions at Resilience, Lyell Immunopharma, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, and Pfizer to harmonize the company’s process development, analytical, and GMP manufacturing operations. Read More >
Pace Life Sciences completes FDA inspection in RTP, names new President
Pace Life Sciences completed another successful FDA inspection of its Analytical Center of Excellence in Research Triangle Park, a GMP analytical lab with roots dating to the 1980s that now offers high-field NMR, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and water microbiology testing for pharma and biotech clients. The division named Andrew (Andy) Fenny as president, with the RTP-based executive tasked with leading growth across Pace Life Sciences’ eight sites and expanding analytical capacity for customers from early development through commercialization. Read More >
Workforce
The hiring activity, team expansions, and talent trends driving growth across North Carolina’s life sciences and biotech employers.
Workforce Hiring Data Drives Discussion at Q3 Biotech Manufacturers ForumMeeting
Rapid industrial expansion in the Tar Heel State has sparked growing concerns regarding specialized talent availability across regional facilities. To examine the underlying metrics, NC Life Sciences Organization hosted industry executives on September 23, revealing stark workforce deficits, critical vacancies impacting nearly sixty percent of sites, and how deeply area operations are being affected. Read More >
Wake Tech and FUJIFILM Deepen the Triangle’s Biotech Talent Pipeline
At its fourth annual Biotech White Coat Ceremony, Wake Tech Community College celebrated 120 scholars completing Biotechnology degree and BioWork programs, supported by laboratory coat donations from industry partner FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies. The gathering underscored regional talent demands across the Research Triangle, spotlighting achievements like BioWork alumnus Amber Hester transitioning two decades of teaching experience into a manufacturing position at FUJIFILM’s Holly Springs facility. Read More >
Who’s hiring?!
Top Employer
A global biotechnology leader pioneering therapies across oncology, cardiovascular disease, inflammation, bone health, and rare disease, Amgen combines decades of scientific innovation with world-class manufacturing scale to bring transformative medicines from the lab to patients worldwide.
With its CaMP Helix biomanufacturing campus in Holly Springs, North Carolina, Amgen has invested more than $1.5 billion in the region, including a $1 billion expansion adding a second multi-drug substance manufacturing facility. Once complete, the site is expected to employ 725 people, reinforcing North Carolina’s standing as one of the nation’s premier biomanufacturing hubs.
They are currently hiring across 30+ roles in the North Carolina region. Apply Now >
Other employers and available roles we’re paying attention to this week:
- Worldwide Clinical Trials (Durham, NC) is hiring a Senior Clinical Trial Manager – Oncology | Apply Now >
- ICON PLC (Cary, NC & Burlington, NC) is hiring a Senior Medical Writer | Apply Now >
- Astrazeneca (Durham, NC) is hiring a Senior Statistician II | Apply Now >
- United Therapeutics (RTP, NC) is hiring a Senior Global Safety Partnership Oversight Manager / Associate Global Safety Partnership Oversight Director | Apply Now >
- ICON PLC (Raleigh, NC) is hiring a Senior Project Manager, Laboratory | Apply Now >
- IQVIA (Durham, NC) is hiring a Senior Director, Business Development, Genomics – Global Head of Sales| Apply Now >
Clinical + Commercial
The latest clinical trial progress, regulatory milestones, and commercial launches from companies advancing science from the lab to the market across North Carolina.
Cary’s Veloxis Pharmaceuticals to Be Folded Into New “Asahi Kasei Therapeutics” Global Brand
Japanese conglomerate Asahi Kasei plans to consolidate Cary’s Veloxis Pharmaceuticals into its newly formed international commercial organization, Asahi Kasei Therapeutics, uniting entities from Japan, Sweden, and Germany. Anchoring western commercial operations, Veloxis has achieved ~20% annual growth with its kidney transplant medication ENVARSUS XR since 2020 as the parent company targets ¥300B in sales by 2030. Read More >
Durham’s Atsena Therapeutics Reports Positive 18-Month Data for Gene Therapy in Rare Retinal Disease
Durham-based Atsena Therapeutics revealed positive 18-month safety and efficacy data from Part A of its Phase 1/2/3 LIGHTHOUSE trial for gene therapy candidate ATSN-201 in X-linked retinoschisis. Long-term foveal schisis resolution persisted in seven out of nine treated eyes without any serious treatment-related safety signals, paving the way as the company advances patient enrollment for its pivotal Part C cohort. Read More >
CivaTech Oncology Announces First Commercial Use of CivaDerm® for Treatment of Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer
CivaTech Oncology, headquartered in Morrisville, NC, announced the first commercial, non-trial use of CivaDerm, its FDA-cleared radioactive bandage for treating non-melanoma skin cancers, performed by radiation oncologists in Florida and at UC San Diego Health. The device delivers localized Palladium-103 radiation directly to skin lesions over a four-day outpatient course, offering a scar-free, non-surgical alternative to surgery or fractionated radiation for basal and squamous cell skin cancers anywhere on the body. Read More >
Ecosystem
The partnerships, programs, and policy moves building North Carolina’s life sciences infrastructure — and the organizations driving it forward.
UNC, NC State, and N.C. A&T Launch Joint NIH-Funded Drug Delivery Training Program
Supported by new NIH funding, the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy is establishing the C³ Drug Delivery Predoctoral T32 Training Program in collaboration with NC State and N.C. A&T, aiming to prepare 25 doctoral candidates over five years to advance therapeutic delivery systems from early research toward market launch. Under the leadership of UNC’s Dr. Juliane Nguyen and partner directors across all three institutions, the initiative integrates expertise in nanomedicine, bioengineering, and translation while exposing participants to key regulatory, IP, and biomanufacturing processes. Read More >
Korean Biopharma CorestemChemon Anchors U.S. Operations in Winston-Salem’s Innovation Quarter
South Korea-based CorestemChemon has established its domestic operations inside Winston-Salem’s Innovation Quarter, collaborating with the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine’s Engine program to advance U.S. commercialization of its ALS cell therapy, Neuronata-R. Supported by the Greater Winston-Salem BioNest Grant, company leaders cited the region’s specialized cell therapy infrastructure hub for the location decision. Read More >
ProPharma has been named a finalist in the Best Patient Experience at the 2026 International Customer Experience Awards (ICXA).
ProPharma has been named a finalist in the Best Patient Experience – Strategic Approach category at the 2026 International Customer Experience Awards, recognizing its patient-centered strategic work. The company credited the collaboration of its teams and partners in earning the nod from Awards International. Read more >
Other [Good] Reads
Editor’s picks from across the web — the stories, videos, and podcasts shaping the conversation in NC biotech and life sciences this week.
Duke Researcher Lands “Genius” Grant for Work on Memory
Duke University cognitive scientist and philosopher Felipe De Brigard was recently selected as a 2026 MacArthur Fellow, receiving an $800,000 grant to further his research on how emotional states influence human memory. His groundbreaking studies, particularly surrounding memory and reconciliation among survivors of political violence in Colombia, demonstrate that while forgiveness cannot alter recalled facts, it significantly reduces their emotional burden. The prestigious honor places him among twenty distinguished recipients across the country and marks North Carolina’s sixteenth fellow to date. Read More >
North Carolina Oncology Leaders Tackle Access Gaps in CLL, Breast Cancer, and Myeloma Care
A regional panel featuring faculty from UNC, Duke, Wake Forest, and Atrium Health convened to address clinical sequencing and equity challenges in cancer treatment, as reported in Evidence-Based Oncology. Discussions ranged from optimizing therapies in chronic lymphocytic leukemia, breast cancer, and multiple myeloma to tackling structural health disparities across North Carolina’s 100 counties. Experts highlighted institutional solutions to expand rural access, including easing payer restrictions and addressing patient logistical burdens. Read More >
On the Calendar
Workshop with PMIL Construction
Tuesday, October 6, 2026 • 9:00 – 11:30 AM • Raleigh, NC
Hosted by FORGE | Register Now >
Emerging Health Innovators Webinar hosted by ARPA-H and Nucleate
Wednesday, October 7, 2026 • 12 – 1 PM • Online
Hosted by Nucleate | Register Now >
Triangle Biotech Networking Night
Thursday, October 8, 2026 • 5:30 – 7:30 PM • Durham, NC
Hosted by Triangle Biotech | Register Now >
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