Greater Philadelphia – Regional Life Sciences Roundup – November 11, 2026
Greater Philadelphia’s life sciences ecosystem is moving on multiple fronts this week, and the pattern shows companies raising capital, acquiring capabilities, and building talent pipelines all at once.
On the financing side, Plymouth Meeting’s INOVIO Pharmaceuticals priced a $75 million public offering to fund its DNA medicine programs for HPV-related diseases, cancer, and infectious diseases. Malvern’s Neuronetics followed with a $30 million stock offering to support its TMS therapy platform for mental health. Both companies are using public markets to fuel clinical and commercial progress. Meanwhile, Waters Corporation paid an undisclosed sum to acquire Chadds Ford’s MOBILion Systems and its SLIM high-resolution ion mobility technology, broadening Waters’ proteomics capabilities. Argenx announced plans to acquire Unnatural Products for $550 million upfront and up to $1.15 billion total, adding oral peptide bioconjugation to its antibody pipeline. Charles River Laboratories is acquiring Frontage’s bioanalysis and DMPK businesses to expand its preclinical drug development platform.
The workforce side is moving early too. Penn Medicine and The Skills Initiative launched three new training cohorts for Certified Medical Assistants, Pharmacy Technicians, and Patient Engagement Associates. Life Science Cares Philadelphia welcomed Arun Kejariwal, COO of LifeRaft Biosciences and founder of Arke Solutions, to its Board of Advisors. Madeline Bell, who retired in September after more than 40 years at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, joined the UnitedHealth Group board. Philadelphia’s Minaris hired Haylee Erickson as Director, Business Development, bringing two decades of cell and gene therapy CDMO experience to support sponsors across the Central and Pacific Northwest.
Looking ahead: the Women’s Health Innovation Forum at uCity Square runs November 17, and U.S. Biotech Day takes place November 18 at Valley Forge Casino Resort.
Financial
Tracking the capital moving through Greater Philadelphia: funding rounds, M&A activity, and investment trends shaping Philadelphia, Southern New Jersey, and Delaware’s life sciences companies.
INOVIO sets share price at $1.05 in $75 million offering
Plymouth Meeting’s INOVIO Pharmaceuticals priced a public offering expected to raise about $75 million before expenses. The biotechnology company, which develops DNA medicines for HPV-related diseases, cancer, and infectious diseases, is selling about 58.7 million shares of common stock at $1.05 per share, with some investors receiving pre-funded warrants instead. Underwriters have a 30-day option to purchase up to 10.7 million additional shares. Read More >
Neuronetics prices 30 million shares for mental health device maker
Neuronetics, a Malvern medical technology company focused on transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy for mental health conditions, priced a $30 million underwritten public offering of common stock on November 10, 2026. The company develops and commercializes the NeuroStar Advanced Therapy System for treating major depressive disorder and other neuropsychiatric conditions. The offering is expected to close on or about November 13, 2026, subject to customary closing conditions. Read More >
Why is Annovis Bio raising $21 million in new public stock right now?
Annovis Bio, a Malvern, Pennsylvania biotechnology company developing treatments for neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, priced a $21.0 million public offering. The company is currently conducting Phase 3 trials for Alzheimer’s disease and clinical studies for Parkinson’s disease. Read More >
AstraZeneca Acquires Omniose, Adding Bioconjugation Platform to Vaccine Pipeline
AstraZeneca announced the acquisition of Omniose, a Copenhagen-based bioconjugation platform company, to bolster its preclinical infectious disease vaccine programs. The deal adds capabilities for linking antigens to carrier proteins, a key step in developing conjugate vaccines. Financial terms were not disclosed. The acquisition supports AstraZeneca’s vaccine pipeline and expands its infectious disease platform. 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.
Life Science Cares Philadelphia adds 25-year industry veteran to advisors
Life Science Cares Philadelphia welcomed Arun Kejariwal to its Board of Advisors on November 11, 2026. Kejariwal brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in the Greater Philadelphia life sciences community. He currently serves as Chief Operating Officer of LifeRaft Biosciences and is the founder of Arke Solutions. Earlier this year, he was one of six climbers who summited Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for the organization. Read More >
Who is Minaris bringing in to expand its CDMO reach in the Central and Pacific Northwest?
Minaris, a Philadelphia-based global cell and gene therapy CDMO and biosafety testing provider, hired Haylee Erickson as Director, Business Development, CDMO Services on November 11, 2026. Erickson brings more than two decades of life sciences sales and business development experience across cell and gene therapy, viral vectors, plasmid DNA, and strategic account management. She will support sponsors across the Central and Pacific Northwest S. regions. Read More >
These 4 Venture Fellows picked Philadelphia over other biotech hubs
Four new Venture Fellows are joining the program, bringing different backgrounds in health and life sciences investing. They will spend the next 12 months working in Philadelphia. Read More >
Workforce
The hiring activity, team expansions, and talent trends driving growth across Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Delaware life sciences and biotech employers.
Three new healthcare training cohorts launch in Philadelphia with November 17 application deadline
The Skills Initiative announced a new partnership with Penn Medicine to launch three training cohorts for Certified Medical Assistants, Pharmacy Technicians, and Patient Engagement Associates in Philadelphia. Applications open November 17, 2026, following a virtual information session on November 16 at noon. The program prepares participants for success in healthcare roles through focused training and direct pathways to employment at Penn Medicine. Read More >
Life science companies opened their doors to students this fall, but what did the interns take away?
November is National Career Development Month, a reminder that students, educators, and employers are all thinking about what comes next. Sometimes, the most powerful thing industry can do is help students see the possibilities firsthand. As one of our 2026 interns reflected: “The internship means to me the ability to really step outside of my comfort zone. I think just because of the opportunities and the people I Read More >
Who’s Hiring
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Clinical + Commercial
The latest clinical trial progress, regulatory milestones, and commercial launches from companies advancing science from the lab to the market across Greater Philadelphia.
Pennsylvania wound care company wins FDA nod for device pairing two therapies
Phoenixville, Pennsylvania-based Bechtel Medical received FDA 510(k) clearance for Wound VOX, the first cleared system that combines negative pressure therapy with topical oxygen delivery for wound care. The company designs and manufactures advanced wound care devices and dressings with a focus on improving patient outcomes and supporting clinical best practices. Read More >
Can Targeting CD40 Cells Stop Muscle Inflammation at Its Source?
Aro Biotherapeutics reported on the therapeutic potential of a Centyrin-CD40 siRNA conjugate for treating inflammatory myositis in an oral presentation at ACR Convergence. The data uncover the role of the CD40 pathway in myositis and position the conjugate as a potential targeted therapy. Aro’s Centyrin platform enables tissue-specific delivery of siRNA to modulate disease pathways. Read More >
Cabaletta’s rese-cel data spans 5 autoimmune conditions at ACR Convergence
Cabaletta Bio presented new Phase 1/2 clinical data for rese-cel, an investigational CD19-CAR T cell therapy, at ACR Convergence 2026. The data showed immunomodulator-free durability and a favorable benefit-risk profile across autoimmune diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus, myositis, systemic sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, and pemphigus vulgaris. The company is recruiting for its RESET clinical trials in these indications. Read More >
Ecosystem
The partnerships, programs, and policy moves building Greater Philadelphia’s life sciences infrastructure, and the organizations driving it forward.
Natera partners with Incyte on phase II colorectal cancer study using MRD testing
Natera has entered a clinical collaboration with Incyte for a phase II study in colorectal cancer. The trial will use Natera’s Signatera test to guide treatment decisions based on minimal residual disease (MRD), aiming to identify high-risk patients who may benefit from curative-intent therapy. The study is designed to improve patient outcomes through MRD-guided treatment approaches. Read More >
340 employees and 150,000 square feet: Charles River adds clinical capacity
Charles River Laboratories will acquire Frontage Holdings’ bioanalysis and DMPK operations in Exton, Pennsylvania for approximately $470 million in cash, plus up to $75 million in performance-based payments. The acquisition adds clinical bioanalysis expertise and a CLIA-certified central laboratory with roughly 340 employees across 150,000 square feet. The transaction, expected to close in the first half of 2027, expands Charles River’s capabilities to support drug development from preclinical through late-stage clinical testing. Read More >
NRx Pharmaceuticals Begins Selling U.S.-Made, Preservative-Free Ketamine Amid Long-Running Shortage
NRx Pharmaceuticals started selling preservative-free ketamine manufactured in the U.S. through a 17-person sales force with national coverage. The product uses blow-fill-seal technology in a needle-free vial that attaches directly to syringes, avoiding the preservative benzethonium chloride found in current ketamine products. Initial supply agreements are targeted for late 2026, with shipments beginning January 2027. Read More >
Other [Good] Reads
Editor’s picks from across the web: the stories, videos, and podcasts shaping the conversation in PHL biotech and life sciences this week.
Jazz Pharmaceuticals builds patient education sites for two cancer types that recently gained new therapies
Jazz Pharmaceuticals launched two educational websites to support healthcare professionals and patients navigating gastric and small cell lung cancers. Shining Hope in Gastric provides U.S. healthcare professionals with information about gastric cancers and HER2 biomarker testing, while Nothing Small About It offers patients and caregivers guidance on small cell lung cancer diagnosis, treatment and support. The company emphasized that scientific progress depends on making treatment information accessible and understandable to those who need it. Read More >
Boston startup targets brain immune cells that Alzheimer himself first documented
Boston-based startup LIPOS BIO is developing drugs that target fat accumulation in brain immune cells called microglia, a mechanism first noted by Alois Alzheimer in 1906 but largely ignored since. The company, co-founded by researchers from Purdue University and Harvard Medical School, uses AI to identify compounds that degrade the DGAT2 enzyme, which drives lipid buildup in microglia and impairs their ability to clear toxic plaques linked to Alzheimer’s disease. Read More >
What happens when a viral vector plant loses its customers but keeps its debt?
VintaBio, a Philadelphia viral vector manufacturer founded in 2020, is liquidating its $17 million facility and assets through an Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors, with bids due December 15. The company raised $64 million in Series C funding in 2023 but collapsed three years later as early-stage biotech funding dried up, leaving specialized contract manufacturers without enough clients to sustain operations. The auction includes a 22,500-square-foot cGMP facility with three suites, fill-and-finish capabilities, and proprietary viral vector production technologies. Read More >
On the Calendar
A few of the upcoming events, conferences, and networking opportunities across Greater Philadelphia’s life sciences ecosystem that you don’t want to miss.
U.S Biotech Day 2026 – USA
Philadelphia Life Sciences & Innovation Summit
Womens Health Innovation Forum – uCity Square
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