Merlin Labs went public this week via a SPAC merger, listing on Nasdaq under MRLN and closing at $9.03. The Boston startup arrives with fresh capital and a $105M defense contract to accelerate hiring and certification.

Mass General Brigham used AI to re‑read routine CTs and found thymus health may predict disease risk and responses to immunotherapy. The finding is promising but needs trial validation.

Aldeyra’s shares plunged about 70% after the FDA declined to approve reproxalap, the Lexington biotech’s lead dry‑eye candidate.

WPI researchers say an AI model flagged Alzheimer’s‑linked brain volume loss in hundreds of MRIs with about 93% accuracy and uncovered age‑ and sex‑specific patterns. The team is testing follow‑ups.

MIT researchers traced leaky brain vessels in Rett syndrome to miR‑126‑3p; an anti‑miR drug currently in leukemia trials could offer an early path to therapy.

Stanford and other U.S. hospitals are testing CAR‑T as a one‑time treatment for progressive MS. Early data show immune effects but safety and repair of old damage remain uncertain.

Mass General Brigham landed a $50 million anonymous gift to expand gene and cell therapy research and clinical trials across the system.

Danish biotech Zealand Pharma is opening a Boston research hub to speed obesity drug discovery and expects to hire about 50–100 staff.

Vertex’s kidney‑disease candidate povetacicept met primary and secondary Phase 3 goals in a Week 36 interim readout, clearing an accelerated path toward an FDA filing this month.

Korro Bio announced an ~$85M private placement to extend its cash runway into late 2028 after its KRRO‑110 trial fell short and staffing was cut.

Cognito Therapeutics raised $105M to push Spectris, its at‑home light‑and‑sound therapy for Alzheimer’s, closer to an FDA filing as pivotal trial data arrive.

After 15 years, Dr. Kevin Tabb will step down from Beth Israel Lahey Health within a year as the system launches a national search and readies a Dana‑Farber cancer hospital.

Five Boston‑area companies landed on LexisNexis’ Top 100 Global Innovators list — the region’s strongest showing yet across biotech and consumer tech.