Beacon for rare diseases, a Cambridge-based charity, has just launched Rare Insights – a ground-breaking study exploring the value and impact of rare disease patient groups, alongside the challenges they face.

Patient groups are often the first port-of-call for newly diagnosed patients with a rare disease. By providing much-needed support to individuals with rare diseases and their families, they become a lifeline, frequently advocating for research and helping to shape policies that put patients at their heart.

• Former Olink Proteomics President brings extensive life-science tools leadership experience, having helped lead Olink through its $3.1 billion acquisition by Thermo Fisher Scientific
• Co-founder and former CEO Dr Michael Chen transitions to Chief Scientific and Business Officer

Global drug development consultancy Boyds has reported robust revenue growth for the financial year ending March 2026, despite the slowdown in the global biotech and pharma markets.

Established in 2005, Boyds provides specialist consultancy services to an international client base, supporting the development of new, cutting-edge medicines and medical devices for patient benefit.

LONDON, UK; MADRID, Spain; and SHORT HILLS, NJ – September 16, 2026 – Coulter Partners, the global advisor building leadership teams for Health, Science and Technology innovation businesses, today announces the appointment of Carlos Gómez-Arnau, Doug Roberts, and Stuart Penney as Client Partners. These strategic hires further strengthen the firm's international presence and reinforce its commitment to supporting clients across key healthcare, life sciences, and biotechnology markets.

Peptide drug discovery is the process of designing, synthesising, testing and optimising peptide molecules to investigate biological targets or develop therapeutic candidates. Depending on the programme, peptides can be used for target validation, screening, structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies, optimisation and therapeutic development.