Middlesbrough leads regional rankings for younger newly appointed company directors. Companies House data analysed by Virtual HQ puts three Tees Valley areas at the top of the North East table.

Selene has opened its first Birmingham clinical research site today. The company plans up to 30 jobs and a wider network of six NHS-integrated locations.

Pharmacy2U and Reset Health have launched national provider Averly Health. The joint venture combines clinical assessment, prescribing, pharmacy fulfilment and continuing support as NHS commissioners expand cardiometabolic and obesity treatment pathways.

Ministers are considering stronger safeguards for devolved regional spending powers. Expanded fiscal autonomy could give English mayors greater control while increasing demands for audit, scrutiny and financial accountability.

UK factories kept expanding as inflation pressures returned in September. Manufacturing remained in growth territory, but input costs strengthened and supply chain disruption increased during the month.

Northern Ireland is backing pharmaceutical innovation with £11.7m investment funding. Queen’s University Belfast and Ulster University will deliver iPHARMA, giving businesses access to specialist facilities and expertise intended to accelerate product development and commercialisation.

Britain’s economy grew faster than previously estimated during spring quarter. Revised ONS figures put second-quarter growth at 0.5%, while real household disposable income per head increased by 1.0% and the household saving ratio reached 8.8%.

AstraZeneca is investing heavily to deepen its oncology combination strategy. The $2bn Summit Therapeutics stake accompanies clinical work combining ivonescimab with AstraZeneca antibody-drug conjugates across cancer types.