Technology & Innovation

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - December 15, 2025 - XPENG AEROHT, the flying car affiliate of Chinese EV maker XPENG, has begun trial production at what it describes as the world's first intelligent factory for mass-produced flying cars-an operational milestone as next-generation mobility moves from prototypes to industrial output.

Trial production signals a commercialization inflection point
The company started trial production on November 3, 2025, positioning the facility as a bridge between engineering validation and repeatable manufacturing. For the broader eVTOL and "low-altitude mobility" ecosystem, factory readiness matters because it shifts the discussion from flight demonstrations to supply chains, quality systems, and scalable assembly-areas that typically determine whether new vehicle categories can reach customers on schedule.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - December 15, 2025 - Shanghai is sharpening its push to become a leading center for merger-and-acquisition activity, as the 2025 Mergers and Acquisitions Finance Conference spotlighted stronger regional deal momentum and unveiled a new market index intended to track China's evolving M&A environment.

Policy momentum behind listed-company restructuring
The conference took place as Shanghai marks one year since releasing a three-year action plan aimed at supporting M&A among listed firms. In practical terms, the message to corporate leaders and capital providers is clear: policy alignment and financial-market infrastructure are being positioned to support more transactions that improve efficiency, accelerate industrial upgrading, and strengthen competitiveness in key sectors.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - December 11, 2025 - Saol Therapeutics is turning an FDA rejection into a potential regulatory test case, as the biotech prepares to argue that its pyruvate dehydrogenase complex deficiency (PDCD) drug SL1009 is the ideal "poster child" for the agency's new Rare Disease Evidence Principles (RDEP) framework at a Type A meeting on December 18.

Saol Recasts a Complete Response Letter as a Strategic Opening

On September 8, Saol disclosed that the FDA had issued a complete response letter (CRL) for SL1009, an oral formulation of sodium dichloroacetate for children with PDCD, a genetic disorder affecting fewer than 1,000 people in the U.S. The CRL, according to CEO Dave Penake, "suggested that we would need to do an additional adequate and well controlled clinical trial," and that "and that's not feasible to be done by our company and in this patient population."

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - December 11, 2025 - Terns Pharmaceuticals is rapidly emerging as a serious contender in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), after early clinical data for its allosteric BCR/ABL1 inhibitor TERN-701 more than doubled response rates seen with Novartis' approved STAMP inhibitor Scemblix in comparable settings and sent the biotech's share price sharply higher.

Best-in-Disease Early Efficacy Raises the Bar in CML

At the American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting, Terns reported Phase I data from the CARDINAL trial in previously treated CML patients, with 38 participants evaluable for efficacy. TERN-701 achieved a major molecular response (MMR) rate of 75% at week 24, with 64% of patients reaching MMR overall in the dataset presented. The investigational agent also supported simple once-daily dosing without a food effect, improving convenience relative to many existing tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) regimens.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - December 11, 2025 - Mercedes-Benz is expanding its sustainability playbook with "Tomorrow XX", a cross-portfolio technology program designed to decarbonize vehicle components, scale circular materials and turn end-of-life cars into a strategic raw-materials source. For OEMs, suppliers and material innovators, the initiative signals how one of the world's leading premium automotive brands plans to industrialize low-carbon, circular design across its global lineup.

Holistic sustainability roadmap across the Mercedes-Benz portfolio

Tomorrow XX extends the holistic, multi-disciplinary approach first showcased in the VISION EQXX and CONCEPT AMG GT XX to the entire product portfolio, across all drivetrains. From the earliest design stages through to end-of-life, every component and material is being scrutinized for CO₂ impact, resource intensity and recyclability.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - December 10, 2025 - Pfizer Inc. is expanding its cardiometabolic ambitions through an exclusive global collaboration and license agreement with YaoPharma, a subsidiary of Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical, to develop, manufacture and commercialize YP05002, an oral GLP-1 receptor agonist currently in Phase 1 for chronic weight management. The deal strengthens Pfizer's position in the fast-moving obesity field and adds a differentiated small-molecule asset to its portfolio of metabolic disease candidates.

Strategic Bet on Small-Molecule GLP-1 in Obesity

Under the agreement, China-based YaoPharma will complete an ongoing Phase 1 study of YP05002 before transferring global development and commercialization rights to Pfizer. For Pfizer, the asset fits neatly into a strategy that aims to pair novel mechanisms with scalable, oral delivery formats for obesity and adjacent cardiometabolic conditions.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - December 10, 2025 - Yupp Video Services (YVS), the B2B technology arm of YuppTV, is stepping up its role as a white-label OTT backbone provider by delivering a full-stack platform overhaul for Chaupal, one of India's fastest-growing regional streaming services for Punjabi, Haryanvi and Bhojpuri content. The partnership is designed to harden reliability, boost performance and modernize user experience as Chaupal enters its next aggressive growth phase.

Full Technology Replatforming for High-Growth Regional OTT

After three years of rapid subscriber expansion, Chaupal reached the limits of its existing technology stack and needed an infrastructure built for scale, multi-device reach and operational resilience. Yupp Video Services responded with a fully custom instance of its OTT platform tailored to Chaupal's regional content strategy and monetization model.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - December 10, 2025 - TCL SunPower Global is expanding its European residential solar strategy with a new fully integrated home energy storage system designed to work natively with SunPower solar panels and the SunPower app, giving installers and homeowners a single-vendor ecosystem for generation, storage and digital energy management.

From Standalone Batteries to a Connected Home Energy Ecosystem

The new SunPower home energy storage system is positioned as the core of a connected domestic energy ecosystem rather than a standalone battery. By combining PV generation, storage and load control through one brand, one account and one app, TCL SunPower aims to simplify deployment and post-sale support for its installer partners while helping homeowners maximize self-consumption and energy independence.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - December 10, 2025 - Implantica is strengthening its European market expansion for RefluxStop®, announcing that Florence's renowned Careggi University Hospital has performed its first procedure with the implantable device for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), adding another high-profile reference center to the therapy's growing footprint.

Careggi University Hospital Becomes a Flagship Center for GERD Innovation

The first RefluxStop® implantation at Careggi University Hospital was carried out by Dr. Paolo Prosperi, Chief of Emergency Surgery, assisted by Dr. Alessio Giordano. As part of the University of Florence, Careggi is one of Italy's most respected academic medical centers and a key reference institution for advanced surgical technologies.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - December 10, 2025 - SK Chemicals is moving to secure full control over its circular plastics value chain by vertically integrating feedstock sourcing through a new joint venture and Feedstock Innovation Center (FIC) in China, positioning its depolymerization-based chemical recycling business for stronger cost competitiveness and supply stability across Asia-Pacific.

From Depolymerization Pioneer to Fully Integrated Circular Plastics Player

SK Chemicals has signed a joint venture agreement with Shaanxi-based recycler Kelinle to build the Feedstock Innovation Center, a dedicated facility for processing waste plastics into recycled raw materials. Located on an idle 13,200 m² site in Weinan, Shaanxi Province, the FIC will convert end-of-life plastics into PET pellets that feed SK Chemicals' depolymerization process.