Pharmaceutical Executive Daily: FDA Names Seven Participants to Precheck Program

Welcome to Pharmaceutical Executive Daily, your quick briefing on the top news shaping the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry.

In today's Pharmaceutical Executive Daily, FDA selects seven companies for its new PreCheck Pilot Program, Kirsten Whipple examines how the concept of healthspan is emerging from academic obscurity into a powerful consumer driver reshaping pharma's role in aging, and Pharmaceutical Executive speaks with Jeff Talbot of Roseman University of Health Sciences on how Las Vegas is positioning itself as an emerging life sciences hub beyond its casino-driven reputation.

FDA has selected seven companies, Eli Lilly, Regeneron, Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Cellares, Fujifilm Biotechnologies, Kriya Therapeutics, and Kyowa Kirin, to participate in its new PreCheck Pilot Program, an initiative launched in February 2026 in response to President Trump's Executive Order designed to strengthen domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing and supply chain resilience by giving companies earlier regulatory engagement as they build new U.S. production facilities. More than 80 companies applied for the program, with selected facilities spanning a wide range of modalities, including Lilly's Lebanon, Indiana site for GLP-1 drug substance, Regeneron's $2 billion Saratoga Springs, New York biologics facility, and sites from Cellares, Kriya, and Kyowa Kirin focused on cell and gene therapy and rare disease manufacturing.

Kirsten Whipple examines how healthspan is rapidly moving from niche academic terminology into a mainstream consumer expectation, and what that shift means for pharmaceutical companies. Whipple argues that as consumers increasingly demand products and therapies that extend not just years of life but years of vitality, pharma companies face growing pressure to redefine their value proposition around proactive, longevity-oriented care rather than purely reactive disease treatment, a shift with significant implications for how companies approach R&D prioritization, commercial positioning, and patient engagement strategy in the years ahead.

Finally, Pharmaceutical Executive speaks with Jeff Talbot of Roseman University of Health Sciences on how Las Vegas is positioning itself as a growing life sciences hub well beyond its reputation as a casino and entertainment destination. Talbot discusses the city's emerging appeal to biotech startups and early-stage companies, pointing to cost-effective laboratory space, growing access to venture capital, and a flexible regulatory and business environment as key advantages that are drawing life sciences ventures to build a presence in the region, positioning Las Vegas as a credible alternative to more saturated and expensive coastal biotech hubs.

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