Recon: FDA OKs xenotransplantation clinical trial from United Therapeutics; Trump tariffs may raise cost of drugs and devices

• FDA approves first xenotransplantation clinical trial, as United Therapeutics forges ahead (STAT)
• How Trump’s tariffs may raise health care costs, from medical devices to prescription drugs (STAT)
• Democratic senators press RFK Jr. about ethics issues ahead of committee vote (STAT)
• RFK Jr. says U.S. won’t threaten pharmaceutical patents to push for lower drug prices (STAT)
• Smaller US winter COVID wave adds pressure to Pfizer turnaround (Reuters)

• DeepSeek signals China’s rising influence in AI — and AI drug development (STAT)
• WHO says 6 contacts of Ugandan Ebola patient are ill, vaccination efforts could begin Sunday (STAT)
• WHO proposes budget cut after US exit, defends its work (Reuters)
• AstraZeneca ditches UK investment over cut in state support (Reuters)
• No plan to prop up global health, Novo Nordisk Foundation says, as Trump freezes US aid (Reuters)
• German IVD Industry’s Election 2025 Priorities: IVDR Reform, POC Push And Better Reimbursement (MedTech Insight)
• Withdraw AI Liability Proposal, Medtech Industry Tells EU Policymakers (MedTech Insight)
• AI-Powered Patient Alert System Can Save Time, And Lives (MedTech Insight)

• CAR-T cells can arm other immune cells with engineered proteins to fight cancer, study says (STAT)
• Drugmakers seize on biomarkers to test the FDA's rare disease shift (Endpoints)
• Exclusive: German biotech declares Phase 2 win for non-opioid drug for neuropathic pain (Endpoints)
• Sionna seeks $135M IPO to fuel tests of cystic fibrosis drug candidates (Endpoints)
• Irish startup reports mid-stage victory for short-acting psychedelic drug in depression (Endpoints)
• Tectonic to raise $185M; Acelyrin drops rights to Affibody drug (Endpoints)
• Australian biotech AdvanCell nabs $112M Series C for radiopharmaceuticals (Endpoints)

• HPV self-collection tests must be approved for use at home (STAT)
• EssilorLuxottica receives FDA clearance for its Nuance audio glasses (Reuters)
• Thermo Fisher to lay off 300 workers at two viral vector factories (Endpoints)
• Becton Dickinson Plans Life Sciences Segment Separation (Bloomberg)
• Troy Tazbaz, CDRH digital health leader, resigns (MedTech Dive)
• FDA warns about patient monitor cybersecurity vulnerabilities (MedTech Dive)
• Beta Bionics raises $204M in IPO (MedTech Dive)
• Angle Shares Up After New Research Released In Partnership With Illumina (MedTech Insight)

• National Science Foundation restores payments after five-day pause, but worries over science funding persist (STAT)
• Nobel laureates call on National Academies and biotech CEOs to speak out against Trump attacks on science (STAT)
• Q&A: How gluten-free processed foods put people with celiac disease at risk (STAT)
• RFK Jr. is giving his son any fees he earns from Gardasil vaccine litigation (STAT)
• CDC removal of databases on sexual orientation, gender identity sparks alarm (STAT)
• CDC orders pullback of new scientific papers involving its researchers, source says (Reuters)
• Cigna links executive pay to customer satisfaction as insurers face scrutiny (Reuters)
• Pharmacy Law and Licensing Highlights 2025 (FDA Law Blog)