Recon: Feds propose Medicare coverage of GLP-1s for weight loss; Roche purchases CAR-T developer Poseida for $1 billion upfront

• In the MAHA-verse, ex-Bernie die-hards and conservative moms find a political home (STAT)
• Medicare moves to expand coverage for weight-loss drugs Wegovy, Zepbound (STAT)
• Vaccine Head Sees Scope for Support Despite Trump’s RFK Jr. Pick (Bloomberg)
• Trump calls for 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico (MedTech Dive)
• US FDA Commissioner Nominee Not ‘Pro-Industry Choice,’ GLP-1 Compounding Could Be First Clash (Pink Sheet)

• Updated: Roche buys out CAR-T partner Poseida for $1B upfront (Endpoints)
• New mpox vaccines for Congo's children held up by old problem (Reuters)
• Germany’s DRGs And Hospital Reform Cleared For January Launch (MedTech Insight)
• EU HTA Regulation A Positive Move For Rare Disease Therapies, says EURORDIS Chief (Pink Sheet)
• UK MHRA Calls On Pharma To Embrace RWD Early (Pink Sheet)
• Deal-Making May Not Be Easier Despite Illumina and Grail’s European Court of Justice Victory (MedTech Insight)

• Sarepta, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals partner to advance RNA-based drugs in rare diseases (STAT)
• Amgen drug leads to substantial weight loss in study, but questions remain about competitiveness (STAT)
• Roche records setback in phase III study of two lung cancer drugs (Reuters)
• Food allergy biotech Alladapt closes after Phase 3 talks with FDA (Endpoints)
• Soleno’s rare pediatric disease drug faces PDUFA delay by three months (Endpoints)
• Agilent reveals plans to remodel operations as annual revenue dips (Endpoints)
• Aviceda aims to raise $200M; Nerviano gets back rights to PARP1 inhibitor (Endpoints)
• Shorla gains FDA nod for first oral liquid version of Novartis' Gleevec (Fierce Pharma)
• Guardant awarded $293M in false advertising case against fellow cancer test maker Natera (Fierce Pharma)
• Fast-growing Adragos snaps up Swiss CDMO Baccinex, significantly expanding fill-finish firepower (Fierce Pharma)

• Biden administration wants to rein in use of AI in Medicare Advantage, among other fixes (STAT)
• Embecta discontinues insulin patch pump development (MedTech Dive)
• Zimmer wins FDA approval for cementless partial knee implant (MedTech Dive)

• Government watchdog calls out HHS for not auditing health care’s privacy compliance since 2017 (STAT)
• Inside the telehealth-fueled GLP-1 alternative market (STAT)
• UnitedHealth pays its own physician groups considerably more than others, driving up consumer costs and its profits (STAT)
• Getting into the weeds on marijuana excise taxes: trends and outliers in the largest markets (Reuters)
• New EU Fee Regulation: Smaller Firms & Orphan Drugs Will Still Benefit From Full Reductions (Pink Sheet)