Recon: GSK to purchase RAPT Therapeutics, food allergy drugmaker, for $2.2 billion; Corvus’ therapy demonstrates positive results in early-stage eczema study

• Is ‘shared decision-making’ being hijacked by U.S. health officials to sow doubt about vaccines? (STAT)
• RFK Jr. is moving to remake a little-known vaccine panel. It could have big consequences (STAT)
• Excitement and wariness as FDA shifts to much more flexible cell and gene therapy oversight (STAT)
• US childhood vaccine overhaul spurs clinician groups to update lawsuit (Endpoints)

• Abbott gets Europe’s CE mark for dual ablation catheter (MedTech Dive)
• Patient Voice In New Zealand Trials Encouraged But Not Mandatory, Medsafe Says (Pink Sheet)
• England’s Whole-Genome Sequencing Rollout Set To Improve Cancer Treatment Access (Pink Sheet)
• Canada Unveils Plan To Fast‑Track Drug Reviews Using Foreign Decisions (Pink Sheet)

• Corvus pill shows promise in early-stage eczema trial (STAT)
• GSK to buy RAPT Therapeutics, maker of food allergy treatment, in $2.2B deal (STAT)
• Bariatric surgery beats GLP-1s for type 2 diabetes across income levels, study says (STAT)
• 2025 ended on high note with a buoyant Q4 for M&A, PIPEs and follow-ons (Endpoints)
• Pfizer to depart GSK's ViiV as Shionogi doubles its stake (Endpoints)
• Isomorphic signs another pharma deal, partnering with J&J for AI-made drugs (Endpoints)
• Exciva raises $59M to fund Phase 2 test of Alzheimer’s agitation drug (Endpoints)
• Moderna, Merck's skin cancer vaccine shows sustained benefit in five-year follow-up (Reuters)
• Novo Nordisk expands diabetes cell therapy partnership with Aspect Biosystems (Reuters)
• Bristol Myers partners with Microsoft for AI-driven lung cancer detection (Reuters)
• Roche's Genentech more than doubles investment in North Carolina facility to about $2 billion (Reuters)
• Abivax CEO dismisses 'noise' around rumored Eli Lilly bid (Reuters)
• Novavax signs licensing agreement with Pfizer for vaccine development (Reuters)

• Teladoc’s mental health arm BetterHelp has quietly expanded the use of AI (Endpoints)
• 3 takeaways from Boston Scientific’s $14.5B Penumbra deal (MedTech Dive)
• Boston Scientific recalls stent over issue linked to 3 deaths (MedTech Dive)
• Siemens Healthineers Targets 5–6% Growth, Rules Out Large M&A As Tariff Mitigation Takes Shape (MedTech Insight)

• Shrimp with a side of cancer? Radioactive contamination is real. (The Hill)
• Kennedy’s whole milk push reflects evolving views on dairy fat (The Hill)

• It’s time to translate vague unease around stem cell IVF into clear guardrails (STAT)
• Congress revives bipartisan health care proposal, including drug middlemen provisions (STAT)
• It’s About Time: US FDA’s Review Speed For Novel Approvals In 2025 (Pink Sheet)