Recon: Hikma, ad firm settle US opioid suits for $500M; Novavax announces new layoffs

• Ad firm Publicis, drugmaker Hikma settle US opioid cases for $500 million (Reuters)
• Biden administration makes opening offers in Medicare drug price negotiations (STAT) (Fierce Pharma)
• Judge skeptical of arguments against Medicare drug price negotiation (STAT)
• Methadone treatment gets first major update in over 20 years (STAT)
• Merck still on the hunt for billion-dollar deals, citing Prometheus and Daiichi Sankyo as examples (Endpoints)
• More than 40 House Republicans co-sponsor IRA fix to align small molecule and biologic negotiation periods (Endpoints)
• FDA receives more reports of deaths linked to Philips’ recalled respiratory devices (MedTech Dive)

• Despite Roche's sharp COVID sales decline, eye drug Vabysmo powers major revenue win, CEO says (Fierce Pharma)
• Due to ‘overwhelming demand,’ Sanofi and AstraZeneca’s RSV antibody to be in limited supply (Endpoints)
• Sanofi Q4 earnings hit by weak dollar, generic competition (Reuters)

• Novavax is on thin ice, and the latest update isn’t exactly encouraging (STAT)
• Novavax announces another round of layoffs, lets go 12% of employees (Endpoints)
• Raleigh-Durham challenges Boston as biomanufacturing hub of the future (STAT)
• Sanofi expects RSV antibody to ⁠breach blockbuster status in 2024, even as supply hitch drags on (Fierce Pharma)
• Can gene therapies make for a profitable business? Keep your eye on Bluebird Bio (STAT)
• ‘120 pages of data’: Roche’s pipeline review leads to asset cuts, but also additions (Endpoints)
• Schrödinger takes a step forward with AlphaFold in drug R&D, as biotech hits a pipeline 'inflection' (Endpoints)
• Basking raises $55M; Seroba’s fourth fund; Vera upsizes its public offering (Endpoints)
• In continuing its transformation, Teva confirms plan to sell off API business (Fierce Pharma)
• Novo Nordisk doubles stock of Wegovy starter doses, but supply constraints persist: CEO (Fierce Pharma)
• AGC Biologics warned for poor discrepancy investigation practices, quality control issues at Washington site (Endpoints)

• Where do we go from here on digital therapeutics? (STAT)
• Clues from mice could help explain why women face a higher risk of autoimmune disorders (STAT)
• Thermo Fisher mulls Irish site exit; Alvotech’s new Form 483; Catalent assists with Wegovy manufacturing (Endpoints)
• Califf backs increased LDT oversight despite industry opposition (MedTech Dive)
• Boston Scientific nets Farapulse approval, pushes back US TAVR launch (MedTech Dive)
• BD partners with Techcyte to offer AI-enhanced cervical cancer screening (MedTech Dive)
• The top medtech trends in 2024 (MedTech Dive)
• Neuralink rival Synchron takes stake in medical component maker Acquandas (Reuters)
• FDA extends deadline for comments on role of digital health in diabetes detection (MedTech Dive)

• General Catalyst wants to take over a safety-net health system in Akron. The city has questions (STAT)
• Why I left the editorial board of the prestigious scientific journal NeuroImage — and helped start something new (STAT)
• Lawsuit accuses UPenn and Jim Wilson of secretly profiting from former postdoc's work (Endpoints)
• GSK inks another Zantac settlement ahead of trial in California (Fierce Pharma)
• FDA slams Eugia with Form 483 and posts older reprimands for AGC, Baxter (Fierce Pharma)