Recon: Hims & Hers to buy Australia's Eucalyptus for up to $1.15B; BioNTech sues Moderna over COVID vaccine patents

• 5 key people to watch at HHS after Trump’s shake-up (STAT)
• NIH Director Bhattacharya to lead CDC after O’Neill’s exit (STAT)
• FDA chief Marty Makary says ‘everything should be over the counter’ unless drug is unsafe or addictive (CNBC)
• FDA will drop two-study requirement for new drug approvals, aiming to speed access (The Independent)
• GDUFA IV: More ANDA Postmarket Commitments Coming? (Pink Sheet)
• US FDA’s Push For Greater Transparency: What About Advisory Committees? (Pink Sheet)
• Exclusive: US CDC cancels February vaccine adviser meeting, no new one set yet (Reuters) (STAT)
• BioNTech sues Moderna for patent infringement over COVID shots (Reuters)

• As China’s drug industry races ahead, its GLP-1 race is accelerating too (STAT)
• Zimbabwe rolls out new HIV prevention drug lenacapavir (Reuters)
• UK Industry Fires Warning Shots Over Cost Burden, Support Levels And Over-Regulation In Market (MedTech Insight)
• UK: Industry Needs To Work With Academia On Pre-Clinical ‘Translational Gap’ (Pink Sheet)
• Ultra-Rare Disease Drug Loargys Wins English Funding Ahead Of US FDA Verdict (Pink Sheet)

• I took part in a 2012 psilocybin trial. What I’m seeing now horrifies me (STAT)
• Hims to buy Eucalyptus as it looks to expand globally (STAT)
• Hims & Hers GLP-1 pill gambit backfires, accelerating crackdown on drug compounders (Reuters)
• My biggest GLP-1 ethical problem: patients who don’t want to stop (STAT)
• Led by former Trump official, Altesa raises $75M to advance respiratory med (Endpoints)
• Why clinical AI startup Kintsugi shut down (Endpoints)
• Charles River sees demand increase, says clients are 'back to work' as tariff uncertainties fade (Endpoints)
• J&J pours $1B into new cell therapy site in Pennsylvania (Endpoints)

• Apple Watch’s hypertension feature may miss some cases, researchers find (MedTech Dive)
• FDA issues early alert on Trividia glucometer issue linked to 114 injuries (MedTech Dive)
• Medtronic nets FDA clearance for robotic spine system (MedTech Dive)
• Federal judge strikes down FTC rule expanding premerger reporting requirements (MedTech Dive)
• Cassidy Report Emphasizes Faster Access To Innovations (MedTech Insight)
• Women’s Health Investment Poised For Rebound In 2026 (MedTech Insight)

• New FDA guidance for antibiotic use in food-producing animals prompts criticism over antibiotic resistance (STAT)
• EU says cereulide exposure risk low after baby formula recalls (Reuters)
• FDA’s Latest Nudge to Phase Out Petroleum-Derived Color Additives (FDA Law Blog)

• In a financial pinch, major health insurers are turning to AI for help (STAT)
• Cassava Sciences says US DOJ has closed investigation into company (Reuters)
• Senate health committee chair plots future FDA changes (Endpoints)
• After Moderna Flu Vaccine, Is US FDA’s Accelerated Approval A Pathway Or A Pressure Valve? (Pink Sheet)