Recon: J&J eyes AI for potential to slash drug development time; UK biotech investment on the rebound

In Focus: US

• After waiting years for justice, many Purdue opioid victims are defeated — by paperwork (Reuters)
• Results May Vary, But Reporting Shouldn’t: FDA Sends a Not-So-Gentle Reminder on ClinicalTrials.gov Compliance (FDA Law Blog)
• Doctor, wife of acting U.S. attorney general, appointed to NIH advisory council (STAT)

In Focus: International

• Investment in UK biotechs shows early signs of recovery, report says (Endpoints)
• Italy’s Angelini Said to Explore Catalyst Pharma Acquisition (Bloomberg)
• Sun Pharma Founder Says “Debt-Averse, Not Risk-Averse” After $12 billion Organon Buy (Bloomberg)
• J&J lands CE mark for surgical stapler that works with Ottava robot (MedTech Dive)

Pharma & Biotech

• J&J sees AI halving the time to generate drug development leads (Reuters)
• Veradermics’ hair loss drug succeeds in late-stage trial (STAT)
• Lilly announces a new cancer deal, paying Ajax up to $2.3B for JAK inhibitor (Endpoints)
• Oruka’s long-acting psoriasis therapy posts strong results in mid-stage study (STAT)
• Intellia says CRISPR-based treatment for rare disease reduced swelling attacks in pivotal trial (STAT)
• Updated: Compass Therapeutics' stock plummets as it unveils more data from pivotal biliary tract cancer trial (Endpoints)
• Exclusive: Fathom raises $47M, blending AI and physics in drug discovery (Endpoints)
• Humana partners with Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drugs on technology, distribution (Reuters)
• Ligand Pharma to acquire fellow biotech royalty rights buyer XOMA for $739 million (Reuters)
• Novo-Backed Biotech Hemab Seeks to Raise $212 Million in US IPO (Bloomberg)

Medtech

• EU Moves to Ease MDR/IVDR Compliance with Risk-Based Changes (Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry)
• Zap in a cap: How one neurotech startup is using a hat to treat depression (STAT)
• J&J to acquire Atraverse Medical (MedTech Dive)
• With ultrasound on a chip, Butterfly Network aims for global reach (MedTech Dive)
• Edwards raises 2026 forecast as TAVR sales surge (MedTech Dive)
• Nectero’s EAST System Slows AAA Growth In 90% Of Patients Over Two Years (MedTech Insight)
• Apollo Backs Dental Firm vVardis at $1 Billion-Plus Value (Bloomberg)
• FreeStyle Libre 3 Recall: 7 Deaths, 860 Injuries, and Now Complaints From India (MedTech Insight)
• FDA Issues Early Alert On Medline Syringes (MedTech Insight)

Food & Nutrition

• Aldi to remove 44 ingredients from private label assortment (Food Dive)
• Outbreak traced to backyard poultry flocks (Food Safety News)
• The ‘Make America Healthy Again’ Movement Is Cooling on Trump and Republicans (New York Times)

Government, Regulatory & Legal

• RFK Jr. Can’t Hide From Measles’ Comeback (Bloomberg)
• South Carolina’s measles outbreak is over after sickening nearly 1,000 people (NBC News)
• NIH-funded research lags in reporting sex differences, new study finds (STAT)

Regulatory Recon is our regular intelligence briefing for the regulatory affairs space, bringing you the top regulatory, biopharma and medtech news stories from around the globe. Regulatory Recon is published each week on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.

A story’s inclusion in Regulatory Recon does not imply endorsement by Regulatory Focus or RAPS.