Recon: J&J sued over employer liability for overpaying for drugs; Lilly terminates Verzenio Phase 3 trial for prostate cancer

• The lone Democrat willing to weaken Medicare’s power to negotiate drug prices (STAT)
• A sweeping new lawsuit against J&J asks: Are employers liable if they overpay for drugs? (STAT)
• With subpar sales for Leqembi, Eisai delays Alzheimer’s patient goal deadline (Endpoints)
• FDA panel recommends new standards for pulse oximeters amid bias concerns (MedTech Dive)
• FDA to reclassify most high-risk IVDs, easing path to clearance (MedTech Dive)
• Lilly rides wave of weight-loss drug demand, working to expand capacity (Reuters)
• Eli Lilly reports tirzepatide MASH success during Q4 earnings (STAT)
• Novartis to buy MorphoSys for $2.9B after 20 years of creating antibodies with the German biotech (Endpoints)
• Gottlieb: FDA Would Be Subject To More White House Control Under A Second Trump Term (Pink Sheet)

• India’s Interim Budget Pushes Innovation, Green Production, HPV Vaccination (Pink Sheet)
• Canada Attacks Florida’s ‘Bad’ Bulk Importation Plan (Pink Sheet)
• EMA Steps Up Support For Creation Of African Medicines Agency (Pink Sheet)
• EU AI Act Final Text Approved By European Member States (MedTech Insight)

• Vertex still knows how to do what it does best (STAT)
• In a snapshot of its rare disease data, Ultragenyx boosts case for new surrogate biomarker (Endpoints)
• Rare disease biotech Rallybio cuts 19 staffers and sheds partnered preclinical programs (Endpoints)
• Immunome buys desmoid tumor asset; UK looks into Thermo Fisher-Olink deal; Kyverna's upsized IPO (Endpoints)
• Lilly axes PhIII trial of Verzenio in prostate cancer (Endpoints)
• Lilly's weight loss drug Zepbound generates $175M within weeks as Mounjaro sales also soar (Endpoints)
• AstraZeneca brings its cell therapy ambitions to Maryland with $300M plant investment, 150 planned hires (Fierce Pharma) (Reuters)
• Real Chemistry snaps up Avant Healthcare to boost med comms offering (Fierce Pharma)
• Pfizer pumps $15M into American Cancer Society's screening-focused health equity push (Fierce Pharma)
• How Firms Are Using ICH Q12 Guideline To Reduce US FDA Oversight Of Manufacturing Changes (Pink Sheet) 

• The Philips CPAP nightmare exposes shortcomings in medical device regulation (STAT)
• Philips consent decree ‘worse case scenario’ for respiratory business (MedTech Dive)
• Nanostring files for bankruptcy protection, explores possible sale (MedTech Dive)
• Livanova names J&J veteran Vladimir Makatsaria as CEO (MedTech Dive)
• Hologic wins FDA clearance for AI-enabled cervical cancer screening system (MedTech Dive)
• A Timeline Of Apple And AliveCor's Legal Battles (MedTech Insight)
• Medtech Industry Produces Evidence In Bid For Updated eIFU Rules In Multilingual EU Marketplace (MedTech Insight)
• Cardio Catch-Up: Procyrion Raises Nearly $60M; Aortix Creeps Closer To Clinic (MedTech Insight)

• Supreme Court to weigh whether Covid misinformation is protected speech (STAT)
• Let the Medicare Advantage lobbying begin (STAT)
• Cano Health’s downfall offers a warning for Medicare Advantage (STAT)
• Diabetes treatments have improperly listed patents that should be removed, analysis finds (STAT)
• GoodRx bets on working with pharmacies as prescription-drug reimbursement pressure grows (Endpoints)