Recon: Kennedy defends HHS cuts in contentious hearing; FDA approves Amneal’s self-administered migraine therapy

• In combative hearings, Kennedy defends HHS cuts, backtracks — and lashes out (STAT)
• Former FDA head Robert Califf says RFK Jr.’s vaccine rhetoric is ‘doing harm’ to Americans (STAT)
• Ensuring most-favored nation drug pricing doesn’t sicken us (STAT)
• Drug compounder Empower was built on risky shortcuts, ex-employees and inspections allege (Endpoints)
• US FDA approves Amneal's self-administered migraine treatment (Reuters)

• WHO trims top management ranks amid financial crunch (STAT)
• French trial sponsors are urged to bolster clinical trial transparency (STAT)
• South Africa has no plan to replace US HIV funds yet, minister says (Reuters)
• Waters Corp's India business boosted by rush for weight-loss drugs (Reuters)
• Merck KGaA cautious on 2025 profit on currency effects, tariff uncertainty (Reuters)
• Exclusive: HIV patient testing falls in South Africa after US aid cuts (Reuters)
• Abbott India's quarterly profit climbs 28% on strong demand (Reuters)
• European Commission readies countermeasures to US tariffs (MedTech Dive)

• Investment firm RA Capital lays off incubator staff amid industry instability, push into China (STAT)
• Day 1 at ASGCT: Missing scientists, a gene editing failure, and a gene editing first (STAT)
• Eli Lilly and AstraZeneca top a consultancy’s ranking of drug company R&D (STAT)
• Prenatal genetic therapy for SMA shows promise in a mouse study (STAT)
• What to know about Summit Therapeutics’ looming clinical trial readout (STAT)
• Novo Nordisk strikes deal with Septerna to develop obesity pills (STAT)
• Exclusive: Datavant to acquire real-world data specialist Aetion, doubling life sciences team (Endpoints)
• Pathos AI collects $365M to fuel 'bulletproof' oncology trials and in-license more cancer drugs (Endpoints)
• FDA Begins Granting Advanced Manufacturing Technology Designations (FDA Law Blog)
• Biohaven stock sinks on three-month delay for neuro drug's FDA approval decision (Endpoints)
• Enliven stops work on solid tumor drug; Pulmatrix to divest assets (Endpoints)
• AGC Bio secures lentiviral contract; Thermo Fisher to make Cybin asset (Endpoints)

• As AI in health care proliferates, so do legal questions concerning its use (STAT)
• Exclusive: 17 health systems are working with Abundant Venture Partners to develop tech (Endpoints)
• AdvaMed CEO Scott Whitaker pleads for tariff relief in Senate hearing (MedTech Dive)
• Philips taps Nvidia to build AI model for MRI (MedTech Dive)
• A Deregulated Medtech Sector Could Flourish In Merz’s Industry-Friendly Germany (MedTech Insight)

• Tariffs are slowing ‘what was an active M&A pipeline’ for Post Holdings (Food Dive)
• Coca-Cola to update recycling labels following EU greenwashing complaint (Food Dive)
• Food Safety and Regulatory Aspects of State EPR Programs (Food Safety)

• Scientific societies call for a moratorium on using CRISPR to create genetically modified children (STAT)
• Projected number of uninsured from GOP’s bill is nearing levels not seen since ACA repeal effort (STAT)
• Drug overdose deaths fell sharply in 2024, as fentanyl cases dropped but meth spiked (STAT)