Recon: Pfizer to acquire obesity drugmaker Metsera for $4.9B; Bristol Myers to launch schizophrenia therapy Cobenfy in UK at U.S. price

• Federal vaccine adviser says former CDC officials can’t be trusted unless they agree to ‘public debate’ (STAT)
• Winner of mRNA Nobel Prize says ACIP member’s claim that Covid vaccines persist is ‘absolutely impossible’ (STAT)
• Walmart Adds Home Delivery for Ozempic, Other Refrigerated Drugs (Bloomberg)
• US Weighs Trump-Branded Website to Help Shop for Cheaper Drugs (Bloomberg)
• Birth Control Among US Therapies Most At Risk From Trump’s 250% Tariff Threat (Bloomberg)
• Novartis Working on Price Cut Proposals for US, CEO tells NZZ (Bloomberg)
• Trump expected to link autism with Tylenol, a claim highly disputed (Reuters)

• Big Pharma Forces Britain to Take Its Medicine (Bloomberg)
• Bristol Myers to launch schizophrenia drug in the UK at the same price as in the US (Endpoints)
• Avenzo collects another $60M for two small molecules and two ADCs licensed from China (Endpoints)
• Urgent support needed to prevent Ebola spreading in Congo, says Red Cross federation (Reuters)
• ShiraTronics Targets FDA Approval for Migraine Implant In 2027, Australian Review to Follow (MedTech Insight)

• MBX hormone replacement shows efficacy in mid-stage study (STAT)
• Pfizer to buy obesity-focused Metsera in $4.9 billion deal (STAT)
• Ionis says RNA drug for rare brain disorder succeeded pivotal trial, plans to ask for FDA approval (Endpoints)
• FDA approves Stealth's rare disease drug after past rejection, delay (Endpoints)
• Roche declares Phase 3 win for SERD in broad breast cancer population that eluded competitors (Endpoints)
• Zealand Pharma may sell future obesity drug direct to patients (Reuters)
• J&J pads Tremfya IBD offerings with subQ ulcerative colitis nod (Fierce Pharma)

• As medical AI use grows, industry payments to providers remain opaque (STAT)
• How SS Innovations is expanding robotic surgery’s reach (MedTech Dive)
• Ten Words We Won’t Miss: FDA Publishes Final Rule Implementing Court Vacatur of LDT Rule (FDA Law Blog)
• Medtronic wins FDA approval for urinary incontinence device (MedTech Dive)
• Exactech agrees to $8M settlement over defective knee implants (MedTech Dive)

• Trump administration halts government hunger report (The Hill)
• FDA proposes ban on rarely used Orange B food dye (Food Dive)

• Hospitals get dinged for reporting too many infections. In some cases, the solution is not to test (STAT)
• Most doctors believe interactions with pharma erode public trust, analysis finds (STAT)
• Don’t Wait! Early Talks With Device Innovators Pay Off, Say Australia, Malaysia Regulators (MedTech Insight)
• Trump’s health and the medicalization of American politics (STAT)