Recon: Purdue, Sacklers ink $7.4B national opioid settlement; RKF Jr. slated for Senate committee hearings next week

• Purdue Pharma, Sacklers reach $7.4 bln national opioid settlement (Reuters)
• Trump executive order declaring only ‘two sexes’ gets the biology wrong, scientists say (STAT)
• Trump administration’s abrupt cancellation of scientific meetings prompts confusion, concern (STAT)
• RFK Jr. invested in gene-editing biotech, is owed millions for book advances, disclosures show (STAT)
• Kennedy Would Keep Stake in HPV Vaccine Suit if Confirmed (The New York Times) (Reuters)
• RFK Jr. to face key Senate committee hearings next week (STAT)
• Updated: Biogen makes cuts across its research unit, shifting focus to ‘external opportunities’ (Endpoints)
• FDA warns of serious allergic reactions with some multiple sclerosis drugs (Reuters)
• J&J beats quarterly sales and profit estimates on cancer drug sales (Reuters)

• Germany’s ITM, a stalwart in radiopharmaceuticals, gets ready to take its own shots (STAT)
• U.S. WHO exit jeopardizes Africa, says health body (Reuters)
• EU’s €66.8M Project To ‘Transform Clinical Studies’ By Boosting Diversity (Pink Sheet)
• England’s NICE Leads Global Effort On Surrogate Endpoints For Cost-Effectiveness (Pink Sheet)
• Japan In 2025: Policy Give, Pricing Take Set To Continue (Pink Sheet)
• India's Mankind Pharma misses Q3 profit view as expenses jump (Reuters)

• Tris Pharma, looking to compete with Vertex, reports acute pain trial success (STAT)
• What to watch on Akero’s MASH-cirrhosis study results next month (STAT)
• BioMarin turns to ex-Roche dealmaker James Sabry to build ‘next version’ of 27-year-old company (Endpoints)
• Merck KGaA says high asset prices call for prudent M&A approach (Reuters)
• AbbVie partners with Neomorph in latest molecular glue deal (Endpoints)
• With $275M in fresh funding, Innovaccer's looking to make more health tech deals (Endpoints)
• FDA delays decision on Stealth’s Barth syndrome drug; TargetRx raises $50M (Endpoints)
• Anthos' detailed mid-stage data back its anticoagulant, but can the drug succeed where Bayer's failed? (Endpoints)
• Teva’s MS drug and generics to add black box warning for anaphylaxis (Endpoints)
• AstraZeneca exec stresses Calquence's patent life ahead of next Medicare negotiations (Endpoints)
• Exclusive: Health navigator Quantum Health cuts 4% of workforce (Endpoints)
• Abbott banks on glucose monitors, new launches to ride out China, currency hit (Reuters)
• US FDA Urges Generics To Stay Engaged On Metered Dose Inhalers (Pink Sheet)

• What health tech wants from a Trump administration (Endpoints)
• Masimo taps Becton Dickinson executive Katie Szyman as CEO (Reuters)
• AI in medtech is taking off. Here are 4 trends to watch in 2025 (MedTech Dive)
• Intuitive inks deals to sell robots in Italy, Spain and Portugal (MedTech Dive)
• Abbott expects to launch first PFA device outside of the US this year (MedTech Dive)
• J&J coordinating with FDA on US pause of Varipulse due to safety risks (MedTech Dive)

• ‘Rationing by inconvenience’: Health insurers count on customers not appealing denials (STAT)
• RFK Jr., an investor in a CRISPR biotech, has raised alarms about the technology (STAT)
• Better Luck Next Year: US FDA CRLs May Be Rising, But Are Not The End Of The Story (Pink Sheet)
• Trump eyes 10% China tariff hike by Feb. 1 (MedTech Dive)