Recon: Verastem's ovarian cancer drug gets FDA approval; PhRMA blasts tariffs as industry trade probe comments end

• New CBER Director Vinay Prasad praises evidence, FDA reviewers in first speech to staff (STAT)
• Vinay Prasad, in his own words, outlines the philosophy he’ll bring to the FDA (STAT)
• Trump to pitch sweeping Medicare drug price plan (Politico)
• US FDA approves Verastem's ovarian cancer therapy (Reuters)
• Compounders lose legal battle with FDA over removal of Eli Lilly’s weight loss drug from a shortage list (STAT)
• Francis Collins blasts Trump administration’s ‘slash-and-burn’ actions at science agencies (STAT)
• Trump nominates Casey Means, entrepreneurial doctor and MAHA leader, for surgeon general (STAT)
• PhRMA says tariffs are 'not the answer' as industry trade probe closes for comments (Endpoints)
• Trump administration health research cuts total $1.8 billion, analysis finds (Reuters)

• Bill Gates to accelerate spending at his foundation — then wind it down (STAT)
• Bristol Myers' $40B US investment; Shionogi to buy Japanese drugmaker (Endpoints)
• UK court upholds watchdog's finding on excessive NHS thyroid drug prices (Reuters)
• EU drugs regulator confirms suicidal thoughts as side effect of hair loss drug (Reuters)
• EU sets out possible 95-billion-euro response to US tariffs (Reuters)

• Trump signs order in bid to boost pharma manufacturing in the U.S. (STAT)
• The state of antibiotic development: ‘Deplorable comes to mind’ (STAT)
• 'Find a way, or make one': How two scientists hope to revitalize CRISPR's rare disease crisis (Endpoints)
• HAYA Therapeutics gets $65M for 'dark genome' work following last year's Lilly pact (Endpoints)
• Blood cancer biotech Vor Bio ends clinical work, lays off 95% of staff (Endpoints)
• Lantheus culls late-stage Lilly-partnered prostate cancer radioligand (Endpoints)
• ALX Oncology won’t seek approval for CD47 drug in gastric cancer; Korro Bio’s layoffs (Endpoints)
• Gilead reveals plans to put another $11B into US manufacturing (Endpoints)
• Teva plans staff cuts as it commits to accelerating growth (Endpoints)
• Novavax says talks with FDA on COVID vaccine approval ongoing calming investor fears (Reuters)
• Kenvue expects flat profit as $150 million tariff hit looms (Reuters)
• Hikma Pharma to pay $50 million to settle narcolepsy drug antitrust case (Reuters)

• Masimo finds buyer for consumer audio business (MedTech Dive)
• Siemens Healthineers lowers earnings forecast on expected tariff hit (MedTech Dive)
• Faster Device Certification Among Keys To Unlocking Innovation In EU MedTech Sector (MedTech Insight)
• State And International Enforcement Agencies May Step Up Amid Uncertain Federal Environment (MedTech Insight)
• Consumer Healthtech Investment Totaled $4.5BN In 2024, But Bar Is High Amid Economic Uncertainty (MedTech Insight)

• PepsiCo taps Amazon Web Services to accelerate digital transformation, AI adoption (Food Dive)
• FDA Releases CORE 2023 Annual Report regarding Investigations of Foodborne Outbreaks (Food Safety)

• Cancer before age 50 is increasing. A new study looks at which types (STAT)
• RFK Jr. wants Americans’ health records to study autism. It’s not that easy to get them (STAT)
• Inside the world of internet peptides (STAT)
• An evidence-based way to make Medicaid less bureaucratic and more efficient (STAT)