Recon: Vertex non-opioid pain reliever succeeds in late-stage trials; Neuralink implants brain chip in first human patient

• Can Wegovy treat depression as well as obesity? New research looks to GLP-1 drugs for mental illnesses (STAT)
• Vertex’s closely watched pain relief drug succeeds in late-stage trials — with a catch (STAT) (Reuters)
• The academic-entrepreneur model built companies and minted millionaires. What happens when one of its earliest advocates quits?  (Endpoints)
• Exclusive: Eli Lilly supplied schizophrenia drug to uncertified healthcare providers, Form 483 shows (Endpoints)
• Pfizer posts surprise 4th quarter profit, but key products miss on sales (Reuters) (Endpoints)
• Philips' US sales of sleep apnea devices face years-long halt after FDA deal (Reuters) (MedTech Insight)
  Elon Musk's Neuralink implants brain chip in first human (Reuters)

• Spanish pharma services company Suanfarma rebrands under unified umbrella (Fierce Pharma)
• Singapore’s Genetic Design and Manufacturing reels in $21M in series A funding (Fierce Pharma)
• New EU AI Innovation Package Launched, With AI Office (MedTech Insight)
• Rise in reports of fake weight-loss drugs linked to shortage of real thing, WHO says (Reuters)

• Here are the new hotspots for Boston-area biotech (STAT)
• How an immunological Trojan horse could treat disease (STAT)
• Cour Pharmaceuticals, a biotech taking aim at autoimmune diseases, raises $105 million (STAT)
• Ultima Genomics launching high-end DNA sequencers that can read genome for $100 (STAT)
• Avrobio makes way for GPCR biotech Tectonic Therapeutic in reverse merger (Endpoints)
• Kura’s stock jumps on PhIb readout; FDA lifts hold on INmune Bio program; Nanobiotix’s $20M milestone (Endpoints)
• Amid strategic pivot, 2seventy bio plots comeback for BMS-partnered CAR-T Abecma (Fierce Pharma)
• MarketingRx roundup: Astellas menopause drug led NFL TV spending; A podcast's deep dive into Novo's history (Endpoints)
• Hims CEO says he'd rather go after rivals' customers than buy their businesses (Endpoints)
• Gilead, Kite shorten Yescarta manufacturing by two days in 'incremental' improvement (Endpoints)
• Creative AI gains steam among pharma marketers including Sanofi, Novartis, although concerns abound (Endpoints)
• CAR NK biotech Catamaran Bio to wind down, will seek partners for cell therapies (Endpoints)
• Chicago-area autoimmune biotech gets pharma backing in $105M round for two PhII trials (Endpoints)
• Scientists document first-ever transmitted Alzheimer's cases, tied to no-longer-used medical procedure (STAT)

• Tasso Launches At-Home Blood Draw Platform For Trial Pre-Screening (MedTech Insight)
• FDA Sends Final Report On Device Pilot Projects To Lawmakers (MedTech Insight)
• 4 heart device trends shaping the medtech sector in 2024 (MedTech Dive)
• Vicarious Surgical hires former Olympus leader as president (MedTech Dive)

• Sanofi’s Olympic role brings perks and pride to engage workforce (Fierce Pharma)