Super Bowl, Winter Olympics defined TV drug ad spending in February, led by AbbVie’s Rinvoq
Almost all of last month’s top 10 pharma TV ad spenders took advantage of February’s two major sporting events to get the word out about their meds.
Medical News
Taiwan earmarks $755M for multi-year drug supply resilience program
The three-pronged plan to strengthen domestic drug supply will be supported by an investment of 24 billion new Taiwan dollars ($755 million), President Lai Ching-te said.
FDA to end 9-month advisory committee drought with April review of AstraZeneca’s oral SERD, Truqap
The FDA is ending a roughly nine-month hiatus of drug-related advisory committee meetings, convening its first session of 2026 to scrutinize a pair of oncology applications from AstraZeneca.
Pfizer breaks into obesity market in China with approval for Sciwind-partnered GLP-1
Less than two weeks after Pfizer struck a deal with Sciwind Biosciences to gain commercial rights to a GLP-1 drug, China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has approved the treatment for patients with obesity.
Servier to widen rare cancer offerings with $2.5B buyout of Day One and glioma drug Ojemda
Servier on Friday unveiled a deal to acquire Day One Biopharmaceuticals—a commercial-stage company developing targeted therapies for pediatric cancers and other diseases—for $21.50 per share in cash. The total value of the deal, which is expected to close in the second quarter, comes to roughly $2.5 billion.
Opinion: U.S. needs a national prevention infrastructure for mental and behavioral disorders
A clear blueprint for a national prevention infrastructure for mental and behavioral disorders.
How Stand Up For Science is trying to ‘pull every lever’ to win over the public
Stand Up For Science has become a formal organization and adopted a new strategy that's more confrontational with grassroots tactics
How the ‘holy grail’ weight loss pill became a reality, and what comes next
In this week’s STATus Report, host Alex Hogan explains why weight loss pills were so much harder to develop than injectables.
In its campaign against gender-affirming care, Trump administration seeks to clear a big legal hurdle
A federal appeals court will hear arguments Friday in the Trump administration's effort to subpoena patient records on gender-affirming care
Opinion: What’s so religious about opposing vaccines?
What, exactly, is “religious” about refusing vaccination?
Fierce Pharma Asia—Kyowa ends OX40 program; Sanofi licenses first-in-class drug; BioNTech advances Duality ADC
Kyowa Kirin has decided to discontinue all clinical development of its OX40 drug after two new cancer cases emerged. Sanofi is committing up to $1.5 billion for global rights to Sino Biopharm's first-in-class JAK/ROCK inhibitor. With strong early-stage data in prostate cancer, BioNTech is moving DualityBio-licensed B7-H3 ADC into phase 3. And more.
Eating less protein may slow liver cancer growth, study finds
A Rutgers-led study found that eating less protein may help slow liver cancer in people with impaired liver function. When damaged livers can’t properly clear toxic ammonia from protein metabolism, the excess ammonia can feed tumor growth. In mice, reducing dietary protein lowered ammonia levels, slowed tumor growth, and significantly improved survival.
AI blood test finds silent liver disease years before symptoms
Researchers created an AI-driven liquid biopsy that scans patterns in fragments of DNA circulating in the blood. The system detected early liver fibrosis and cirrhosis—conditions that often go unnoticed until serious damage occurs. By analyzing genome-wide DNA fragmentation patterns rather than specific mutations, the approach captures hidden signals about a person’s overall health. Early detectio
Across ERs, Tylenol orders for pregnant people dropped after health officials linked drug to autism
Immediately after U.S. health officials linked Tylenol to autism, the drug's use in pregnant women visiting ERs dropped, new study shows.
Scientists discover the switch that revives exhausted cancer-fighting T cells
Scientists have uncovered new genetic rules that determine whether the immune system’s “killer” T cells remain powerful long-term defenders or become worn out and ineffective. By building a detailed genetic atlas of CD8 T cell states, researchers identified key molecular switches that push these cells toward either resilience or exhaustion. Remarkably, disabling just two previously unknown genes r
STAT+: Omada reports first profitable quarter as it seizes broad GLP-1 opportunity
Virtual chronic care company Omada, which went public less than a year ago, reported a quarterly profit for the first time.
STAT+: Science Corp. raises $230 million to bring retinal implant to Americans
Science Corp. raised $230 million as it awaits a decision from the FDA on PRIMA, its wireless retinal implant.
STAT+: Patient health data as a public utility: A former ARPA-H data chief explains
Patients generate vast health data, but private companies monetize it. A policy group proposes treating the data like a regulated utility.
J&J's Tecvayli-Darzalex multiple myeloma combo takes home FDA's 3rd national priority nod
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., called J&J’s Tecvayli-Darzalex phase 3 showing the “most impressive second-line myeloma trial results in history.”
STAT+: Breaching the IBD efficacy ceiling, and sham surgeries
Spyre Therapeutics CEO Cameron Turtle talks about the search for an IBD treatment on this week's "The Readout LOUD."