Carrying out his campaign promises to reform government, President Donald Trump signed 46 executive orders (EOs) between Jan. 20-31 that have been published in the Federal Register. Of those, 26 were signed after noon and between all the inaugural events on Trump’s first day in office. Since then, he’s signed at least eight more orders, and the administration has issued numerous memos, several of which are intended to implement the EOs. BioWorld has compiled a list of Eos that either directly or indirectly affect the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and its agencies such as the CDC, CMS, FDA and NIH.

Mixed reactions from Asia on biotech implications of Trump 2.0

“This current administration is like nothing that we've seen before,” said a managing partner of a global venture capital firm who spoke to BioWorld on the condition of anonymity. “President Trump’s first term was bad,” he said, “but nobody knows what’s coming. … This is truly nationalism at its worst, because he won on the campaign [largely] to protect American jobs, claiming that Americans have been unfairly treated.” And it's not just China, he said, but India and other countries will also likely be affected. “On the other hand, Trump, is a business person, and he filled his cabinet with a lot of business people,” he said, adding that he’s hearing from people close to the Trump administration that the goal is to eliminate the traditional government bureaucracy and bottlenecks, and he predicts there will be more transparency about what government is doing. “It's not business as usual in Washington,” he said, noting that the tariff play may be more of a “bargaining chip at the table,” he said.

Alumis, Acelyrin to merge in all-stock agreement

Alumis Inc. and Acelyrin Inc. are merging in an all-stock deal that pairs their cash balances to advance pipeline work, including Alumis’ most advanced prospect: ESK-001. An oral, next-generation, allosteric inhibitor of tyrosine kinase 2, the drug is undergoing tests in the phase III Onward study for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis as well as the phase II Lumus effort for systemic lupus erythematosus. Shares of South San Francisco based Alumis (NASDAQ:ALMS) were trading at $5.79, down 80 cents, or 12%, and those of Los Angeles-based Acelyrin (NASDAQ:SLRN) were selling for $2.12, up 23 cents, or 11%.

Nearly $6B raised for biopharma, with Verdiva’s series A at the top

Biopharma companies secured $5.91 billion across 93 transactions in January 2025, a continuing upward swing from $4.69 billion in December and $3.6 billion in November 2024. For the full year 2024, the industry raised $102.15 billion, marking a 44% increase from $70.97 billion in 2023 and significantly surpassing the $60.81 billion raised in 2022. In January, three IPOs raised a total of $541.3 million, led by Metsera Inc. with its $275 million debut. Forty-three private venture capital rounds raised $3.17 billion, with obesity and cardiometabolic specialist Verdiva Bio Ltd. raising $411 million in a series A.

Genomic study paves way for multimorbidity treatments

A large-scale study cross-referencing genomic data from multiple sources with primary care health records has identified genetic overlaps in 72 chronic diseases, opening the way for a more holistic approach to researching, treating and preventing multimorbidity. Studying multiple conditions is extremely complex and the research provides a platform for investigating multimorbidity, a problem that is increasingly prevalent and where shared biological mechanisms underpinning pairs of diseases are often poorly understood. “For the first time, we’ve combined analyses of both genetics and clinical records on a massive scale, in a new and robust approach, to identify where genes play a critical role in more than one condition,” said Joao Delgado, lecturer at Exeter University, U.K. who led the study.

Speculations rise on US tariff impact on global pharma industry

For the pharmaceutical industry caught in the crosshairs of a potential trade war, the consequences of U.S. tariffs on China or Europe remain largely speculative, although both would be detrimental, according to a Korea Biotechnology Industry Organization (KoreaBIO) issue briefing Feb. 7. “[Tariffs] could be a relatively large risk for pharmaceutical companies with manufacturing bases in Europe,” the KoreaBIO report reads. “As concerns arise from American hospitals and its pharmaceutical industry, all countries, including [South Korea], are watching to see whether the U.S., the world’s largest pharmaceutical market, will actually impose the tariffs on pharmaceutical goods and, if so, to what extent. [The crux is] whether [the tariffs] target raw pharmaceutical ingredients with high import dependency or all pharmaceutical products, and whether it [applies to] certain or all countries,” it said.

Sionna lists on Nasdaq in IPO for cystic fibrosis

Sionna Therapeutics Inc. has opened on Nasdaq in the year’s fourth IPO, this one priced at the upper end of its original per-share range at $18. The cystic fibrosis therapy developer is looking for gross proceeds of about $191 million by offering 10.58 million shares of common stock. Sionna said it will use the money to complete ongoing phase I studies, a phase IIa proof-of-concept study and preclinical work. Sionna upped its ante as it had planned to raise about $150 million by offering 8.8 million shares at the midpoint of a $16 to $18 range. At midday, shares (NASDAQ:SION) were trading 36% upward at $24.55.

Trump administration presents a mixed picture for med tech

The second Trump administration has already left a large footprint on the administrative state even as it takes on trading nations with tariffs that may affect device makers. Among the controversies the administration has taken on is the question of whether gender should be included in regulatory considerations, such as in the case of a recent update on a 2014 guidance that has been removed from the device guidance webpage. The administration had previously declared a 25% tariff on products imported from Canada and Mexico, although those two actions have been suspended pending negotiations regarding the flow of fentanyl across to two borders. The 10% tariff applied to products from China is still in place, however, which seems to have prompted a retaliatory strike.

Also in the news

Accord, Alligator, Ariceum, Belite, Briacell, Codexis, Coeptis, Coya, Crown Laboratories, Epitopea, Equillium, Eton, Kura, Kyowa Kirin, Matinas, Miist, Mustang, Nanoscope, Rakovina, Relmada, Revalesio Revance, Sangamo, Tonix, Viracta, X4