Roughly half of patients on antihypertensive medications still struggle with high blood pressure. That’s the population targeted by Astrazeneca plc’s baxdrostat, which has received U.S. FDA approval as Baxfendy. A first-in-class aldosterone synthase inhibitor, it is indicated to treat hypertension in combination with other antihypertensive medications in patients not adequately controlled. Its regulatory clearance was based on data from the phase III BaxHTN study, which met its primary and secondary endpoints, and the regulatory win bodes well for potential competitor Mineralys Therapeutics Inc., which has a December 2026 PDUFA date for its aldosterone synthase inhibitor, lorundrostat.

Regeneron’s fianlimab lags in melanoma, does $2.3B deal with Parabilis

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. stuck with the tradition of releasing bad news on Friday afternoon and good news on Monday morning with a pair of announcements bracketing the weekend. On Friday, the company announced disappointing data for its LAG-3 inhibitor fianlimab: The drug combined with Keytruda (pembrolizumab, Merck & Co. Inc.) failed to increase progression-free survival by a statistically significant margin versus Keytruda alone in patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic melanoma who hadn’t been treated previously. Today, Regeneron announced better news in the form of a deal with Parabilis Medicines Inc. The companies will use Parabilis’ Helicon peptide platform to develop drugs against five undisclosed targets. The deal includes a commitment from Regeneron of $125 million up front and up to approximately $2.2 billion in additional potential milestone payments plus tiered royalties. For investors, the bad news outweighed the good with shares of Regeneron (NASDAQ:REGN) trading down 10%, or $69.82, to $628.43 in midday trading.

WHO declares Ebola outbreak a public health emergency of international concern

The threat posed by the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has intensified, with the confirmation that it is caused by the Bundibugyo species of the virus, for which there are no approved vaccines or antiviral therapies. At the same time, the high positivity rate, with eight laboratory confirmed cases out of 13 samples collected in various areas, and more reports of suspected cases and clusters of deaths, all point to a potentially much larger outbreak than currently is being detected and reported. That led to the World Health Organization (WHO) director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declaring the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on Sunday, May 17.

US Supreme Court swats down several biopharma IRA challenges

It looks like the end of the road for many of the court challenges to the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) provision requiring Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices. The U.S. Supreme Court denied cert today to petitions brought by several biopharma companies that raised questions about the constitutionality of the negotiations. The denial could doom a few other challenges still before appellate courts, but Abbvie Inc.’s suit, which is in district court, could survive because of a unique claim tied to Botox.

Sen. Cassidy’s primary loss could give him freer rein

On the heels of the ouster of Marty Makary as the U.S. FDA commissioner and the serial leadership vacancies at the CDC and the FDA’s drugs and biologics centers, the government’s adherence to science took another blow Saturday when Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., lost the Louisiana primary, ending his bid for re-election. As a doctor and the chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Cassidy has frequently pushed back against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy, especially on vaccines. In the short term, the loss could give Cassidy freer rein to voice opposition to both Kennedy and President Donald Trump on healthcare issues until his term ends in January when the new Congress is sworn in.

Boston Sci invests $1.5B in Mirus, gains option for TAVR system

Boston Scientific Corp. has invested $1.5 billion for a 34% equity stake in Mirus LLC in a deal under which it is also gaining an exclusive option to acquire the Siegel balloon expandable transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) system. If the option is exercised upon the achievement of certain milestones, Boston Scientific will make additional payments. Siegel is a nickel-free valve intended to restore function and normal blood flow of aortic valves that are severely narrowed.

Med-tech M&A's blockbuster streak continues with $19B April

Med-tech M&A value through the first four months of 2026 reached $62.01 billion, the highest total for the period since 2022's $73.58 billion and a dramatic step up from the past two years. The bulk of April's M&A value came from the completion of Blackstone and TPG's acquisition of Hologic Inc., valued at up to $79 per share, or $18.3 billion.

Degron closes $40M series A to advance molecular glue degraders

Degron Therapeutics Inc. closed a $40 million series A extension round that will see the company advance its molecular glue degraders targeting previously undruggable or insufficiently drugged proteins. Specifically, the financing will advance Degron's lead program, DEG-6498, a potent, orally bioavailable small-molecule molecular glue degrader that induces the interaction between the E3 ubiquitin ligase component cereblon and the RNA-binding protein human antigen R (HuR), leading to the targeted degradation of the HuR protein. 

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Akeso, Breeze, Gilead, Immune Bio, Imperative Care, Imviva, Kanghong, Lantern, Mirum, Nurix, Ocugen, Psyence, QT, Sana, Sandoz, Tenaya, Terumo Neuro, Urogen, Valar Labs, Vanotech