Drug approvals by the U.S. FDA totaled 26 in the first two months of 2026, with eight approvals in January and 18 in February. Compared with 2025, when approvals reached 12 in January and 16 in February (28 total), early 2026 activity is consistent with historical ranges.

In a sea of uncertainty, a large-scale, long-term Swedish study is the first to show that people using GLP-1 receptor agonists are less likely to have worsening mental illness. The study involved a national cohort of 95,490 people diagnosed with depression or anxiety disorder, who also were treated with any diabetes drug (apart from insulin).

In one fell swoop March 16, a U.S. federal judge stayed the CDC’s January memo revising the childhood vaccine schedule and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) as reconstituted by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy, along with everything that committee has done since early June.

Med-tech M&A activity totaled $18.2 billion in January and February 2026, marking one of the stronger openings in recent years.

Biopharma deal value reached $61.17 billion in the first two months of 2026, roughly a 60% increase from the $38.11 billion logged in the same period of 2025 and marking the strongest early year total in BioWorld’s records. The surge was driven by unusually strong activity in both months, with $31.16 billion in January and $30.01 billion in February.