The U.K. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has endorsed the use of pulsed field ablation for atrial fibrillation, and while several trusts in the U.K. are already using these devices for their patients, the endorsement is certain to expand utilization in the U.K., which according to data from Clarivate’s Epidemiology Intelligence may come to nearly 4 million.

The U.K. government has committed to reduce the cost of drug and device approvals by 25% as part of a long-awaited life sciences strategy which sets out a 10-year plan for the sector.

“Pharmaceuticals will be tariffed, probably at the end of the month,” U.S. President Donald Trump said, as he provided a few more details about his proposed global biopharma sector tariff. “We’re going to start off with a low tariff and give the pharmaceutical companies a year or so to build. And then we’re going to make it a very high tariff.”

After a 10-year project and a £60 million (US$80 million) investment, the UK Biobank has completed the whole body scans of 100,000 volunteers and is making the 1 billion images available for researchers worldwide.

Under a new licensing deal announced July 8, JCR Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. granted Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc. rights to its adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsids for use in up to five of Alexion’s genomic medicines programs.

Comphya SA raised CHF 7.5 million (US$ 8.4 million) in a series A round for its implantable neurostimulation therapy, Caverstim, which treats men with erectile dysfunction who do not respond to medication.

Plasmacure B.V. secured €6 million (US$7 million) in series A funding for its Plasoma cold plasma system to treat complex wounds. The round was led by Venture Medical LLC, a U.S.-based provider of solutions for wound care, which also committed to spend over $10 million to support regulatory approval, reimbursement and U.S. market expansion of the Plasoma technology.

Nuclidium AG is poised to circumvent the complex production and supply issues that have held back access to radiopharmaceuticals after closing a CHF79 million (US$99.3 million) series B, to advance the clinical development of its copper isotopes and extend the global manufacturing network.

The National Institutes of Health has opened another front in its cost cutting drive, saying it will cap the fees science journals charge for publishing papers authored by researchers it funds.