The on-again, off-again U.S. tariffs are off again, at least for now, for more than 75 countries that have reached out to the Trump administration to negotiate instead of retaliating. The 90-day pause will provide some breathing room for the med-tech industry. Pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients were among the few products exempted from the reciprocal tariffs, but that exemption for pharmaceuticals was expected to be short-lived. Meanwhile, pharma CEOs warned European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen April 8 that, unless the EU quickly changes its policy, pharmaceutical research, development and manufacturing is increasingly likely to be directed to the U.S.

In the wake of the pandemic, many leading med-tech companies took steps to on-shore and near-shore manufacturing, a move that could protect significant numbers of players from the worst of the effects of the tariffs announced by the Trump administration last week.

Med tech and diagnostic companies in Europe are considering strategies to navigate the U.S. market following President Trump’s introduction of reciprocal tariffs on imports. While some companies are more exposed than others, there’s no doubt that many will feel the pain.

ABL Bio Inc. announced April 7 that it sealed a potential £2.075 billion (US$2.65 billion) license deal with GSK plc, granting GSK global rights to use ABL’s blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetrating bispecific antibody platform, Grabody-B, to develop multiple programs in the neurodegenerative disease arena. Under the terms signed April 5, ABL agreed to transfer Grabody-B-related technology and know-how to GSK, upon which GSK will assume responsibility for preclinical and clinical development, manufacturing and commercialization.

Pulsed field ablation using Boston Scientific Corp.’s Farapulse system was non-inferior and even superior, slightly, to Medtronic plc’s Artic Front Advance cardiac cryoablation system in treating patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

ABL Bio Inc. announced April 7 that it sealed a potential £2.075 billion (US$2.65 billion) license deal with GSK plc, granting GSK global rights to use ABL’s blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetrating bispecific antibody platform, Grabody-B, to develop multiple programs in the neurodegenerative disease arena. Under the terms signed April 5, ABL agreed to transfer Grabody-B-related technology and know-how to GSK, upon which GSK will assume responsibility for preclinical and clinical development, manufacturing and commercialization.

French venture capital firm Karista led a series B extension financing round for Samantree Medical SA to take the total raised in the round to $20 million. The funds will be used to launch Samantree’s Histolog scanner in the U.S. market.

The Trump administration’s declaration of a new round of tariffs did not sit well with trade associations, but the impact of those tariffs may vary somewhat by company. Analysts said the lack of clarity regarding the impact of tariffs makes it difficult to predict the impact on the device and diagnostics industries, leaving investors and customers alike with a large overhang of uncertainty.

Calla Lily Clinical Care Ltd. secured £1 million (US$1.3 million) in funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research to begin clinical trials of Callavid, a drug delivery technology which treats women at risk of miscarriage.

The latest obesity contender, Antag Therapeutics A/S, has dosed the first participants in a phase I trial of a glucose-dependent insulinotrophic polypeptide (GIP) agonist it said will address key gaps in the current treatment options, not least the gastrointestinal side effects seen with GLP-1 agonists.