The prospect of U.S. tariffs on pharmaceuticals became more than just speculation this week, with President Donald Trump saying those tariffs likely would begin at 25% and climb over the year. His comments came in response to a question at a Feb. 18 news conference that followed the signing of two unrelated executive orders. Asked about the planned rate for tariffs on semiconductors and pharmaceuticals, Trump responded that it would be 25% and higher and it would “go very substantially higher over [the] course of a year.”

Research seems to be gaining ground in Wilson disease, a rare inherited condition that causes copper levels to accumulate in the liver, brain and eyes. Most people are diagnosed as children or around middle age, but the age spectrum can be wide. Monopar Therapeutics Inc. has drawn Wall Street’s attention in the space.

China’s National Health Commission is designating a three-year period from 2025 to 2027 as the “years of pediatric and mental health services,” in line with a new pledge to achieve eight initiatives in the health care sector aimed at servicing underserved populations.

The BioWorld Drug Developers Index extended its decline through year-end, closing 2024 down 15.25%. After dropping 11.3% by October, the index briefly rebounded, narrowing losses to 5.36% in November, before slipping again.

The phase IIb study results of Supernus Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s SPN-820 in treatment-resistant depression had pulled the company’s stock (NASDAQ:SUPN) down 15.6% on Feb. 19. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of adults failed to show a statistically significant improvement on the primary endpoint of change from baseline on the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression rating scale. Shares closed at $33.52 apiece on Feb. 19.