Amgen Inc.’s head of R&D James Bradner said his firm was “surprised” by the request from the U.S. FDA Jan. 16 to take Tavneos (avacopan) off the market – and the company said no. “We're in discussions with FDA, and we'll answer questions as we talk with them,” he added. Read More

Veradermics Inc. raised $256.3 million from an IPO on the New York Stock Exchange Feb. 4. The proceeds will fund three ongoing phase II/III clinical trials of VDPHL-01, its novel oral formulation of Rogaine (minoxidil) to treat pattern hair loss in men and women. Read More

The U.K.’s main research funding agency is looking to put more public money into proof of concept and pre-seed funding of putative university spinouts, to make them more investible and improve relations between academics and investors. The move by UK Research and Innovation, which in 2026 will allocate £9.22 billion (US$12.58 billion) of taxpayer money across all fields of research, is in response to a government edict that the agency prioritizes outputs over inputs. Read More

In a one-two-punch to pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), the U.S. FTC announced Feb. 4 what it’s calling a “landmark settlement” with the Cigna Group’s Express Scripts Inc. and its affiliates that will require fundamental changes to the company’s business practices. Read More

Despite reporting strong fourth-quarter (Q4) organic sales growth of $5.29 billion, up 12.7% year-on-year, Boston Scientific Corp. saw its shares plunge more than 17% in early trading. Investors appeared disappointed by weaker U.S. sales in the electrophysiology and Watchman businesses, two of the company’s growth engines, and concern over the 2026 organic growth guidance provided by management of 10% to 11%, down from the 15.8% seen in 2025. Read More

China’s State Council updated its Drug Administration Law, and the changes mark a substantive evolution in the country’s drug regulatory framework. Read More

Reauthorization of the rare pediatric disease priority review voucher (PRV) was included in the spending package signed into law Feb. 3 by U.S. President Donald Trump, removing at least one aspect of uncertainty facing rare disease companies, many of which have relied on the PRV’s transferrable option as a lucrative source of funding. Read More

Looking to fill a treatment gap, the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) is launching the first stage of a $100 million prize competition to support development of broad-spectrum, small-molecule antiviral therapies targeting viruses in the Togaviridae and Flaviviridae families. Read More

The U.S. FDA released the latest version of its premarket cybersecurity guidance regarding medical devices, replacing the 2025 edition and offering recommendations on implementing measures for preventing digital attacks or authorized access. Read More

Beginning Feb. 2, 2026, medical technology news and analysis will be integrated into BioWorld, where curated coverage will continue as part of BioWorld’s core reporting. Read More

New hires and promotions in the biopharma and med-tech industries, including: Aptevo, B. Braun, Bicycle, Bioivt, CDR-Life, Hemostemix, Immorta, Kupando, Kyverna, Leonabio, Metabolon, Pyxis, Rigel, Spruce, Valo, Zelluna. Read More

Biopharma and med-tech companies raising money in public or private financings, including: Adlai Nortye, Medx, Polaryx, Salspera, Sangamo, Sonovascular, Vaxcyte. Read More

Clinical updates for biopharma and med tech, including data readouts and publications: Alzheon, Avacta, Endospan, Inspira, NMD, Novo Nordisk, Olympus, Persica, Pfizer, Sagimet, Ultragenyx, Volta. Read More

Biopharma and med-tech happenings, including deals and partnerships, and other news in brief: Alto, Applied, Cycle, Eli Lilly, Hookipa, Illumina, Insilico, Menarini, Meiragtx, Neotrail, Newron, Owlet, Pacbio, Prophase, Setpoint, Stemline, WebAI, Zipbio, Zonsen. Read More

Regulatory snapshots for biopharma and med tech, including global submissions and approvals, and other regulatory decisions and designations: Abbvie, Acadia, Astrazeneca, Daiichi Sankyo, Medtronic, Promega, Quanterix, Relay, Revealdx, Zeiss. Read More