Deal Watch: Asahi Kasei Looks To Alchemedicine For HiSAP Compounds
Plus deals involving Bayer/Essential Pharma, Lupin/Spektus, Gilead/Genhouse, THX/Biocodex, GSK/Wave Life Sciences, Ipsen/Origami, Moderna/Recordati and more.
Scrip - February 20, 2026

FDA Updates Cosmetics Direct As MoCRA Facility Registration Renewal Deadlines Hit
The US FDA has updated its Cosmetics Direct electronic submission portal, just as MoCRA stakeholders revisit the portal to renew facility registrations.
HBW Insight - February 20, 2026

Esperto Medical Bets On Physics, Not ML For Accurate, Cuffless Blood Pressure Monitoring
California-based startup Esperto Medical hopes its ultrasound-based acoustic approach to measuring arterial shape and resonant frequencies will provide truly accurate, cuffless blood pressure monitoring.
Medtech Insight - February 20, 2026

US FDA Approves AbbVie/Roche’s Venclexta Plus AstraZeneca’s Calquence For CLL
The companies touted the anti-BCL-2/BTK combination as the first oral-only, fixed-duration regimen for CLL, but Lilly’s BTK inhibitor Jaypirca presents potential competition.
Scrip - February 20, 2026

PTC’s Sephience Launch Appears Off To A Strong Start
PTC sees the PKU drug approved in July as its near-term growth driver, with geographic expansion expected. It is working with the FDA to refile vatiquinone for Friedreich’s ataxia.
Scrip - February 20, 2026

Viridian Preparing To Launch Its First Drug And A Fast Follower In TED
While Viridian awaits a US FDA approval decision for veligrotug in thyroid eye disease by June 30, the company will report the first Phase III data for a subcutaneous version, among other 2026 pipeline updates.
Scrip - February 20, 2026

Supreme Court Rebuke Of Trump Tariffs A Win For Medtech
The US Supreme Court struck a blow to the Trump administration’s efforts to impose sweeping tariffs, ruling the president exceeded his authority. Limiting tariffs has been a priority for the medtech industry.
Medtech Insight - February 20, 2026

Zealand CEO Calls For End To ‘Weight-Loss Olympics’
Adam Steensberg also said that injectables are here to stay in the obesity market even with the arrival of oral Wegovy.
Scrip - February 20, 2026

Nestlé Health Science Shake-Up Will See Brands Sold
Nestlé plans to divest mainstream and value vitamin brands as it ceases to operate Health Science as a globally managed business unit.
HBW Insight - February 20, 2026

AI Still Makes Up Less Than 10% Of Most R&D Budgets, Finds Jefferies Survey
A survey of biopharma firms by Jefferies provides a glimpse into how AI is impacting research and development budgets, and exactly where the tech is being deployed.
Scrip - February 20, 2026

GDUFA IV: More ANDA Postmarket Commitments Coming?
The idea proposed by industry could be an attempt to increase first-cycle approvals and reduce overall review times, but the FDA has questions.
Generics Bulletin - February 20, 2026

How Low Can You Go? MedImpact Offers Adalimumab At 95% Discount To Humira In US
MedImpact is seeking to shake up the US adalimumab market by launching an unbranded biosimilar from Teva at a 95% discount to Humira. Arpit Patel, the firm’s senior vice president for trade relations and supply chain, talks to Generics Bulletin about the firm’s strategy.
Generics Bulletin - February 20, 2026

Altesa Raises $75m As Sanofi Joins Push Against Rhinovirus-Driven COPD Flares
With Phase IIb initiation planned in the second quarter, Altesa is advancing an antiviral candidate in COPD that aims to address viral triggers rather than underlying inflammation alone.
Scrip - February 20, 2026

Sandoz Mulls Appeal As US Court Dismisses Amgen Enbrel Antitrust Complaint
Sandoz has told Generics Bulletin that it is mulling further options, including an appeal, after a US court dismissed its antitrust complaint against Amgen over Enbrel. Currently, Sandoz’s Erelzi etanercept biosimilar – approved almost a decade ago – is blocked from launch for a further three years.
Generics Bulletin - February 20, 2026

Kymriah To Country Music: Prof. Bruce Levine’s Unwavering CAR-T Focus
Pioneering immunologist, Prof. Bruce Levine from UPenn, wears his passion for CAR-T cell therapy on his sleeve as he highlights future uses of the therapy, predictive markers and off-the-shelf CAR-T while speaking about a journey from Kymriah co-inventor to country music co-writer
Scrip - February 20, 2026

Novartis Signs Out Of Listed India Arm, ChrysCapital Taking Charge
Novartis divests listed India entity but maintains country commitment intact, portfolio expansions underway.
Scrip - February 20, 2026

Japan Recommends Global-First Conditional Approvals Of Two iPSC Therapies
Japan has granted the first positive approval recommendations worldwide for two allogenic cell therapies derived from induced pluripotent stem cells, Sumitomo’s raguneprocel for Parkinson’s and Cuorips’ cardiomyocyte patches for heart failure.
Scrip - February 20, 2026

US FDA’s Push For Greater Transparency: What About Advisory Committees?
Posting action packages for rejected products, not just the complete response letters, is a provocative idea, but also a reminder of what the FDA has lost by not holding many advisory committees during the Trump Administration.
HBW Insight - February 20, 2026