Good morning, everyone, the middle of the week has arrived and this calls for a celebratory cup or two of stimulation. How so? Well, you made it this far, which can be an accomplishment, after all. Moreover, there is always good reason to forge ahead, given that there is so much more to do and the effort just might pay off. With this in mind, we have fired up the trusty tea kettle. Our choice today is chocolate babka. Please feel free to join us. Meanwhile, here are a few items of interest for you to peruse. We hope you have a smashing day and conquer the world. And of course, do keep in touch. …
This is a good time to be a pharmaceutical executive, according to STAT. After months of fear, anxiety, and frantic negotiation, the men and women who run the world’s largest drugmakers are striding into 2026 newly unencumbered as they descend on San Francisco next week for the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference. President Trump, who began his second term with sharp words and escalating demands for the industry to lower its prices, has become a vocal supporter. And thanks to a series of White House photo-ops, presidential handshakes, and agreements with drugmakers, the risk of destabilizing tariffs and painful pricing policies appears to be off the table, giving Big Pharma its warmest investor reception since the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Eli Lilly is in advanced talks to acquire Ventyx Biosciences for more than $1 billion, The Wall Street Journal reports. Ventyx specializes in one of the hottest spaces in drug development, developing pills to treat diseases like Crohn’s and rheumatoid arthritis. The pills have also shown promise treating neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson’s, as well as heart-related conditions. One of Ventyx’s drug candidates is currently in mid-stage testing for the treatment of cardiovascular disease associated with obesity. A deal for Ventyx would help Lilly compete in the promising space. If Ventyx’s experimental pills pan out, they would add to Lilly’s portfolio of autoimmune conditions, as well as of obesity and related disorders.Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…