“The nation’s scientific enterprise is being decimated.” That statement in an open letter “to the American people” signed by 1,800 members of the U.S. National Academies, is made concrete in a list of 709 NIH grants – and counting – that have been axed since President Donald Trump was inaugurated on Jan. 20. A grant tracker, based on information published by the Department of Health and Human Sciences, and self-reported terminations from scientists, includes 88 vaccine-related projects, 45 cancer research grants and 231 awards made for HIV research. Grants cut include funding for centers that curate, analyze and disseminate data from multiple research groups, designated centers of excellence in clinical research, and institutions that store infectious pathogen samples.

Kennedy called to Senate HELP hearing on HHS reorg

U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., yesterday invited Robert Kennedy to testify next week before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee for the first time in his capacity as Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary. The invitation went out amid an outcry as thousands of employees across HHS agencies were being notified that their service was no longer needed. The purpose of the hearing, should Kennedy accept the invite, is to discuss his proposed reorganization of the department, which is being downsized almost 25%.

Edgewise down on atrial fibrillation, cardiomyopathy data positive

Top-line data in Edgewise Therapeutics Inc.’s four-week phase II Cirrus-HCM study in obstructive or non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy produced more positive data for the multipart clinical trial. Results showed EDG-7500, which targets a genetic disease that leads to thickened heart muscles, produced rapid and clinically meaningful drops in left ventricular outflow tract gradients. The most frequently reported adverse events were dizziness, upper respiratory tract infection and atrial fibrillation (AF). Most were considered mild to moderate in severity, according to Edgewise, adding that two patients had serious adverse events of AF that needed cardioversion. At midday, Edgewise’s stock (NASDAQ:EWTX) had sunk 25%, with shares at $14.97 each.

Waiting for the details on extent of US tariffs

After several on-again, off-again tariff threats, U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled later today to announce what is expected to be country-by-country tariffs in an effort to address U.S. trade deficits caused by market barriers in other countries. While the details aren’t known yet, many countries already are preparing retaliatory responses. Whether, or how much, those tariffs and retaliation efforts will extend to products such as biopharmaceuticals and medical devices remains an unknown for now.

Greenwich offers new data from phase III with breast cancer vaccine

Greenwich Lifesciences Inc. offered an update on the phase III Flamingo-01 trial, providing open-label immune response data for GLSI-100, an immunotherapy to prevent breast cancer. The Stafford, Texas-based firm said immune response findings in the HLA-A02 treated and placebo arms and the third open-label arm with all other HLA types show that GLSI-100 is creating an immune response over time as the frequency of patients exhibiting an injection site reaction or GP2 delayed-type hypersensitivity skin test reaction, as measured by induration or erythema, is increasing with more vaccinations. The company’s stock (NASDAQ:GLSI) was trading at $9.51, down 25 cents.

ADPD 2025: Unlocking GLP-1's potential in neurodegeneration

At the recently launched Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s Diseases Conference held in Vienna, Lotte Bjerre Knudsen from Novo Nordisk A/S, who has extensive experience in glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) research, delivered a plenary lecture focused on the role of GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as semaglutide, in attenuating neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Knudsen is the co-inventor of liraglutide and was awarded the Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award last year for the discovery and development of GLP-1-based drugs and their dramatic contribution to the field of obesity treatment. There is considerable hope that a group of drugs developed for some of modern society's major health issues, such as diabetes and obesity, may also prove effective in addressing another growing concern: the rising incidence of Alzheimer's disease associated with global aging.

BioWorld Insider Podcast: As biopharma investments stumble, med tech surges

The biopharma sector is still trying to get its wind and resume its once-powerful investment ways. Medical technology has sidestepped much of biopharma’s issues by being more flexible along the development path, according to BioWorld MedTech Editor Annette Boyle in this edition of the podcast. This year’s med-tech investment numbers have improved over those from last year and the year before by bringing in $2.76 billion by financing 56 transactions in January alone. Boyle described the current financing climate on the newest BioWorld Insider podcast and explained why the sector is performing well year to date.

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