California Jury Awards $40 Million in Johnson & Johnson Talc Cancer Lawsuit 
Merck Raises Growth Outlook, Targets $70 Billion Revenue From New Drugs by Mid-2030s 
Trump Lifts 25% Tariff on Indian Goods in Strategic U.S.–India Trade and Energy Deal 
South Korea Assures U.S. on Trade Deal Commitments Amid Tariff Concerns 
Iran–U.S. Nuclear Talks in Oman Face Major Hurdles Amid Rising Regional Tensions 
Sanofi Reports Positive Late-Stage Results for Amlitelimab in Eczema Treatment 
Weight-Loss Drug Ads Take Over the Super Bowl as Pharma Embraces Direct-to-Consumer Marketing 
Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk Battle for India’s Fast-Growing Obesity Drug Market 
FDA Approves Mitapivat for Anemia in Thalassemia Patients 
Viking Therapeutics Sees Growing Strategic Interest in $150 Billion Weight-Loss Drug Market 
U.S. Lawmakers to Review Unredacted Jeffrey Epstein DOJ Files Starting Monday 
Trump Backs Nexstar–Tegna Merger Amid Shifting U.S. Media Landscape 
Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly Cut Obesity Drug Prices in China, Boosting Access to Wegovy and Mounjaro 
Royalty Pharma Stock Rises After Acquiring Full Evrysdi Royalty Rights from PTC Therapeutics 
U.S. Vaccine Policy Shifts Under RFK Jr. Create Uncertainty for Pharma and Investors 
Federal Appeals Court Blocks Trump-Era Hospital Drug Rebate Plan 
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reignited vaccine controversy this week by repeating debunked claims about the MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccine during a growing measles outbreak, one of the worst in 25 years. Kennedy alleged that the vaccine contains cells from aborted fetuses and questioned the efficacy of the mumps component, sparking backlash from medical experts.
The outbreak, centered in a Mennonite community in Texas, has spread to Oklahoma, Kansas, and New Mexico, infecting hundreds and killing two children. Scientists warn the U.S. may lose its measles elimination status, achieved in 2000, if vaccination rates continue to decline.
Kennedy, long known for promoting vaccine skepticism, claimed in a News Nation interview that religious groups avoid the MMR vaccine due to "aborted fetus debris." However, experts clarified that while the rubella component is produced using a fetal cell line from a 1960s abortion, no actual fetal cells are present in the final vaccine. These lab-grown cells have been replicated for decades and are filtered out during production, leaving only a purified, weakened virus.
According to Dr. Miriam Laufer from the University of Maryland and Dr. Paulo Verardi from the University of Connecticut, any DNA remnants in the final vaccine are negligible—measured in billionths of a gram.
Kennedy also said the mumps portion of the vaccine “doesn’t work” and lacked proper safety testing. However, the CDC reports that two doses of MMR provide about 86% protection against mumps. While immunity may wane over time, vaccinated individuals typically experience milder symptoms if infected.
The Department of Health and Human Services declined to comment on Kennedy’s statements, which many experts say undermine public trust in proven vaccine science.
