STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about a reticent FDA commish nominee, a Novo deal, and more — SkimNews
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- Heidi Overton, President Trump's nominee to lead the FDA, was grilled by senators on China, vaccines, and abortion access at her confirmation hearing before the committee that will decide whether to advance her nomination to a full Senate vote.
- Overton referred repeatedly to existing agency guidance and approvals — including for childhood vaccines and the abortion drug mifepristone — without revealing whether she would update those guidances or alter approvals to satisfy Trump or Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
- Novo Nordisk agreed to pay up to $1.3 billion to license and develop Nanexa's PharmaShell drug-delivery technology, which uses an ultra-thin coating on individual drug particles to enable controlled, sustained release of active pharmaceutical ingredients.
- The exclusive Novo–Nanexa deal spans up to five development programs targeting monthly and quarterly administration frequencies for Novo's obesity and diabetes drugs.
Why it matters: Overton's refusal to stake out positions leaves the Senate and industry uncertain on the future of mifepristone and childhood vaccine approvals under a Trump–RFK FDA, while Novo's $1.3 billion licensing bet shows the Danish drugmaker's push toward less-frequent dosing as its next competitive edge in obesity and diabetes care.
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