A recap of the latest news out of DC

It continues to be another very busy day on the politics front. Here's a roundup of the biggest developments to watch out for:

RFK Jr.'s confirmation hearings begin today. My D.C. colleagues will be writing a live blog to provide updates throughout the day. Follow along here. (Also ahead of the hearings, STAT got ahold of private emails from RFK Jr. showing him making false claims about Covid-19 shots.)
Earlier, we reported that the White House budget office ordered a freeze on federal financial assistance programs, a move that sparked concern about the fate of health care programs including Medicaid. The latest update: The budget office issued a new memo clarifying that Medicaid payments should not be affected by this freeze. However, states yesterday were reporting difficulties accessing Medicaid payment portals.
Another point of uncertainty when Trump's term began centered on what would happen to a pilot project to test new ways for state Medicaid programs to pay for expensive cell and gene therapies. This pilot is of particular relevance to the makers of sickle cell gene therapies —Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics, as well as Bluebird Bio. An official has confirmed to STAT that the project will continue.

exclusive

Curie.Bio raises $340 million for new fund

Curie.Bio, the biotech accelerator and investment firm started by Alexis Borisy and Zach Weinberg, has raised $340 million for a new seed fund, the founders told STAT exclusively.

The money will be invested in between 15 and 20 early-stage companies this year, and between 20 and 25 in 2026, the founders said. Curie.Bio will generally give out between $7 million and $12 million to the companies it accepts into the accelerator program, and guide the startup founders through preclinical experiments and company strategy.

Read more from STAT's Allison DeAngelis.

obesity

Hims runs Super Bowl ad in regulatory gray zone

Hims & Hers released a splashy Super Bowl ad yesterday that advertises its compounded obesity treatments. The ad also contrasts Hims with the rest of the weight loss industry and pharma companies, suggesting that the other businesses are extracting profits from Americans who are overweight and obese without really helping them.

Notably, unlike standard pharmaceutical ads, Hims' ad isn't doesn't include a litany of disclaimers about side effects. It’s a paradox of pharmaceutical marketing — though FDA-approved drugs have to meet detailed guidelines for direct-to-consumer advertising, companies that are promoting compounded versions are not subject to the same rules.

Experts are concerned that this type of marketing could confuse and mislead patients seeking out obesity care.

glp-1s

Ozempic approved for chronic kidney disease patients

Novo Nordisk's blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic was approved by the FDA for patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. The drug was specifically cleared to reduce the risk of kidney disease worsening, kidney failure, and death due to cardiovascular disease.

The approval comes after results of a large trial showed that Ozempic reduced the risk of major kidney events — including kidney failure, reduction in kidney function, or death from kidney or heart causes — by 24%.

It's the latest approval of GLP-1 drugs in indications beyond just treating diabetes and obesity. This class of treatments has also been studied for heart failure, sleep apnea, addiction, and Alzheimer's.

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