Good day from STAT’s London bureau, where Andrew Joseph is filling in for Mr. Pharmalot. After the U.S. World Cup match, there’s not much to say—just a few extra cups of coffee to get through the time‑zone swing. Meanwhile, colleague Bob Herman has launched a new series exploring how soaring health‑care plan costs are crushing workers and businesses; his insights are well worth your time.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals will spend $10 billion to acquire Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, adding Crinetics’s drug Palsonify—a treatment for the rare endocrine disorder acromegaly—to Vertex’s portfolio. The deal also brings other late‑stage candidates, including a therapy for congenital adrenal hyperplasia, positioning Vertex to build a next‑generation pipeline beyond its established cystic fibrosis offerings. This acquisition marks the largest in Vertex’s history and underscores the company’s strategic push into rare‑disease therapies.
