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Tuesday, December 2, 2025

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals gets FDA Breakthrough

 The Food and Drug Administration granted breakthrough therapy designation to Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals' plozasiran drug to treat severe hypertriglyceridemia.

The designation expedites the development and review of drugs for which preliminary evidence indicates substantial improvement over available therapies to treat serious conditions.

Arrowhead intends to complete phase three clinical trials of the drug in the middle of next year and submit a supplemental new drug application by the end of 2026.

https://www.morningstar.com/news/dow-jones/202512023167/arrowhead-gets-fda-breakthrough-therapy-designation-for-severe-hypertriglyceridemia-drug

Bitcoin, tech stocks rebound, a day after selloff

 Shares in Europe moved higher Tuesday, paring losses from a previous session marked by a cryptocurrency selloff and the broader souring of risk appetite.

Bitcoin was stabilizing after Monday's rout but gains were tentative and sentiment remained bearish .

Investors are awaiting eurozone inflation and unemployment data due out this morning. Also on slate is the OECD's latest global economic outlook.

Meanwhile, White House special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected at peace talks over the Ukraine war in Moscow.

Stocks to Watch

Bayer jumped after the White House backed a bid for a Supreme Court review in its Roundup weed-killer case.

https://www.morningstar.com/news/dow-jones/202512021417/european-midday-briefing-shares-rebound-as-bitcoin-recovers-slightly

Chair of vaccine advisory panel replaced

 The chair of a federal vaccine advisory committee, himself a well-known vaccine critic, will be moving to an official role within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the agency announced Monday.

HHS announced Martin Kulldorff was appointed to be chief science officer for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE).

Kulldorff, a Swedish biostatistician, served as chair of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this year after HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired and remade the entire committee with many known vaccine skeptics and critics.

Kulldorff formerly taught at Harvard University’s medical school until he was fired in 2024 for what he claimed was his refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. He was also an author of the “Great Barrington Declaration,” which called for promoting herd immunity early on in the COVID-19 pandemic by allowing the virus to spread unmitigated.

“Martin Kulldorff transformed ACIP from a rubber stamp into a committee that delivers gold-standard science for the American people,” Kennedy said in a statement. “I’m glad to welcome him to my team to help develop bold, evidence-based policies to Make America Healthy Again.”

Kulldorff said he was honored “to join the team of distinguished scientists” at HHS. “I look forward to contributing to the science-based public health policies that will Make America Healthy Again.”

Pediatric cardiologist and former U.S. Air Force flight surgeon Kirk Milhoan will replace Kulldorff as chair of the ACIP. Milhoan is also an ardent vaccine critic and previously argued that vaccines were ineffective, arguing only natural immunity could end the COVID-19 pandemic.

He is a senior fellow at the Independent Medical Alliance, an organization that has spoken out against mRNA vaccines and has instead promoted the use of drugs like ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19.

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5628322-martin-kulldorff-kennedy-hhs-appointment/

Morgan Stanley Downgrades 10x Genomics to Equalweight From Overweight

  Lifts Price Target to $20 From $17

https://www.marketscreener.com/news/morgan-stanley-downgrades-10x-genomics-to-equalweight-from-overweight-lifts-price-target-to-20-fro-ce7d51d9db8afe22

Why Janux Therapeutics Stock (JANX) Crashing

 Janux Therapeutics JANX -48.96% ▼ stock plunged 40% in Tuesday’s pre-market trading after the clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company announced “positive” interim results from its JANX007 Phase 1 clinical program in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). While the company stated that the efficacy and safety profile were “encouraging,” investors appeared unimpressed. Following the update, several analysts lowered their price targets for JANX stock.

https://www.tipranks.com/news/why-is-janux-therapeutics-stock-janx-crashing-today

Sonnet BioTherapeutics Approves Merger with Hyperliquid and Rorschach

 On December 2, 2025, Sonnet BioTherapeutics Holdings announced that its stockholders approved a proposed business combination with Hyperliquid Strategies Inc and Rorschach I LLC. This strategic move is expected to enhance Sonnet’s market positioning by potentially expanding its capabilities and offerings in the biotechnology sector.

https://www.tipranks.com/news/company-announcements/sonnet-biotherapeutics-approves-merger-with-hyperliquid-and-rorschach

PACS Group secures credit agreement amendment, acquires Nevada facility

 PACS Group, Inc. (NYSE: PACS) (“PACS” or the “Company”), which together with its subsidiaries is one of the largest post-acute healthcare companies in the United States, announced several business updates that build on the Company’s momentum and strong year-to-date operational and financial performance.

“The amendment and waiver to our credit agreement and the latest addition to our growing portfolio demonstrate how our team continues to execute on our strategy and position our business for continued growth,” said Jason Murray, PACS’s Chief Executive Officer. “It’s an exciting time at PACS. We have addressed recent challenges, put them squarely behind us and we are entirely focused on the future. We are confident in our ability to build on the momentum underway, continue to deliver high-quality care to patients and drive value creation for PACS shareholders.”

Amendment and Waiver to Existing Credit Agreement

On November 26, 2025, PACS entered into an amendment (the “Sixth Amendment”) to the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of December 7, 2023. The Sixth Amendment, among other things, waived all defaults and events of default in the previously disclosed forbearance agreement, dated October 21, 2025. In addition, the Sixth Amendment provides that the financial covenant requiring the Company to maintain unrestricted cash and certain permitted investments of at least $100 million will only apply prior to the date on which the Company reports financial statements and a related compliance certificate for the quarter ending June 30, 2026. On November 26, 2025, PACS also entered into a corresponding waiver of all events of default previously identified under the Third Consolidated Master Lease, dated June 30, 2023.

PACS expects to continue to use its Amended and Restated Credit Facility to fund the potential acquisition of additional property and operations, for capital improvements of existing facilities, as well as for working capital and general corporate purposes. As of December 1, 2025 the Company has $100 million drawn and approximately $500 million of available liquidity under its $600 million credit facility.

Acquisition of 160-Bed Skilled Nursing Facility

An independent operating subsidiary of PACS has acquired the operations of a 160-bed skilled nursing facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. A subsidiary of the Company also acquired the facility’s real estate. With this acquisition, PACS’s portfolio now comprises 321 healthcare operations across 17 states.

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251201432180/en/PACS-Group-Announces-Business-Updates