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A jury handed down a $2.25 billion verdict, including $2 billion in punitive damages, against agrochemical giant Monsanto, according to the lawyers of a man who said he developed cancer from using the company’s weed killer, Roundup. John McKivison, 49, filed a lawsuit in Philadelphia against the company after he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which he said was due to using Roundup on his property for 20 years. (Vinall, 1/27)

Dutch health technology company Philips will not sell new devices to treat sleep apnea in the U.S. in the coming years as it works to comply with a settlement with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Monday. The agreement followed the recall of millions of breathing devices and ventilators used to treat sleep apnea in 2021 because of concerns that foam used to reduce noise from the devices could degrade and become toxic, carrying potential cancer risks. (Meijer, 1/29)

The U.S. health regulator has approved the use of Regeneron and Sanofi's Dupixent to treat an allergic inflammation of the esophagus in children aged one to 11 years old and weighing at least 15 kg, the companies said on Thursday. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2022 approved the blockbuster anti-inflammatory drug for treating eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) in patients aged 12 years and older, making it the first for the immune condition in the country. (Leo and Singh, 1/26)

Rice University announced Wednesday that a neurotechnology company formed through its new startup accelerator raised $18.75 million to continue to develop a brain implant designed to treat mental health conditions. The funding is a significant milestone for Motif Neurotech, which was founded by Rice faculty members and Houston physicians. The company will use the money to bring its device to a feasibility study that will focus on patients with treatment-resistant depression, said Jacob Robinson, the company’s founder and CEO. (Macdonald, 1/26)

Just as a new wave of approved drugs for Alzheimer’s disease reaches patients, medical device company Cognito Therapeutics has raised a fresh $35 million to advance its alternative treatment for the neurodegenerative disease. (Aguilar, 1/29)

Disposable vapes are to be banned in the UK in an effort to protect children’s health amid a surge in use among the young. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will unveil the legislation during a school visit on Monday. The new powers will also ban flavors that are marketed at children and force manufacturers to use plainer packaging. (Aldrick, 1/28)

Florida is failing its citizens in reducing the harms of tobacco products, according to the American Lung Association's 22nd annual State of Tobacco report. Overall, it’s Black Floridians who ultimately are among the most hurt by the use of flavored products, the association found. Research shows that 81% of Black Americans smoke menthol cigarettes. On average, 45,000 Black Americans die each year due to tobacco-related illnesses. (Pedersen, 1/26)