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Medical device company Philips reached a settlement Monday to shell out $1.1 billion to cover hundreds of personal injury lawsuits linked to its respiration and sleep apnea machines. The manufacturer has recalled more than 15 million breathing devices since 2021, primarily due to health hazards caused by the breakdown of foam materials that users could inhale, according to the Food and Drug Administration. (Walrath-Holdridge, 4/29)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted full approval for Pfizer's drug for treating cervical cancer patients whose disease had progressed on or after chemotherapy, the agency said on Monday. The treatment, Tivdak - an antibody-drug conjugate co-developed by Genmab A/S and Seagen - received the FDA's accelerated approval for the same indication in 2021. (4/29)

Ono Pharmaceutical of Japan said Monday it will acquire Deciphera Pharmaceuticals, a Boston-based maker of cancer drugs, for $2.4 billion. Deciphera markets a drug called Qinlock for patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors, or GIST, a type of cancer that begins in the digestive system. Sales last year were $160 million. The company is developing a second drug to treat tenosynovial giant cell tumor, with regulatory filings in the U.S. and Europe expected this year. (Feuerstein, 4/29)

Vitamin D could be a surprise weapon against cancer, new research suggests. A study of mice published in the journal Science last week found that eating a diet rich in vitamin D changed the gut microbiome in a way that boosted cancer immunity. The micronutrient increased levels of the bacterium Bacteroides fragilis, which has been shown to improve cancer immune response. (Rudy, 4/29)

President Joe Biden is scrambling to fund his cancer moonshot and its ambitious goal of cutting the death rate by half — an aim close to his heart that’s no longer a bipartisan priority. Lawmakers backed the initiative during the final days of Barack Obama’s presidency, passing the 21st Century Cures Act, and allotting $1.8 billion to the cause, nearly unanimously. Then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) called it “the most significant legislation passed by this Congress.” (Schumaker, 4/29)