Regulatory

• NanoViricides has received regulatory approval to launch a Phase II clinical trial for NV-387 oral gummies, designed as a treatment for the Ebola virus. • The trial will take place in the Democratic Republic of Congo to combat the largest and most rapidly expanding Ebola outbreak on record. • The urgency for the treatment is heightened by the virus spreading into displacement camps housing over 4.4 million people, where poor sanitation and medical resources increase risk.

• Stock market volatility in South Korea is easing as leveraged trades unwind following the implementation of regulatory curbs. • Morgan Stanley estimates that the deleveraging process is now more than half complete, though volatility remains elevated. • Investors are currently balancing historically cheap valuations and a strong earnings outlook against the risk of further sharp price swings.

• Commerzbank CEO Manfred Orlopp is meeting with UniCredit CEO Andrea Orcel to discuss a potential takeover of the German lender. • The European Central Bank (ECB) has formally begun a regulatory review of UniCredit's request to increase its stake in Commerzbank beyond 30%. • This move is critical as Orcel has targeted the fourth quarter of 2026 to complete the acquisition, while the German government considers blocking a minority stake.

Move comes as prediction platforms rapidly gain popularity and offer opportunities to bet on virtually anythingKalshi is expanding its wagers to include bets on drug trial results, an expansion into new predictions territory as platforms continue to rapidly gain popularity and offer opportunities to bet on virtually anything.The betting platform said the expansion into clinical trials and FDA regulatory decisions would help surface information on drug trials that otherwise go unreported. A publicly listed contract on a drug trial would produce a “continuously updated, public probability that reflects the weight of the evidence, rather than the preferred message of the trial sponsor”, the company said. Continue reading...

• On April 1, 2026, the FDA approved Foundayo (orforglipron) for adults struggling with obesity or overweight conditions associated with medical problems. • Developed by Eli Lilly and Co, Foundayo is the first non-peptide oral GLP-1 receptor agonist approved by the FDA for this indication. • The regulatory decision was based on positive clinical data derived from the ATTAIN trial program.

• The Trump administration has released its 2026 regulatory agenda, which includes several key initiatives focused on the pharmaceutical industry. • Acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantas emphasized a renewed focus on the agency's core mission, specifically regarding medications, diagnostics, treatments, and medical devices. • This agenda signals a strategic shift in how the FDA approaches disease treatment and regulatory oversight for industry stakeholders and patient advocates.

• The FDA has issued reminders to over 2,200 medical product companies and researchers to comply with clinical trial results submission requirements. • Data shows that 29.6% of required trial results are currently missing from ClinicalTrials.gov, with negative outcomes frequently going unreported. • This lack of transparency creates a publication bias that distorts the reality of drug development by overrepresenting successes and hiding failures.

• Global press freedom faced multiple threats this week, highlighted by a security force raid on the Nation Media Group in Uganda intended to intimidate news operations. • Significant court rulings in the United States, United Kingdom, and Kenya further illustrated the judiciary's evolving role in balancing press accountability with freedom of expression. • Ongoing debates regarding casualty reporting in the Israel-Gaza war emphasized the critical need for transparency and accuracy when documenting journalists killed in conflict.

• European Union regulators are launching a massive crackdown on multibillion-dollar prediction markets, focusing on whether these platforms function as derivatives regardless of their commercial labeling. • The regulatory scrutiny targets high-growth platforms like Kalshi, which reached a valuation of $22 billion in its most recent funding round. • Market dynamics are shifting as Jump Trading has begun taking small stakes in both Kalshi and Polymarket to provide essential liquidity.

• EU startup founders are reporting significant "regulatory friction," claiming that high compliance costs are forcing some entrepreneurs to consider relocating their businesses outside the bloc. • Key frustrations include the rejection of a "report once" proposal for cybersecurity incidents, which would have replaced seven overlapping frameworks, and the removal of "legitimate interest" as a legal basis for AI training. • While some deadlines have been postponed, developers warn that essential guidance, standards, and codes are still missing, leaving them with insufficient time for implementation.

• The Supreme Court issued a ruling on Monday that strikes down most existing limits on presidential control over independent federal regulatory agencies. • This decision significantly expands presidential power by dismantling protections previously established by Congress and the courts to ensure agency independence. • Legal experts, including Harvard professor Daniel Tarullo, describe the move as an aggressive application of the "unitary executive theory," granting the president unprecedented authority over the economy and American life.

• The FDA has accepted Roche's application to use the combination of Lunsumio and Polivy for patient treatment. • This regulatory milestone is part of Roche's effort to expand the indications and clinical utility of these existing in-market products. • The development matters as it potentially provides a new therapeutic option for patients requiring this specific drug combination.

• Cybersecurity has shifted from a technical back-office function to a critical boardroom and public safety priority in 2026. • Financial institutions and regulated enterprises are now required to implement defensible controls for exchanging sensitive data with third-party partners, including law firms and auditors. • This shift is driven by the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), which is transforming vendor communication from a matter of convenience into a strict regulatory requirement.

• The National Stock Exchange (NSE) has identified regulatory, technological, and AI-related risks, alongside derivatives concentration, in its IPO draft prospectus. • The exchange disclosed a history of technical failures, including a February 2021 event that halted all trading segments for over five hours due to critical system glitches. • Cybersecurity threats were highlighted, specifically a massive DDoS attack in May 2025 that saw nearly 395 million hits within an 11-minute window.

• Apple has failed to launch its new Siri AI tool within the European Union after failing to comply with regional interoperability regulations. • The European Commission confirmed that the company's inability to meet these specific regulatory standards blocked the tool's release. • This development highlights the ongoing tension between Big Tech and EU regulators over fair competition and open digital ecosystems.

• Regulatory bodies are increasingly integrating real-world evidence (RWE) into the drug approval process to supplement traditional randomized clinical trials. • This shift utilizes real-world data (RWD) sourced from electronic health records, administrative claims databases, disease registries, and digital health tools. • The adoption of RWE allows for a more comprehensive understanding of patient health and healthcare delivery, potentially accelerating decision-making for pharmaceutical companies.

• Grab's Q1 2026 earnings surged 466.7% to US$136 million from US$24 million in Q1 2025, reinforcing analyst confidence in the ride-hailing and delivery platform. • Analysts view Grab as the clear regional leader in Southeast Asia despite facing ongoing regulatory challenges across multiple markets. • The company's strong profit growth demonstrates the sustainability of its business model even amid tightening regulatory scrutiny in the region.

• Brookings Institution updated its regulatory tracker on March 31, 2026, monitoring new, delayed, repealed rules, guidance, policy revocations, and executive actions in the second Trump term. • Rules tracked are current as of March 30, 2026, providing a curated view of deregulatory efforts across agencies. • The tracker highlights significant shifts in federal oversight, influencing policy implementation and compliance.

• The Trump administration released a legislative framework for artificial intelligence regulation, directing Congress to adopt minimal regulatory oversight of AI development and deployment. • The framework emphasizes preemption of state laws and limits on platform liability, positioning federal rules to override existing state AI regulations currently being developed across the country. • Policy experts argue the framework would shift control over AI safety obligations away from states and companies, affecting how startups build products and how Big Tech ships new features.

Researchers from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) and global collaborators identified over 2.3 million conserved non-coding sequences (CNSs) across 314 plant genomes from 284 species, using a new computational tool called Conservatory. These ancient 'DNA switches' originated before flowering plants diverged from non-flowering ancestors more than 400 million years ago, with some confirmed essential for developmental functions through genetic editing. The discovery provides a comprehensive atlas for plant biology, aiding crop breeders in addressing drought and food shortages by fine-tuning traits. CSHL's Zachary Lippman described it as 'a new window into the evolution of life across eons.'

Researchers from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), Hebrew University, and Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University published a study in Science identifying over 2.3 million conserved non-coding sequences (CNSs) across 314 plant genomes from 284 species, some originating more than 400 million years ago before flowering plants diverged from non-flowering ancestors. The team developed a new computational tool called Conservatory to locate these ancient DNA 'switches' essential for plant development, with co-first author Anat Hendelman confirming their function through genetic editing. This comprehensive atlas includes dozens of crop species and wild ancestors, offering plant biologists and breeders tools to address drought and food shortages by fine-tuning traits. CSHL's Zachary Lippman described it as 'a new window into the evolution of life across eons.'