Drug makers and other companies who want access to China's genetic materials must work with a Chinese partner, according to new regulations announced by the country's State Council. The rules take effect July 1 and apply to DNA, blood samples and tissues.

The European Union has granted Active Implants a Horizon 2020 grant of approximately $6.8 million for use in developing a meniscus implant that can adapt to individual patients and can deliver drugs inside the knee cavity to prompt healing.

Fallout from the deaths of two female participants in stem cell research conducted by the University College London has resulted in the creation of a new research integrity committee to be put together by the UK Research and Innovation, the group that supervises research funding councils in the UK. An update on the new national watchdog is expected to be announced by the UKRI this summer.

Japanese firm Toray Industries has developed a screening test that uses an integrated circuit capable of detecting various cancers using only 50 microliters of blood with a 95% success rate. The company plans to apply for accelerated approval in Japan.

The FDA's Anesthetic and Analgesia Drug Products Advisory Committee and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee started a two-day meeting to seek input from patients and health care experts on the clinical value and potential risks of higher opioid doses. The agency will use the feedback to determine whether higher opioid doses should be restricted or pulled from the market.

The FDA has approved Merck's Keytruda for use in patients with metastatic or unresectable, recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma as a monotherapy when tumors express PD-L1 or in combination with platinum and fluorouracil in a first-line setting.

Drugmakers and drug associations are urging the FDA to modify its draft guidance on continuous manufacturing quality considerations. Among the reasons cited by the groups for the requested modifications is the fact that the ICH Q13 guideline on the subject from the International Council for Harmonization guideline has not been finalized.

The World Health Organization disclosed that the African country of Burundi has reported that as of May 25, 2019 the total case count for malaria infections has reached 3,207,552, including 1,273 deaths since the start of the year. The new data indicates a 53% increase in the number of reported cases and a 22% rise in deaths compared to 2018 statistics for the same period.

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