Today, a brief rundown of news involving Gilead Sciences and Stoke Therapeutics, as well as updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, AstraZeneca and Trogenix that you may have missed.

Gilead Sciences has entered into an agreement to settle patent litigation with a few drugmakers looking to sell generic versions of the world's highest-earning HIV medication. Per terms of the settlement, generic Biktarvy isn't expected to enter the U.S. market before April 1, 2036. A once-daily tablet that combines three key antivirals, Biktarvy first received Food and Drug Administration approval in 2018. It has since become Gilead's biggest product, accounting for almost half of the $13.7 billion in sales the biotechnology company recorded during the first half of this year. Gilead shares were up nearly 4%, to $117 apiece, at one point Monday, though they came back down to trade flat by mid-afternoon. — Jacob Bell

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday updated its immunization schedules to recommend splitting childrens’ measles and varicella shots and promoting “individual-based decision making” for COVID vaccines. The former decision comes after the panel, known as ACIP and reformed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., voted to separate MMR and chickenpox shots to lower seizure risk, despite concerns doing so might reduce how many children are vaccinated. The latter was based on a softer ACIP recommendation than the universal endorsement previously given to COVID shots. — Delilah Alvarado

Ian Smith, formerly the head of finance and operations at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, has, since March, been serving as the interim CEO for a Massachusetts-based genetic medicines developer named Stoke Therapeutics. On Monday, Stoke announced that interim title is no more, and Smith will stay on as chief executive. He succeeds Edward Kaye, who departed Stoke not long after the company sold some rights to its most advanced experimental drug. That drug, "zorevunersen," is in late-stage testing as a potential treatment for a rare, severe type of epilepsy. Arthur Tzianabos, chairman of Stoke's board, said in a statement that Smith demonstrated "strong execution" over the past six months and is "uniquely qualified" to helm the company as it works to get zorevunersen approved. — Jacob Bell

AstraZeneca said Tuesday its experimental blood pressure pill baxdrostat succeeded in a second Phase 3 trial in people whose hypertension isn’t under control with standard medications. The trial tested the drug against a placebo in 218 people already on at least three blood pressure medicines and evaluated their 24-hour average systolic blood pressure over 12 weeks. Baxdrostat achieved a “statistically significant and highly clinically meaningful reduction” by that measure, AstraZeneca said, though it didn’t provide specifics. Baxdrostat, which AstraZeneca acquired in a buyout of CinCor Pharma, previously succeeded in a larger trial that measured blood pressure reductions after 12 weeks. — Jonathan Gardner

AstraZeneca is also teaming up with fledgling startup Algen Biotechnologies in an AI-focused research pact that will bring up to $555 million to the San Francisco company. Under a deal announced Monday, AstraZeneca will receive exclusive rights to develop and commercialize drugs discovered with Algen’s platform. They’re also focusing on a “defined set of targets,” but didn’t provide further details. Algen was founded in 2018, based on research developed in the lab of gene editing pioneer Jennifer Doudna at the University of California, Berkeley. — Gwendolyn Wu

Biotechnology startup Trogenix banked £70 million, or $95 million, in a Series A round announced Monday. Trogenix is developing what it claims are “potentially curative cancer therapies,” and is specifically targeting aggressive solid tumors. Its therapies package artificially made “super enhancers” into a viral delivery tool and send them directly into tumor cells, where they help reveal cancers to the immune system for destruction. Trogenix’s lead program, for glioblastoma, should start human testing next year. The company’s Series A backers include IQ Capital, which led the round; 4BIO Capital, which spun out the company from the University of Edinburgh; and five other investors, among them Eli Lilly. — Gwendolyn Wu