Drug Pricing

Stock Watch: US Election Brings More Cons Than Pros For Life Sciences

 
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The US election result brought stock market volatility especially to pharma and biotech companies but the poster children for approved GLP-1 agonists and vaccines were initially the hardest hit.

What’s Driving Growing Optimism About India In Pharma Boardrooms

 

Eli Lilly’s India chief, at a recent summit, talked about India moving up the “priority list” when it came to boardroom discussions, while the founding CEO, Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, outlined the implications for pharma as the massive publicly funded health assurance scheme widens coverage in the country.

Medicare, Medicaid Coverage Of Obesity Drugs Would Add $40bn In Government Spending

 
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The proposal states that Part D plans could define "obesity" for coverage determination, but CMS said overly restrictive criteria would be inconsistent with formulary review requirements and step-therapy would not be allowed.

CMS Administrator Nominee Oz Is ‘Communicator’ In Sync With RFK’s Healthy Living Focus

 
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But the expected nominee brings little experience running a large government organization or with the policy and budget challenges confronting Medicare and Medicaid.


US Elections: Republican Sweep Would Ease Path For Biopharma Policy Priorities

 
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While election results are not complete, prospects improve under new regime for 340B program reforms, PBM legislation, and Inflation Reduction Act drug pricing revisions. But immediate priorities for Congress and the new president will be elsewhere.

PBMs, FTC and IRA: Experts Tackle Pharma’s Tough Acronyms At BioFuture

 

Some of the industry’s biggest challenges – and potential solutions to those problems – were hot topics at the BioFuture conference in New York.

India Rare Diseases: Court Shows Path For Policy Action, Funding, Price Issues

 

A court order encompassing funding, drug pricing, clinical trials and overall policy implementation aspects is expected to bring about a paradigm shift in the treatment of rare diseases in India. Sarepta, Roche and Sanofi are among the key players that have been part of pricing discussions.

Manufacturers Eye Challenges Of Broadening Cell And Gene Therapy Access

 
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With more advanced therapies gaining approval, companies at ARM’s Cell and Gene Meeting on the Mesa considered hurdles to making their products more broadly available and developing them for larger indications.


GSK’s Arexvy Reinforces Its Lead In A Stalling RSV Vaccine Market

 

Arexvy has become the first RSV vaccine to show it can provide protection over three years – but that might mean lower market uptake than originally expected.

Gilead Seals VLs For Lenacapavir Amid Concerns Around Price, API Supplies

 

Gilead strikes voluntary licensing agreements with six generic manufacturers for lenacapavir but health groups seek clarity on pricing and seeming API supply restrictions. All eyes are also on the patent opposition case in India.

GLP-1s For Obesity: Maximalists, Skeptics And ‘No Sales Targets’

 

A high-profile panel that included a senior executive from F-Prime Capital, Novo Nordisk's India chief and a leading endocrinologist discussed, at a recent event, some of the big opportunities, challenges and transformational trends underway as obesity drugs take the world by storm.

Zevra’s Miplyffa Wins First-Ever US Approval, But In Combination With Off-Label Miglustat

 
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Miplyffa (arimoclomol) was approved for Niemann-Pick disease type C when administered with another high-priced drug used off label as standard of care for about 80% of NPC patients. 


Gilead Hits Mark With Second Long-Acting HIV PrEP Trial

 

The company stands a strong chance of winning approval for lenacapavir as a twice-yearly injectable drug for preventing HIV infection, though market challenges remain.

Travere Set For Big Expansion As Filspari Wins Full Approval In IgAN

 

The drug maker could end up doubling the addressable patient population for Filspari thanks to the new label removing the proteinuria threshold, plus a draft treatment guideline from a kidney disease group.

Vaxcyte Confident Of Pneumococcal Vaccine Dominance After Phase I/II Results

 
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The company’s VAX-31 against 31 pneumococcal serotypes outperformed Pfizer’s market-leading Prevnar 20 and could provide the broadest coverage of any vaccine in its class.

Lilly To Offer Zepbound Single-Dose Vials To Self-Pay Consumers

 

The company is offering Zepbound in single-dose 2.5mg and 5mg vials, both to expand supply and access, especially for patients without coverage for the obesity drug. 


Merck’s Winrevair Approved For PAH In Europe As Initial US Launch Progresses

 
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Merck & Co. won European Commission approval for Winrevair on top of other medicines for pulmonary arterial hypertension and expects an initial EU launch in Germany.

Quick Listen: Scrip's Five Must-Know Things

 
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In this week's podcast edition of Five Must-Know Things: CMS’s price reveal better than expected?; new diabetes risk data for Zepbound; can J&J’s lung cancer combo stand up to Tagrisso?; new recruits for BioMarin leadership; and Glenmark’s shifting revenues.

England’s Cost Effectiveness Rejection Is Another Setback For Eisai And Biogen’s Leqembi

 

Cost watchdog NICE has blocked Leqembi’s use, but a pricing deal could unlock access to the beta-amyloid targeting drug

CMS’s Big Drug Price Reveal Turns Out Better For Pharma Than Feared

 

The first round of US government drug price negotiations resulted in prices for 10 drugs that will lower aggregate net spending by 22%