As the national debate over drug pricing ramps up, Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) find themselves squarely in the spotlight. PhRMA, which has also criticized hospitals for marking up drug prices by as much as 500%, launched a seven-figure ad campaign targeting proposals in Congress to lower drug prices. PhRMA, which counts companies such as Pfizer,…
White House targets blockbusters in Medicare’s price negotiation strategy
The Biden-Harris Administration has nominated 10 drugs for price negotiations directly with pharmaceutical giants after capping monthly insulin costs at $35. Americans have historically paid more for prescription drugs than most other major economies. In a fact sheet, the White House highlighted that seniors paid $3.4 billion in out-of-pocket costs for these drugs just last…
FTC approves Amgen-Horizon merger
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has signed off on Amgen’s proposed $27.8 billion purchase of Horizon Therapeutics . The acquisition, one of the largest pharma deals in recent years, is set to close in the early fourth quarter of 2022. The agreement resolves an FTC lawsuit filed in May attempting to block the deal over…
An interactive look at the drugs accounting for a fifth of Medicare’s spending
As Medicare prepares to negotiate drug prices directly with pharma companies, the White House has selected 10 drugs that make up 20% — one-fifth — of Medicare’s annual spending. Our analysis provides a deep dive into these drugs, including their costs, the number of enrollees depending on them and the significant price hikes since their…
HHS awards more than $1 billion to advance next-gen COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded $1.4 billion to support vaccine clinical trials to test new, more effective and longer-lasting COVID-19 vaccines. In all, Project NextGen is a $5 billion initiative from Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). The…
Biopharma talent wars heat up as openings spike in 2023
The biopharma industry had a lull in job opening growth from late 2022 and into early 2023. At that time, some early stage companies struggled to secure funding, while larger firms adopted a more cautious posture, according to recent research from the global real-estate firm JLL. Madeline Holmes, a senior research analyst at the company,…
Arizona Senator Sinema champions Phoenix Medical Quarter
Arizona has launched the Phoenix Medical Quarter, a 100-acre hub of medical research in midtown Phoenix. Education and patient care are primary objectives for the new hub, which aims to compete with top medical centers worldwide while cementing Arizona’s leadership in biosciences. Independent Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema, who has championed the state’s healthcare and…
Lilly wraps up acquisition of Versanis, marking the fifth largest pharma deal of 2023
Eli Lilly just wrapped up its acquisition of Versanis Bio in a $1.9 billion deal, the pharma giant announced today. The deal marks Lilly’s latest move to build up its pipeline of potential obesity and diabetes treatments, which promises to be a notable growth area for the company. Lilly recently completed its submission of tirzepatide…
Regeneron agrees to spend up to $213M to acquire Decibel Therapeutics
To date, 2023 is shaping up to be a relatively brisk year for M&A deals. A recent case in point is Regeneron’s acquisition of Decibel Therapeutics. The centerpiece of the deal is DB-OTO, a gene therapy intended for patients with otoferlin-related hearing loss. The drug is in its first clinical trial. Regeneron agreed to pay…
Decade-plus review of drug recall trends from 2011 to 2023
Earlier this year, we took a look at the most common causes of drug-related recalls in 2022 and the first quarter of 2023. Now, we are expanding our lens to examine drug-related FDA recalls from 2011 to 2023. Understanding the recall landscape In recent decades, prominent incidents like the Tylenol poisonings in 1982 have underscored…