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…
The battle of the bulge: Semaglutide and tirzapatide could be new weight-loss warriors
A pair of weight-loss drugs — semaglutide and tirzapatide — could reshape the way we view and treat obesity, according to a Moody’s report dated May 18. The ratings firm notes that Novo Nordisk could benefit from a first-mover advantage in the obesity market as it now has two novel weight loss drugs on the…
California partners with manufacturer to make affordable generic insulin
The state of California has established a $50 million collaboration over a decade with the generic drug manufacturer Civica. The goal of the collaboration is to create affordable state-branded generic insulin. Qualified individuals may obtain a 10-mL vial of generic insulin for $30 or less. California plans to provide a pack containing five prefilled 3…
Sanofi joins Lilly and Novo Nordisk in drastic insulin price reductions
Paris-based Sanofi (Nasdaq:SNY) is the fastest company to reduce insulin prices. The pharmaceutical behemoth said it would cut the list price of Lantus (insulin glargine injection) by 78%. Lantus is its most commonly prescribed insulin in the U.S. Moreover, Sanofi will implement a $35 cap on out-of-pocket expenses for users of the insulin. Sanofi has also…
Novo Nordisk settles Danish securities lawsuit
Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) has settled a securities lawsuit in Denmark filed in August 2019 in the district court of Glostrup. In 2019, Novo Nordisk vowed to fight the allegations contained in the lawsuit, which alleged that the company’s insulin-related profits fell at the same time prices and sales increased from February 2015 and February 2017. The…
Novo Nordisk faces Wegovy supply challenges in US
Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) announced that one of its contract manufacturers filling syringes for its Wegovy (semaglutide) pens in the U.S. market has temporarily ceased manufacturing following a report of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) problems. The company projects it will be unable to meet U.S. demand for the drug in the first half of 2022 and…
Lilly cuts price of Lispro insulin by 40%
Starting January 1, 2021, Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) will reduce the list price of Insulin Lispro Injection in the U.S. to match 2008 levels. The 40% price cut will also extend to the company’s non-branded insulins. Still, the company acknowledged that people with fixed insurance co-pays or beneficiaries of Lilly’s affordability programs might not…
Novo Nordisk settles U.S. securities class action suit
Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) has agreed in principle to settle securities class action litigation in the Federal District Court of New Jersey. The Bagsværd, Denmark–based company would pay $100 million in the settlement. That amount includes plaintiffs’ attorneys’ fees, expenses and settlement costs. The lawsuit alleged that the company made misleading statements regarding the price of its…
Walmart teams up with Novo Nordisk to launch private-brand analog insulin
Walmart (NYSE:WMT) is launching what it describes as the first private label analog insulin. The company estimates the insulin products will save customers between 58% and 70% of the cost of branded insulin. Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) will manufacture the analog insulin, which is a type of lab-grown insulin genetically engineered to optimize glucose control. The…
EyePoint Pharmaceuticals’ CEO on treating serious eye disorders and female leadership in life sciences
EyePoint Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: EYPT) specializes in creating ocular products for serious eye disorders. The company has developed five FDA-approved sustained-release treatments in ophthalmology. The company’s preclinical development program is focused on drug candidates to treat wet age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, osteoarthritis and other diseases. The company was formed in 2018 after pSivida announced acquired Icon Bioscience. To…