Biden administration asserts power to seize drug patents

President Joe Biden speaks about protecting Social Security, Medicare, and lowering prescription drug costs, during a visit to OB Johnson Park and Community Center, in Hallandale Beach, Florida, on Nov. 1, 2022. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters The Biden administration on Thursday opened the door to seizing the patents of certain costly medications from drugmakers in … Read more

Big Pharma takes on counterfeit drugs

In Las Vegas, Lazaro Hernandez was a flamboyant, jet-setting poker player shown in televised tournaments with stacks of colorful chips. But the casually dressed gambler spotted on security cameras with wads of cash at the casino cage was hiding a secret life. And federal investigators say he was gambling with people’s lives. Hernandez, they say, … Read more

Patients on Eli Lilly drug regain weight after stopping it

Eli Lilly’s drug tirzepatide was approved for weight loss by the FDA. Courtesy of Eli Lilly Patients who took Eli Lilly‘s weight loss drug Zepbound regained around half the weight they shed after stopping the newly approved treatment for a year, according to data released Monday.  The data, which represents the full results from an … Read more

Cigna shares jump on abandoned Humana buyout, buyback plans

Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images Shares of Cigna jumped Monday following reports that the health-care giant has scrapped its plans to buy rival Humana due to disagreements on price, putting an early end to what would have been one of the largest deals of the decade. Cigna late Sunday also announced plans to … Read more

Pharma had a year full of firsts

Soumyabrata Roy | Nurphoto | Getty Images Drugmakers are closing out a year when they achieved several historic firsts that will shape the pharmaceutical industry in 2024 and beyond.  The weight loss drug market transformed into the pharmaceutical industry’s newest gold rush this year, as demand for costly but highly effective treatments from Novo Nordisk … Read more

Vertex nonopioid painkiller posts positive midstage trial results

A sign hangs in front of the world headquarters of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in Boston on Oct. 23, 2019. Brian Snyder | Reuters Shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals jumped Wednesday after the company’s painkiller, which is being tested as an alternative to opioids, significantly decreased pain in a midstage trial. Those positive results for diabetes patients suffering … Read more

2024 expectations for Wegovy, Ozempic, Zepbound

George Frey | Bloomberg | Getty Images Weight loss drugs exploded into the public eye this year, and 2024 will bring more change to the evolving market.  The drugs skyrocketed in popularity in 2023 as they helped patients shed significant weight, despite hefty price tags, mixed insurance coverage and a handful of unpleasant side effects.  … Read more

Moderna, Merck cancer vaccine reduces risk of skin cancer return

An exterior view of Moderna’s clinical manufacturing facility.  David L. Ryan | Boston Globe | Getty Images Moderna and Merck‘s experimental cancer vaccine, when used in combination with Merck’s blockbuster therapy Keytruda, reduced the risk of death or relapse in patients with the most deadly form of skin cancer after three years, according to midstage … Read more