What We’re Reading: Swedish Scientist Wins Nobel Prize; ALS Drug Price Set; Combination Cancer, COVID-19 Deaths

Svante Paabo Wins Nobel Prize in Medicine

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded today to Svante Pääbo for his discoveries in human evolution, The Associated Press reported. Pääbo is a Swedish scientist who spent decades trying to extract DNA from 40,000-year-old bones, which eventually resulted in the unveiling of the Neanderthal genome in 2010. According to the award’s panel, his findings provided key insights into the immune system of modern humans and allowed researchers to compare our genome with that of other hominins, the Neanderthals and Denisovans, and understand the connection between the species.

Amylyx Prices ALS Drug AMX0035 at $158,000 Per Year

Amylyx Pharmaceuticals priced its newly FDA-approved treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at $158,000 per year or about $12,500 per 28-day prescription in the United States, Reuters reported. AMX0035 (Relyvrio) was priced slightly lower than Mitsubishi Tanabe's edaravone (Radicava), which costs about $170,000 a year, but much higher than generic drug riluzole. Amylyx decided on the cost after meeting with patients, insurers, and other stakeholders while also thinking about funding future research, and plans to make the ALS drug available at no cost to US patients who are uninsured or underinsured under certain conditions. Data from a late-stage trial with about 600 patients will be expected in 2024.

More Than 16,000 US Deaths Caused by Combination Cancer, COVID-19 in 2020

Between March 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020, more than 16,000 Americans died of combination cancer and COVID-19, CIDRAP reported. In the first 10 months of the pandemic, according to a study published in JAMA Oncology, COVID-19 was an underlying cause of 3142 deaths from cancer, while cancer contributed to 13,419 deaths from COVID-19. Deaths caused by both occurred more often in large cities in November and December among individuals aged 85 and older, patients admitted to hospitals or living in long-term care facilities, and patients who were American Indian, Alaska Native, Black, or Hispanic.