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What We're Reading: Healthcare at Center of Democrats' Debate; Opioid Settlement Talks; Alexion Buying Achillion
The 12 Democratic candidates for president spent a good deal of time at their debate Tuesday night discussing healthcare; a group of state attorneys general tried to convince a US District Court judge to give them more time to create a settlement in their opioid lawsuits but failed; Alexion Pharmaceuticals agreed to buy small biotech Achillion Pharmaceuticals in a deal initially valued at $930 million.
Democratic Candidates Spar Over Healthcare Issues at Debate
The 12 Democratic candidates for president spent a good deal of time at their debate Tuesday night discussing healthcare, including "Medicare for All," taxes, abortion and reproductive rights, gun violence, and whether to jail pharmaceutical executives for their role in the opioid crisis, Kaiser Health News reported. Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, questioned how Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts would pay for Medicare for All, comparing her with Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who has said taxes would rise. It was Sanders' first debate appearance since his heart attack and surgery 2 weeks ago.
States Fail to Get More Time to Create Opioid Settlement as Jury Selection Starts
A group of state attorneys general tried to convince a US District Court judge to give them more time to create a settlement in their opioid lawsuits but failed, The Washington Post reported. The states are trying to reach an $18 billion settlement with the country’s 3 largest drug distributors, McKesson, Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen. Jury selection is set to begin Wednesday in a consolidated federal case involving more than 2500 lawsuits filed by cities, counties, and Native American tribes.
Alexion Buying Biotech Achillon for $930 Million to Retain Rare Blood Disorder Dominance
Alexion Pharmaceuticals agreed to buy small biotech Achillion Pharmaceuticals in a deal initially valued at $930 million, Reuters reported; the move that will help Alexion retain its dominance in treating rare blood disorders. Alexion sells Soliris, which treats genetic disorders paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome. In 2018, Alexion won FDA approval for a successor to Soliris called Ultomiris. Achillion's PNH treatment danicopan is currently in mid-stage testing, while its other PNH drug, ACH-5228, is set to begin a mid-stage trial in the first half of 2020.
NCCN Guidelines Update Adds Momelotinib Below Ruxolitinib for High-, Low-Risk Myelofibrosis
November 21st 2023Momelotinib was given category 2A and 2B status for patients with high- and low-risk myelofibrosis (MF) and MF with anemia. However, ruxolitinib retains a higher category of recommendation as a treatment for patients with MF.
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Oncology Onward: A Conversation With Dr Shereef Elnahal, Under Secretary for Health
April 20th 2023Shereef Elnahal, MD, MBA, under secretary for health at the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), sat for a conversation with our hosts Emeline Aviki, MD, MBA, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Stephen Schleicher, MD, MBA, Tennessee Oncology, that covered the cancer footprint of the VHA.
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Odevixibat Safe for Alagille Syndrome Based on Hepatic Changes
November 8th 2023Pooled phase 3 data presented at North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition 2023 support the benefit-risk profile of the ileal bile acid transport inhibitor in treating the rare liver disease.
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Exploring Payer Coverage Decisions Following FDA Novel Drug Approvals
May 3rd 2022On this episode of Managed Care Cast, Ari D. Panzer, BS, lead author and researcher, then at Tufts Medical Center—now at Duke University—discusses the findings from his team’s investigation into coverage decisions by health plan insurers of the 66 drugs approved by the FDA in 2018.
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