And so, another working week will soon come to a close. Not a moment too soon, yes? This is, you may recall, our treasured signal to daydream about weekend plans. Our agenda is rather low key as we devote much of the time to observing ancient rituals, but also spend a few moments with a family member or two. As usual, though, we will promenade the official mascots and squeeze in an end-of-weekend listening party, where the rotation will likely include this, this, this, this, and this. And what about you? This remains a fine time to enjoy the great outdoors or, if the weather fails to cooperate, you could take in a moving picture show, stop by a favorite eatery, or browse the aisles of a temple of consumption and stock up on winter gear. Or simply plan the rest of your life, before AI does it for you. Well, whatever you do, have a grand time. But be safe. Enjoy, and see you soon. …
Novartis investors are set to step up scrutiny of the company’s dealmaking strategy after setbacks to drugs it acquired through mergers and acquisitions hit its shares, raising concerns about its pipeline, Reuters tells us. Eight shareholders said that the failure of a muscle-wasting disorder drug, called del-desiran, in a late-stage study, the second major trial setback for Novartis in days, raised questions over last year’s $12 billion Avidity purchase and other acquisitions. Novartis shares slumped 11% in one day this week, wiping nearly $30 billion off its market value and all the gains made since the start of the year after the del-desiran results.
Ninety percent of the expensive, widely used biologics facing patent expiration by 2034 have no lower-cost alternatives in development, The Wall Street Journal writes, citing a report by the Association for Accessible Medicines, a trade group representing generic drugmakers. This means Americans could miss out on nearly $200 billion in health care savings over the next decade with 118 popular biologic drugs going off patent, according to the association’s estimates. These drugs are highly complex medicines manufactured inside living cells and often end up being multibillion-dollar blockbusters for drug companies. Market uptake for newly launched biosimilars has suffered a steep decline in recent years, dimming excitement among drugmakers about developing them.
