Top of the morning to you. Gray skies are hovering over the Pharmalot campus right now, but our spirits remain sunny, nonetheless. Why? We will trot out a bit of insight from the Morning Mayor, who would say “Every new day should be unwrapped like a precious gift.” To celebrate the notion, we are brewing still more cups of stimulation and invite you to join us. Remember, a prescription is not required, nor is a copay. Our choice today is butter pecan. Meanwhile, here are a few items of interest. Hope you have a smashing day, and of course, do stay in touch. …
Western pharmaceutical companies are urging the Trump administration to allow them to keep doing deals with Chinese companies for promising drug candidates, despite a 2025 law restricting U.S. investment in Chinese technology, The Wall Street Journal reports. An industry trade group has been lobbying to make sure the new rules the Treasury Department is writing, as part of that law, maintain their ability to do deals in China. The law, called the Comprehensive Outbound Investment National Security Act or COINS, requires the federal government to screen deals with certain countries involving sensitive technology. So far, the Treasury Department has been reluctant to fully incorporate pharmaceuticals.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration posted documents ahead of an advisory committee meeting on Wednesday that suggest the agency may take a favorable view of a Grail blood test aimed at detecting many different types of cancer early, when they can be treated more effectively, STAT writes. The test is already available as a laboratory-based diagnostic, but FDA approval would be expected to help lead to reimbursement from Medicare and other insurance payers. Investors are upbeat, but the documents include an anomaly that might not signal an open-and-shut positive outcome for the company.
