Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another working week. We hope the weekend respite was relaxing and invigorating, because the usual routine of online meetings, phone calls, and deadlines has returned. You knew this would happen, yes? So to cope, we are firing up the trusty kettle and brewing another cuppa stimulation. Our choice today is blueberry hibiscus — with a dollop of bourbon honey. Please feel free to join us. Or grab a bottle of water, if you prefer. Meanwhile, we have assembled the latest line-up of interesting items for you to peruse. We hope your journey today is meaningful and productive. And as always, please keep in touch. Your tips and insights help the world go around. …
Novartis is largely abandoning an experimental drug analysts once considered a potential blockbuster after a study found it had little promise for preventing heart attacks and cardiovascular deaths, Bloomberg News notes. The move came as details of a key Novartis study were presented at the American Heart Association meeting this weekend. The growing field of research aimed at lipoprotein(a), a genetic risk factor for cardiovascular disease carried by 1 in 5 people, took a hit earlier this year when top-line Novartis results showed an experimental drug reduced Lp(a) but failed to lower serious outcomes. Other drugmakers pursuing Lp(a) drugs include Amgen, Eli Lilly, and Silence Therapeutics, STAT adds.
The Biotechnology Innovation Organization is joining the legal fight against a Trump administration pilot program aimed at aligning drug prices in Medicare with prices charged in peer countries, STAT says. BIO and two California-based biotech trade groups filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California asserting the Global Benchmark for Efficient Drug Pricing demonstration, known as GLOBE, oversteps Medicare’s statutory authority. The complaint seeks to halt the model. GLOBE, which applies to Medicare Part B drugs administered in doctor offices, is not expected to have much impact because the administration exempted all but a handful of companies in return for their agreement to voluntary deals to charge Medicaid most-favored-nation prices.
