Express Scripts (NSDQ:ESRX) and CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) were among the pharmacy benefit managers named in a lawsuit last week, when a potential class of patients accused them of violating the Employee Retirement Income Security Act by failing to negotiate lower prices for Mylan’s EpiPen allergy auto-injector. The suit, filed in the Minnesota District Court, alleges that […]
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Alere files belated annual report, Q4 losses widen nearly 500%
Fourth-quarter losses for Alere (NYSE:ALR) soared nearly 500%, the diagnostics giant said yesterday after filing its overdue annual report for 2016 but ahead of its self-imposed June 15 deadline. Waltham, Mass.-based Alere said in March that it would miss the deadline for releasing last year’s results due to an investigation of inappropriate conduct at its South Korean Standard […]
Artificial pancreas startup lands funding support from T1D Exchange
Admetsys, a startup developing artificial pancreas tech for hospitals and surgical care, won an investment from T1D Exchange. The terms of the financing were not disclosed. A collaboration between the 2 groups is part of T1D Exchange’s initiative to support the development of automated insulin delivery technology, according to the organization. Get the full story at […]
Living Cell Technologies NTCell meets primary endpoint in Phase I/IIa Parkinson’s trial
Living Cell Technologies (ASX:LCT) touted data today showing its NTCell cell therapy is safe 130 weeks after treatment in a Phase I/IIa Parkinson’s trial. The study’s primary endpoint was safety. The trial, which enrolled and treated 4 patients, involved implanting 40 NTCell capsules into 1 side of the brain. The company reported that treatment with […]
Inhaled Parkinson’s treatment improves motor function in Phase III
Shares in Acorda Therapeutics (NSDQ:ACOR) jumped this morning after the company reported that its inhaled Parkinson’s drug significantly improved motor function in a Phase III trial. The investigational drug is being studied as a therapy for people with Parkinson’s disease experiencing “off” periods, or a re-emergence of symptoms. The Phase III Span-Pd trial enrolled 339 patients with […]
Boston Scientific wins CE Mark for Vercise Gevia DBS
Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX) said today that it won CE Mark approval in the European Union for its Vercise Gevia deep-brain stimulation device for treating movement disorder symptoms. Marlborough, Mass.-based Boston Scientific said the new system features programming software called the Vercise Neural Navigator 2 with Stimview, designed to allow physicians to see images of the stimulation field while the […]
FDA approves valve-in-valve procedures for Edwards Lifesciences Sapien 3 TAVR
The FDA yesterday expanded the indication for the Sapien 3 replacement heart valve made by Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE:EW) to include valve-in-valve procedures for aortic and mitral valve patients who are too sick for surgery. The federal safety watchdog said the expansion is the 1st approval for a transcatheter valve replacement for valve-in-valve procedures when the original surgically […]
BD wins 510(k) for intestinal bacteria diagnostic
Becton Dickinson (NYSE:BDX) said today that it won 510(k) clearance from the FDA for its molecular test that detects harmful intestinal bacteria causing infectious diarrhea. With the approval of its BD Max extended enteric bacteria panel, the company said the majority of pathogens causing acute gastroenteritis can be detected on its automated BD Max molecular […]
Report finds Pfizer has hiked prices of nearly 100 drugs this year
As other major pharma players like Merck (NYSE:MRK) and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) vow to limit annual price hikes, a report by the Financial Times found that Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) has raised prices on 91 drugs by an average of 21% in 2017. The most recent price hike at the start of June was the company’s 2nd for […]
Insulet brings on new chief commercial exec | Personnel Moves – June 5, 2017
Insulet (NSDQ:PODD) last month named Bret Christensen as its chief commercial officer to lead the company’s sales, marketing, customer care, market access and advocacy. He most recently served as GM of Myriad Genetics’ preventive care business division. He has also worked as VP of sales and marketing of the gynecologic surgical products unit at Hologic. Get […]
Sirtex SIR-spheres fail to meet primary endpoint in head-to-head trial
Sirtex Medical (ASX:SRX) shares are down slightly today after its radioactive microspheres failed to meet the primary endpoint in a liver cancer trial. The company’s SIR-Spheres Y-90 resin microspheres did not improve survival in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma compared to a group treated with the current standard of care, sorafenib. Get the full story at […]