Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority accused Merck‘s (NYSE:MRK) European unit, Merck Sharp & Dohme, of conducting an unfair discount scheme that it said was designed to restrict competition from biosimilar copies of the company’s drug, Remicade. Remicade is an antibody drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis and Chron’s disease. It was the 1st […]
Merck
Merck, Avillion ink development deal for nanobody psoriasis treatment
Merck KGaA and Avillion inked a clinical co-development deal today for Merck’s anti IL-17 A/F Nanobody therapy for plaque psoriasis. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The investigational treatment underwent Phase I development and the group plans to initiate Phase II trials this year. According to the terms of the agreement, Avillion […]
Trump FDA pick to recuse himself from agency decisions involving 20 companies
Donald Trump’s nominee to head the FDA, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, reportedly told ethics officials at the Office of Government Ethics he plans to recuse himself for 1 year from agency decisions on more than 20 companies, including GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK) and Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY). Gottlieb has received millions of dollars for his roles as advisor, paid speaker […]
Pharma stocks fall on Trump’s proposal to cut NIH budget
The Trump budget plan to slash more than 18% from the budget for the National Institutes of Health sent pharmaceutical stocks down today on Wall Street as investors reacted to the proposal. The budget proposal, released today, would cut the NIH budget by $5.8 billion, to $25.9 billion – an 18.3% cut. The proposal would also introduce […]
Trump drug pricing tweet sends pharma stocks down
Shares in Pfizer (NYSE:PFE), Merck (NYSE:MRK) and Amgen (NSDQ:AMGN) fell slightly this morning after President Donald Trump tweeted that he was working on a “new system” to lower drug prices. “I am working on a new system where there will be competition in the Drug Industry,” he wrote. “Pricing for the American people will come way down!” […]
Cydar lands Roche exec for 3D imaging software play
Cydar EV, a medical software start-up, said this week that it hired several new directors, including Roche’s recently-retired chairman Franz Humer. The U.K.-based company is developing cloud-based software to produce 3D images of a patient’s blood vessels in X-ray guided endovascular surgery. Cydar said Humer will bring a “wealth of commercialization” and key developmental insights […]
Report finds pharma companies limited January list price hikes
Drug-makers didn’t raise list prices for as many drugs in January compared to last year and they initiated fewer hikes of 10% or more, according to analysis by Raymond James & Associates. Although 5.5% of price increases reached the 10% level in January this year, 15% did last year and 20% did 2 years ago. […]
Trump presses pharma execs on pricing, U.S. production
Executives from pharmaceutical companies including Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), Amgen (NSDQ:AMGN), Merck (NYSE:MRK) and Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) met with President Donald Trump today to discuss issues ranging from drug pricing to regulatory approval for pharmaceuticals. The president called on the company execs to increase U.S. production and lower “astronomical” drug prices. Although Trump doubled down on his […]
Merck becomes latest to offer insight into drug pricing practices
Last week, Merck (NYSE:MRK) released figures about its U.S. pricing practices, joining a growing list of companies that are revealing their pricing strategies amid criticism of the industry’s price hikes. The company didn’t release price increases of specific products, citing competition concerns. Merck said it would update the list annually at the beginning of each calendar year. […]
Pharma execs assess landscape under President Trump
Executives from U.S. drugmakers such as Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (NSDQ:REGN) and Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) talked about the possible changes awaiting the industry under President-elect Donald Trump at the Forbes Healthcare Summit this week. After he was elected, pharmaceutical stocks surged as investors concluded the threat of action on drug pricing had lessened. Trump has said he wants […]
Tests to begin for HIV therapy injections, long-acting implants
Drugs from companies such as GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK), Gilead Sciences (NSDQ:GILD) and Merck (NYSE:MRK) are reportedly being considered for large-scale trials evaluating injectable HIV prevention therapies. Eventually, researchers hope to produce matchstick-sized implants that could provide year-long protection to vulnerable populations. Foster City, Calif.-based Gilead has a once-daily pill, Truvada, which prevents HIV infection during sex. Pre-exposure prophylaxis, also known […]