We are doing our best to maintain sunny spirits, though, because once again, we recall some helpful wisdom from the Morning Mayor, who taught us that “Every new day should be unwrapped like a precious gift.” To celebrate the notion, we are brewing still more cups of stimulation and inviting you to join us. Our choice today is maple bourbon. Remember, a prescription is not required. So no need to fret over whether rebates are being passed along. Meanwhile, here are a few items of interest. Hope you have a meaningful and productive day and, of course, do stay in touch. …

Four pharmaceutical companies involved in the negotiations over prices for Medicare do not expect a significant impact on their businesses after seeing confidential suggested prices from the government for their drugs that will take effect in 2026, Reuters writes. Executives from Bristol Myers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson, AbbVie, and AstraZeneca, which have 5 of the 10 drugs chosen for the first wave of negotiations, described their views on quarterly conference calls. “I think the drugmakers were frightened (these prices) would be a big deal. But now, the ones who have reported or commented have actually said it seems to be OK and in line with expectations,” UBS analyst Trung Huynh.

The U.K.’s cost-effectiveness watchdog blocked the National Health Service from providing an innovative treatment for a form of advanced breast cancer, blaming AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo for being “unwilling” to offer their Enhertu drug at a low enough price, The Financial Times tells us. Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, said cost was to blame for the decision, the first breast cancer treatment NICE rejected in six years. If a drug is not recommended by NICE, it cannot be made available on the NHS. The decision also shows the challenge for stretched health care systems to fund complex, novel medicines.

Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…

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Good morning! Before we get to biotech, check out STAT’s deep dive into how UnitedHealth mobilizes a massive network of physicians and milked the health care system for profit.

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So grab that cup of stimulation and get started. Our flavor today is coconut rum, for those tracking our habits. Now, though, the time has come to get busy. So please grab your own cup and dig in to the items of interest assembled below. We hope you have a wonderful day, and please do keep in touch. …

Roche reported positive early data from another of the obesity drug candidates that it picked up through an acquisition late last year, bolstering the case it could become a player in the competitive weight loss medicine field, STAT says. The company said its once-daily pill, called CT-996, led to a placebo-adjusted average weight loss of 6.1% after four weeks in patients with obesity who did not have diabetes. The reported figures came from an initial analysis of a Phase 1 trial. Roche said patients who took its experimental pill reported side effects similar to those on related drugs, namely mild to moderate gastrointestinal issues.

Around the world, patients suddenly cannot find enough of the insulins made by companies they have long relied on to do so, STAT explains. In the U.S., a Novo Nordisk decision to discontinue a product has left patients with fewer options. At the same time, patients are encountering shortages of other products from Novo and Eli Lilly. For months, pharmacies have been running out of vials of certain insulins that patients use to fill the pumps they wear on their body. Supply issues have also spread to the U.K. and South Africa. The reasons for the shortages are complex, but the diabetes community fears one factor driving the phenomenon: Insulin manufacturers may be less interested in making it.

Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…

We may also hold another listening party, where the rotation will likely include this, this, this, this and this. And what about you? This may be an opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors if the heat is not a deterrent. After all, lakes and oceans are often happy antidotes to the humidity. If you prefer, you could rummage about your local library for a fun read, visit a museum, or take in a moving picture show — remember those? Well, whatever you do, have a grand time. But be safe. Enjoy, and see you soon. …

Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic was linked to lower rates of dementia and other mental problems in a study that raises expectations about its potential ancillary benefits, The Telegraph writes. Researchers analyzed 130,000 U.S. diabetes patients, including about 20,000 taking semaglutide, known by the brand name Ozempic for diabetes, or Wegovy for weight loss. They compared the injections with three other common diabetes drugs and the impact on 22 different neurological and psychiatric conditions. The risk of developing dementia was 48% lower in those taking Ozempic than those on sitagliptin, 37% lower than those on glipizide, and 9% lower than those on empagliflozin.

Smaller pharmacy benefit managers may be having more than a moment as some health insurers and employers show the major players the door, according to Modern Healthcare. Insurance companies and employers fed up with commonplace industry practices are ditching PBMs owned by CVS Health, Cigna Group, and UnitedHealth Group, and instead are inking contracts with smaller competitors pushing transparent business models. The changes occur amid increased scrutiny of the largest pharmacy benefit managers over concerns their business practices and a lack of transparency are driving up the cost of medicines.

Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…

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Good morning. It’s been a challenging time for workers in the biopharma industry. We’ve seen companies announce layoffs one after another, and people online talk about how it seems increasingly difficult to secure a new job. Read our latest on this subject below, with new numbers on the state of the job market.

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Hello! Hope your weekend was a blissful one. Today, we talk about AbbVie’s outsize marketing spend, see how GLP-1s are impacting cancer rates, and more.

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So we will make an effort to nudge it in a better direction by brewing a few cups of stimulation. Our choice today is strawberry creme. Please feel free to join us. Meanwhile, here are a few items of interest for you to peruse. We hope you have a smashing day and conquer the world. And as always, do keep in touch. We appreciate feedbacks and tips. …

Eli Lilly will acquire Morphic Holding for $3.2 billion in cash and gain access to an experimental drug for different types of inflammatory bowel diseases, STAT notes. Morphic’s lead drug is an oral treatment that is being evaluated in Phase 2 studies in ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Morphic is developing a portfolio of oral integrin therapies for treating serious chronic diseases, including fibrosis, autoimmune, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases and cancer. Last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Lilly’s Omvoh for treating adults with moderate-to-severe active ulcerative colitis.

AbbVie paid health care providers roughly $145.7 million last year to promote its drugs, according to a STAT analysis of newly released government data. The massive sum spent by the company, which makes the blockbuster Humira anti-inflammatory drug, is the most a pharmaceutical company has doled out on marketing to doctors since such data became available in 2017. The figure includes compensation for consulting and other services like speaking fees, lodging and travel for doctors, and meals, as well as a small number of payments made directly to hospitals.

Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…

The massive sum spent by AbbVie, the maker of the mega blockbuster anti-inflammatory drug Humira, is the most a pharmaceutical company has spent on marketing to doctors since such data became available in 2017. The figure includes compensation for consulting and other services like speaking fees, lodging and travel for doctors, and meals, as well as a small number of payments made directly to hospitals.

The payments, made public by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, provide an insight into AbbVie’s marketing in the immediate aftermath of the company losing its monopoly on Humira, which dominated the company’s balance sheets for the better part of the last two decades. The payments show that the company is being far more aggressive in targeting doctors than competitors of comparable size.

Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…

AbbVie has acquired Celsius Therapeutics, a startup whose lead program is in early clinical development for inflammatory bowel disease. It’s the latest in a series of AbbVie business deals that broaden the pharma company’s scope in the gastrointestinal condition.

The post AbbVie Expands IBD Drug Pipeline Again With $250M Celsius Therapeutics Acquisition appeared first on MedCity News.

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Good morning. Read on today for some exclusive hiring news and a retraction of a high-profile paper on cancer detection.

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