The reasons can vary, from quality control failures at manufacturing plants to surging demand, including significant interest that has at times squelched availability of drugs taken for weight loss.

But the problem is not easily fixed. Most active pharmaceutical ingredients are made in China, and boosting production in the U.S. is not like flipping a switch. Many of the drugs in short supply are generics made in India, where regulators often find serious production lapses. So what to do? Along with a colleague, Marta Wosińska, a senior fellow in economic studies at The Brookings Institution, has three ideas to alleviate shortages of generic sterile injectable medicines, in particular. They suggest the U.S. government should provide incentives to upgrade facilities and create a buffer inventory. But they also argue hospital purchasing is in need of an overhaul. We discussed the possibilities; our conversation has been lightly edited. 

I’ve been writing about drug shortages on and off for many years, but the problem never goes away. And now, it seems even worse. Obviously, something has to change. But what exactly has been lacking with our policies to date?

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Speaking of which, we have gathered the latest bushel for your perusal if you scroll down a wee bit. Of course, all of this means that it is time to get cracking. So here we go. We hope you have a smashing day and conquer the world. And as always, please do stay in touch …

Eisai announced that Ivan Cheung, who ran its global Alzheimer’s drug program, will retire at the end of the month and be replaced by the son of Eisai chief executive officer Haruo Naito, STAT writes. The move comes after Cheung led the push for U.S. approval of the breakthrough medicine Leqembi. Keisuke Naito, 34, a senior vice president and chief strategy and planning officer, will become acting global Alzheimer’s officer. Cheung’s resignation comes less than a week after Eisai and Biogen were granted full approval for Leqembi in the U.S. The drug is the first medicine shown to slow progression of the disease, which afflicts some 6 million Americans.

Express Scripts will add three biosimilar versions of AbbVie’s blockbuster arthritis treatment Humira to its list of preferred drugs, Reuters notes. The biosimilars include branded and unbranded versions from Sandoz, the generic unit of Novartis, as well as one from Boehringer Ingelheim. Express Scripts, the pharmacy benefits manager owned by Cigna, said the biosimilars would be included as preferred brands on its formulary. The drugs, launched this month, add to competition for Humira in the U.S. that started in January with the launch of a biosimilar by Amgen that is already on Express Scripts formulary.

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Hired someone new and exciting? Promoted a rising star? Finally solved that hard-to-fill spot? Share the news with us, and we’ll share it with others. That’s right. Send us your changes, and we’ll find a home for them. Don’t be shy. Everyone wants to know who is coming and going.

And here is our regular feature in which we highlight a different person each week. This time around, we note that Reata Pharmaceuticals hired Rajiv Patni as executive vice president, chief R&D officer. Previously, he worked at Global Blood Therapeutics, where he was chief medical officer.

But all work and no play can make for a dull chief medical officer.

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The FDA approved Roche’s Columvi as a third-line treatment for a type of blood cancer called diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. This new Roche drug will compete against Epkinly, AbbVie’s recently approved DLBCL drug.

Meanwhile, our ever-growing to-do list requires attention. Sound familiar? So, here are some items of interest. Have a great day and hope you conquer the world, everyone …

Coherus BioSciences agreed to resolve a dispute over its plans to launch a lower-priced version of AbbVie’s Humira rheumatoid arthritis drug, Reuters writes. Earlier this month, Coherus said it will launch a biosimilar version of the drug at an 85% discount to the $6,922 list price and partnered with Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company to sell it at $569.27. AbbVie alleged it breached an older deal granting Coherus a non-exclusive license to commercialize a biosimilar version in the U.S. as of July 1. AbbVie will not terminate the initial licensing deal based on its notice. It would have to serve another notice and give Coherus time to resolve the breach if it chooses to end the deal.

Expanded access to the Alzheimer’s drug from Eisai and Biogen is unlikely to happen quickly even if the Food and Drug Administration decides follow-up studies confirm the drug helps slow the disease, Bloomberg News explains. Medicare said that “broader” coverage would begin “on the same day the FDA grants traditional approval.” But patients, doctors, and analysts are all doubtful, citing the limited information publicized by the agency on how the registry will work. For the registry to succeed, it must be easy for prescribers to use, they argue. Researchers and others also will need real-time data to show whether the drug is beneficial and safe, they added.

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The agreement  —which involves Teva Pharmaceuticals; Allergan, a unit of AbbVie; CVS; and Walgreens — is the latest involving several major players blamed for the crisis. Last year, dozens of states and thousands of local communities reached a global settlement worth $26 billion with three largest pharmaceutical wholesalers as well as Johnson & Johnson to resolve civil lawsuits.

As part of the deal, Teva agreed not to market opioids and will provide its generic version of Narcan, the overdose reversal medication, which it has valued at $1.2 billion. Allergan is required to stop selling opioids for the next 10 years, while CVS and Walgreens have agreed to monitor, report, and share data about suspicious activity related to opioid prescriptions.

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In the meantime, here as always are some tidbits to get your day started. If you hear anything interesting out there, do let us know. …

Coherus BioSciences plans to sell a biosimilar version of Humira at a steep discount, STAT reports, and the company will work with Mark Cuban’s generic drug company to make the medicine available directly to consumers for even less. Coherus’ version of Humira, one of the world’s best-selling medicines, will carry a $995 list price for a carton of two autoinjectors, which is an 85% discount from the $6,922 that AbbVie charges for the branded product. Coherus will also sell its drug at a discount to the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug company, which will market the treatment for about $579.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a second vaccine to protect older adults against RSV, STAT tells us, licensing Pfizer’s Abrysvo for adults 60 and older. The decision comes about a month after the agency approved GSK’s Arexvy, the first-ever vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. Neither vaccine is currently available for use. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must recommend the vaccines before they can be sold, a process expected to conclude later this month.

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In a bold move, Coherus BioSciences plans to sell a biosimilar version of Humira — one of the world’s best-selling medicines — at a steep discount, and will work with Mark Cuban’s generic drug company to make the medicine available directly to consumers for even less.

Specifically, the Coherus medicine will carry a $995 list price for a carton of two autoinjectors, an 85% discount from the $6,922 that AbbVie charges for Humira, which is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other conditions. At the same time, Coherus will sell its drug at a discount to the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, which will market the treatment for about $579.

The lowball pricing for the drug, which will become available in July, has the potential to alter one of the most closely watched product rollouts by pharmaceutical companies in many years. After enjoying a monopoly that yielded billions of dollars in annual sales, AbbVie is expected to face at least eight biosimilar rivals to Humira by the end of the year.

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FDA approval of blockbuster AbbVie drug Rinvoq makes it the first oral therapy for moderately to severely active Crohn’s disease. The regulatory nod is the seventh for the drug, which belongs to a class of therapies called JAK inhibitors.

The exit is the group’s third in five months, as AbbVie exited PhRMA in December and Teva Pharmaceuticals left in February.

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