We may also hold a listening party, where the rotation may include this, this, this and this. And what about you? This is a lovely time of year to enjoy the great outdoors. Perhaps you can catch a view of some cherry blossom trees while there is still time. You could stroll city streets to take in the sights. Life is with people, as they say. Or you could hold your breath and spend time catching up on the news of the world. Well, whatever you do, have a grand time. But be safe. Enjoy, and see you soon. …

Cigna plans to make copies of AbbVie’s Humira arthritis drug available with no out-of-pocket payment to eligible patients in the U.S. using its Accredo specialty pharmacy beginning in June, Reuters writes. Cigna said it will stock high- and low-concentration versions from Boehringer Ingelheim, Teva Pharmaceutical, and Alvotech, which will be priced at about 85% lower than the $6,922.62 monthly list price of Humira. Deals were made with the manufacturers as well as its distributor Quallent to bring the out-of-pocket cost down to $0. Cigna said the move should save around $3,500 on average per year for some of the 100,000 Accredo patients using either Humira or biosimilar.

The World Health Organization says new evidence shows the extensive overuse of antibiotics during the Covid-19 pandemic worldwide, which may have exacerbated “silent” spread of antimicrobial resistance. While only 8% of hospitalized patients with Covid-19 had bacterial co-infections requiring antibiotics, some 75% of patients have been treated with antibiotics “just in case” they help. Overall, antibiotic use did not improve clinical outcomes for patients with Covid-19. The highest rate of antibiotic use was seen among patients with severe or critical Covid-19, with a global average of 81%. In mild or moderate cases, there was a considerable variation across regions.

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We recall a bit of insight 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 pistachio creme. Remember, a prescription is not required. So no need to mess with rebates. Meanwhile, here are a few items of interest. Hope you have a meaningful and productive day and, of course, do stay in touch. …

A photo shows the WuXi Biologics chief executive officer shaking hands with John Crowley, the incoming head of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, but three months later, a sister company, WuXi AppTec and BIO, ended their relationship and Crowley openly supported legislation to ban many U.S. biotechs from doing business with the Chinese behemoth, STAT says. The about-face illustrates the difficulty the biotech industry faces in dealing with an issue that, fueled by national security concerns, is moving fast and forcefully. It also tests the ability of Crowley, who lacks a background in politics, to navigate a domestic policy issue that is tangled up in U.S.-China relations.

Cerevel Therapeutics, a neuroscience biotech that AbbVie is acquiring, reported that its Parkinson’s disease drug improved motor symptom control as an add-on therapy in a late-stage trial, STAT writes. When AbbVie announced its $8.7 billion acquisition of Cerevel last year, it emphasized a different drug in the biotech’s pipeline, emraclidine, which is being tested for schizophrenia and has potential in dementia-related psychosis in Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s. While tavapadon doesn’t appear to be the key drug AbbVie focused on its acquisition, the new positive results still represent a win for the pharma company as it completes the deal.

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Our choice today is maple bourbon. Remember that no prescription is required. Meanwhile, here is the latest menu of tidbits to help you on your way. Have a wonderful day, and please do stay in touch…

Eli Lilly reported positive results for its obesity drug Zepbound in obstructive sleep apnea, giving the medication a new edge in the highly competitive obesity market, STAT tells us. The results also pave the way for Zepbound to potentially become the first approved treatment for obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA, a common disorder characterized by breathing interruptions during sleep. Obesity is a major risk factor of OSA, which is estimated to affect approximately 39 million U.S. adults, though many cases are undiagnosed, according to the National Council on Aging. Getting approval for indications other than weight loss would help Lilly in its attempts to expand insurance coverage.

Sage Therapeutics will stop development of its experimental drug to treat Parkinson’s disease after the treatment failed a mid-stage study, sending the company’s shares tumbling 36% before stock trading opened, Reuters reports. Parkinson’s disease, a progressive movement disorder of the nervous system, affects about 1 million people in the U.S. The failure is the latest hurdle for Sage Therapeutics after the U.S. health regulator last year approved the company’s and partner Biogen’s pill Zurzuvae as a treatment for postpartum depression, but rejected it for clinical depression, which is a much larger market.

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Please feel free to join us. Meanwhile, here are a few items of interest to start you on your journey, which we hope is productive and meaningful. Have a grand day, and do keep in touch. …

The number of new prescriptions written for biosimilar versions of the Humira rheumatoid arthritis treatment, one of the best-selling medicines in the U.S., surged to 36% from just 5% during the first week of April, thanks to the expanding reach that CVS Health has over the prescription drug market, STAT writes. The big jump was attributed to one particular biosimilar called Hyrimoz, which is manufactured by Sandoz, a former unit of Novartis that is a leading supplier of generic and biosimilar medicines. However, Hyrimoz is jointly marketed with Cordavis, a new subsidiary that CVS created last August specifically to sell biosimilar medicines in the U.S.

Shah Capital is seeking a change in leadership at Novavax and wants to appoint two handpicked directors, Pharmaphorum notes. In an open letter, the hedge fund accuses Novavax’s leadership of squandering its “many significant competitive advantages and sizeable market opportunity” due to “self-inflicted problems” under the current team led by chief executive John Jacobs. The bid by Shah Capital – which owns 6.7% of Novavax and is one of its top five shareholders – comes as the company has seen its share price come under massive pressure since the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, when its shares were trading above $290 and it had a valuation of more than $40 billion.

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The rotation will likely include this, this, this, this and this. And what about you? If it is true that spring has sprung — and we are still awaiting definitive evidence — you might want to enjoy the great outdoors and watch the trees and flowers slowly come to life. If huddling inside your castle is preferable, there is always the option of staring at the telly and binge-watching a few things. Or if you prefer old-fashioned contact sports, reach out to someone special. Well, whatever you do, have a grand time. But be safe. Enjoy, and see you soon. …

Boehringer Ingelheim will lay off an undisclosed number of sales reps due to poor U.S. sales of its biosimilar version of AbbVie’s blockbuster arthritis treatment Humira, STAT reports. The drugmaker will switch to a hybrid model that mixes in-person and virtual sales by June 30, in large part because pharmacy benefit managers kept Humira on their formularies. That led to less uptake of biosimilar versions of Humira in the U.S., including Boehringer’s Cyltezo. Boehringer launched Cyltezo last July but has only managed to sell 1,487 prescriptions, according to IQVIA data. Almost 2.8 million Humira prescriptions have been written during that time.

An unprecedented crisis looms in India over supplies of injectable poliomyelitis vaccine, or IPV — a crucial tool in efforts to eradicate polio — now that Sanofi has shut its manufacturing plants in the country, The Economic Times reports. Sanofi, which is a leading supplier of the vaccine, ceased production of its IPV vaccine in December 2023, triggering concerns among health experts about an imminent supply disruption that may hobble the country’s most ambitious immunization campaign. IPV is made by only two companies — Sanofi Pasteur and Serum Institute of India, which started its supplies in 2021. Sanofi is believed to cater to over 80% of India’s IPV dose requirements.

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Meanwhile, here is the latest menu of tidbits for you to digest. We hope you have smashing day and conquer the world. And do keep in touch. We enjoy the missives very much. …

Top European prosecutors are investigating allegations of criminal wrongdoing in connection with vaccine negotiations between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the Pfizer chief executive officer, Politico reports. Investigators from the European Public Prosecutor’s Office have in recent months taken over from Belgian prosecutors investigating von der Leyen over “interference in public functions, destruction of SMS, corruption and conflict of interest.” No one has yet been charged in connection with the case. The probe was originally opened by Belgian judicial authorities in early 2023 after a criminal complaint was lodged by a local lobbyist.

The net prices that health plans paid for medicines — after subtracting rebates, discounts, and fees — fell by 2.8% in last year’s fourth quarter, STAT writes, adding this is the largest decline ever measured by SSR Health, a research firm that tracks the pharmaceutical industry and its pricing trends. A key reason for the big drop — which dwarfed the 0.4% decline seen at the same time a year earlier — was pricing pressure on the Humira treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis from biosimilar versions of the medicine. The Humira net price fell to roughly $29,800 at the end of last year from $48,000 at the end of 2022, a nearly 38% drop.

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Meanwhile, do keep us in mind if you hear anything interesting. We continue to accept — at absolutely no charge to you — postcards and telegrams. And of course, we hope you have a smashing day. …

AbbVie announced that chief executive officer Richard Gonzalez, who has managed its ascent since being spun off from Abbott Laboratories in 2013, will step down in July, STAT notes. Gonzalez previously said he would depart when AbbVie had a plan in place to move on from its best-selling drug, Humira, which is now facing competition from cheaper biosimilars. He will be replaced by chief operating officer Robert Michael, who, like Gonzalez, is a longtime AbbVie executive. Worth noting: Gonzalez, 70, who will become executive chairman of the board of directors, should be a sobering reminder to pharmaceutical industry critics of the resilience of a chief executive officer’s reputation.

Three conservative-led states — Idaho, Kansas and Missouri — lost their bid to intervene in a battle between the Biden administration and conservative physicians over the abortion pill mifepristone, Bloomberg Law writes. The U.S. Supreme Court decision comes ahead of March 26 oral arguments in the case and marks a victory for the Biden administration in defending U.S. Food and Drug Administration safety decisions on the drug that previously were struck down by an appeals court. The state intervention motion was tailored to maintain the litigation should the Supreme Court find that the conservative physicians lacked standing to sue the FDA over its decisions on the pill.

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Pharmalot, and the rotation will likely include this, this, this, and this. And what about you? This is a fine time to enjoy the great indoors. So why not tidy up around your castle? When done, you could park yourself in front of the telly and watch a few moving picture shows. Of if you’re feeling old fashioned, you could pull out the Scrabble board. Well, whatever you do, have a grand time. But be safe. Enjoy, and see you soon. …

U.S. Senate health committee chair Bernie Sanders has taken a step toward subpoenaing the chief executive officers at Johnson & Johnson and Merck related to an investigation into high drug prices in the U.S., STAT writes. The step is highly unusual, since the health committee has not issued a subpoena in more than 40 years. Sanders (I-Vt.) invited the J&J and Merck executives, along with Bristol Myers Squibb chief executive officer Chris Boerner, to testify at a Jan. 25 hearing. But only Boerner agreed, and only if at least one other chief executive participated. Instead, Sanders will hold a committee vote on whether to issue the subpoenas and authorize a probe into drug costs on Jan. 31.

But Johnson & Johnson is accusing Sanders of retaliating against the company and others that sued the Biden administration to stop a program to negotiate how much Medicare pays for high-cost drugs, Bloomberg Law reports. The allegation appears in a letter that was written one week before Sanders announced the Senate health committee would vote on whether it would use subpoenas to force J&J and Merck CEOs to testify on U.S. drug prices. The committee’s actions raise “significant concerns that the hearing is intended as retribution” against companies suing the Biden administration over the Medicare negotiation program, the letter says.

Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…

We will draw on a bit of insight 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 invite you to join us. Remember, a prescription is not required. So no need to mess with rebates. Our choice today is crème brûlée. Meanwhile, here are a few items of interest. Hope you have a smashing day and, of course, do stay in touch. …

Starting April 1, CVS Health will no longer offer AbbVie’s Humira to patients in its commercial prescription plans and, instead, will direct them to biosimilar versions of the anti-inflammatory drug that became available last year, Bloomberg News writes. CVS’s Caremark unit is the first major pharmacy benefit manager to announce such a shift. The move is a blow for AbbVie, which managed to keep Humira on PBM lists of covered drugs even when plans added lower-cost biosimilars. CVS’s Cordavis unit will also start selling a version of Humira with AbbVie in the second quarter, though it will not be preferred on CVS commercial drug plans.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is evaluating reports of side effects such as hair loss and suicidal thoughts in people taking medications known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, which are approved to treat diabetes or weight loss, CNN reports. These include Ozempic, Rybelsus, Wegovy, Saxenda, Victoza, Mounjaro, and Zepbound. The FDA is “evaluating the need for regulatory action” after its FDA Adverse Event Reporting System or FAERS received reports of alopecia, or hair loss; aspiration, or accidentally breathing in things like food or liquid; and suicidal ideation in people using these medications.

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We trust you have your own busy agendas. So join us as we hoist the ever-present cup of stimulation — our choice today is gingerbread — and attack the fast-growing to-do list. We hope you have a smashing day and, of course, do stay in touch. Our settings are adjusted to accept postcards and telegrams. …

Activist investor Carl Icahn plans to oust directors at Illumina, laying the groundwork for a second board challenge at the gene-sequencing company months after shareholders elected one of his director candidates, Reuters writes. Icahn disclosed his plans without offering details in a letter to other shareholders less than 24 hours after Illumina said it will divest blood test maker Grail. In Monday’s letter, Icahn blamed the Grail acquisition, which has faced regulatory challenges since 2021, for a 75% drop in Illumina’s share price that he says wiped away $55 billion in value for shareholders. The stock was up more than 2% at $130.39 on Monday.

As more data emerge that obesity drugs like Wegovy can reduce complications from heart and kidney problems as well, scientists have been wondering whether these benefits are driven by weight loss alone or also by other mechanisms. A new study suggests that one possible contributor is the drugs’ ability to reduce inflammation independent of weight loss, STAT tells us. In mice experiments, scientists found that the treatments, known as GLP-1-based drugs, acted through the brain to reduce inflammation throughout the body. This was over a short period of time before the mice lost weight, according to the study, published Monday in Cell Metabolism.

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