Sovaldi

Pharmalot.. Pharmalittle.. Good Morning.. Catching up on Pfizer, Valeant, Shkreli and..
November 5, 2015

Hello, everyone, and how are you today? We are just fine, thank you. Our outlook is brightened by the delightful combination of a shiny sun enveloping the leafy Pharmalot campus and a few cups of stimulation, which are as needed as ever. Feel free to join us. Remember, no prescription is required. And now, time to get cracking. We trust that you can relate. So here are a few items of interest to help you along. Have a great day and keep in touch…

Pfizer is increasing its financial assistance to patients, doubling the allowable income level for people to receive dozens of its medicines for free; What does Martin Shkreli think of the US Senators investigating pricing practices at his company? “The senators have their facts wrong,” he says; Gilead Sciences’ blockbuster hepatitis C medicine Sovaldi may trigger an abnormally slow heartbeat and put patients at risk of passing out; and Roche’s Kadcyla, an expensive breast cancer drug, will remain on the list of medicines available on the UK’s National Health Service after the drug maker agreed to lower the price.

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Bribes  / Cancer  / Diabetes  / FDA  / Generics  / Hepatitis C  / Marketing  / Mergers and Acquisitions  / Painkillers  / Pharmacy Benefit Managers  / Pricing & Patient Access  / Quality Control  / Uncategorized

AbbVie, hepatitis C and patient deaths: What the wags say
October 23, 2015

In a setback to AbbVie, the Food and Drug Administration yesterday warned of liver damage from its two hepatitis C treatments, setting off a chain reaction that is reverberating across the pharmaceutical industry. With as many as seven patient deaths and several liver transplants attributed to the drugs, AbbVie stock plummeted and Wall Street fortune tellers went to work betting on winners and losers.

The serious side effects are “likely to be fatal for (AbbVie) brand, at least in the US,” writes Sector & Sovereign Research analyst Richard Evans in an investor note. He pointed out Viekira Pak already generated more adverse events than either Gilead drug. And the only way AbbVie was able to retain market share was to entice payers to place its drug on formularies, the lists of preferred medicines.

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FDA  / Hepatitis C  / Patient Safety

Pharmalot… Pharmalittle… As the weekend nears
October 9, 2015

And so, another working week will soon draw to a close. This is, you may recall, our treasured signal to daydream about weekend plans. Once again, our agenda is rather modest. We plan to manicure the Pharmalot campus, catch up on sundry chores and escort Mrs. Pharmalot to another installment in our ‘let’s-see-them-before-they-die’ concert series. And what about you? In some parts, this is a lovely time of year to enjoy the fall scenery. Perhaps you can catch up on your reading or reach out to someone special. Whatever you do, have a lovely time. But remember, be safe. See you soon…

Bernie Sanders will oppose Califf as the next FDA commish, citing his ties to drug makers; Pfizer representatives will meet with Gloucester, Mass., police chief Leonard Campanello, who publicized CEO contact info to drum up outrage over opioid addiction; and generic drug makers in India are engineering hepatitis C combination pills that are impossible in western nations due to patent protections.

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Cancer  / Clinical Trials  / FDA  / Generics  / Hepatitis C  / Marketing  / Patents  / Uncategorized

Express Scripts will cover those pricey new cholesterol drugs
October 6, 2015

The drug makers that sell a new and expensive type of cholesterol-lowering treatment will provide discounts to the nation’s largest pharmacy benefits manager, a move that may defuse yet another simmering controversy over the cost of medicines.

In exchange for the givebacks, the benefits manager, Express Scripts, will give the drugs preferential placement on its formulary, a list of medicines that are eligible for insurance reimbursement. The size of the discounts, however, was not disclosed. Terms differ for each drug, but these also were not disclosed.

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Hepatitis C  / Pricing & Patient Access

Pharmalot.. Pharmalittle.. Good Morning.. More News On Prices and…
September 30, 2015

Good morning, everyone, and how are you today? A spot of rain is falling on the Pharmalot campus, but our spirits remain sunny. After all, you may recall a favorite saying from the Morning Mayor: ‘Every brand new day should be unwrapped like a precious gift.’ So go ahead and tug on the ribbon. Meanwhile, here are some tidbits to help you along. Hope you have a smashing day and do stay in touch…

Lupin has raised the price of its Fortamet diabetes drug in the U.S. by 200 percent; The so-called “right to try” laws may not work as expected – and might even strip patients of federal safety protections, and the Sovaldi hepatitis C treatment sold by Gilead Sciences caused rapid and widespread increases in Medicaid spending in 2014, but with substantial variation across states.

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FDA  / Pricing & Patient Access  / Uncategorized