A major competitor to EpiPen, the lifesaving allergy injection that has become the latest flashpoint in the debate over high drug prices, will launch on Valentine’s Day at a list price of $360 for a two-pack, the company KalA o announced on Thursday. For years, pharmaceutical company Mylan hiked the price on EpiPen — to $609 for a two-pack, enjoying a near monopoly on the growing allergy injection market.
Category: Medicine
Mallinckrodt Will Pay $100 Million to Settle Price-Hike Suit
Irish drugmaker Mallinckrodt Plc agreed to pay $100 million to settle claims that its U.S. unit illegally boosted the price of a rare autoimmune drug by 85,000 percent and bought the rights to a much-cheaper competitor to keep it out of the American market. The unit monopolized the market for years to increase sales of its H.P. Acthar Gel, typically used to treat multiple sclerosis, infantile spasms and other life-threatening diseases, the Federal Trade Commission said Wednesday in a statement.
5 Expensive Drugs That Could End Up in Trump’s Crosshairs
Donald Trump’s taking aim at drug companies that have increasingly found themselves in the hot seat because of sky-high drug price increases in the past. Last week, Trump likened the industry’s history of price hikes as akin to “getting away with murder,” and he hinted that significant changes to how government programs pay for medicine are afoot.
Gates Foundation Joins New $460 Million Coalition for Vaccines
A global group tasked with more quickly developing vaccines against infectious disease threats worldwide was launched Wednesday by a coalition of governments and nonprofit groups including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, funded with an initial investment of $460 million from Germany, Japan, Norway, the Wellcome Trust and the Gates foundation, aims to develop vaccines against known infectious disease threats that could be deployed quickly to contain outbreaks before they become global health emergencies, the group said in a statement at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Gates Foundation Joins New $460 Million Coalition for Vaccines
A global group tasked with more quickly developing vaccines against infectious disease threats worldwide was launched Wednesday by a coalition of governments and nonprofit groups including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, funded with an initial investment of $460 million from Germany, Japan, Norway, the Wellcome Trust and the Gates foundation, aims to develop vaccines against known infectious disease threats that could be deployed quickly to contain outbreaks before they become global health emergencies, the group said in a statement at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
San Francisco biohackers are wearing implants made for…
He runs his fingers over the part of the arm where Benigeri’s boss, Geoff Woo, will soon stick him with a small implant. An instrument no bigger than an inhaler lodges a needle into the back of Benigeri’s arm.
Should You Get a Medicare Advantage Plan?
You may or may not have heard of Medicare Advantage plans, but you would do well to learn more about them. After all, as of last year, more than 17 millionAmericans had enrolled in them, up from about 7 million in 1999.
Should Investors Bet on Gilead Sciences Version 3.0?
CEOMark Pruzanski presented late Wednesday at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference. Pruzanski obviously focused on Intercept’s achievements and plans.
Why You’re Going to See A Lot More Medical Bankruptcy Without Obamacare
Daniel Gershburg , owner of Gershburg Law P.C. a consumer bankruptcy firm based in New York, has seen his fair share of medical bankruptcies prior to Obamacare but none after its inception. He was kind enough to share his thoughts on what’s coming down the pipeline and the future of healthcare affordability after an Obamacare repeal .
Boston Scientific’s Upgrade May Lead to Breakout
We concluded, “This long-term Point and Figure chart, above, shows a long decline, a base and a recovery. A move above $24 on this chart opens the way for a $31 price target.
Is Biogen’s Stock Ready to Heat Up After a Forgettable 2016?
The underlying reason for this dip is the biotech’s inability to shake off the political turmoil surrounding specialty-drug prices last year. And that’s not exactly surprising, given that Biogen’s flagship multiple sclerosis drug Tecfidera relied heavily on price increases to drive sales growth in the U.S. in 2016.
The definitive guide to what experts know about the effects of marijuana use
Cannabis plants grow in the greenhouse at Vireo Health’s medical marijuana cultivation facility, August 19, 2016 in Johnstown, New York. As eight states plus the District of Columbia have moved to fully legalize recreational marijuana, debates on the merits of legalization have focused on the effects of marijuana use on individuals and society: is marijuana bad for your lungs, or for your brain? Does it have therapeutic applications? Is it safer than alcohol or tobacco? Marijuana is one of the most studied substances in scientific literature, but the answers are scattered across tens of thousands of scientific papers.
All-Star Fund Manager Chris Davis Has ETF Splash of His Own
The exchange traded fund industry is filled with index-based products, but indexing is not always exciting. There are not a lot of personalities in the ETF business, but the industry just got a rockstar.
Insulin Drug Offers Hope for MannKind
The launch of Afrezza was a series of botches and errors that would have been at home in an episode of Fawlty Towers . Afrezza is contra-indicated for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease , not surprising since it is absorbed into deep lung tissue.
Mylan’s Troubles Just Won’t Stop as Key Insurer Drops EpiPen
Cigna will no longer cover Mylan’s EpiPen and EpiPen Jr. autoinjectors, instead encouraging patients to use Impax ‘s generic device for treatment of severe allergic reactions. The move was effective as of Jan. 7, when Cigna released a list of changes to coverage for 2017.
Biden’s Cancer Moonshot Draws on Aussie Nobel-Winning Expertise
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Melbourne last July with his granddaughters in tow. Bypassing sporting stadiums and race-car tracks, Biden’s first official stop in the world’s sporting capital was to open a A$1 billion cancer center.
5 Ways Vertex Pharmaceuticals Plans to Grow in 2017 and Beyond
However, Vertex CEO Jeff Leiden said on Monday at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference that “business has never been stronger.” He also emphasized that the company has a clear pathway to growth in 2017 and beyond.
Japan’s Takeda buys US cancer specialist Ariad for $5.2bn
Takeda’s offer is valued at more than 75% above Ariad’s closing share price on Friday – but some analysts says a rival bid cannot be ruled out. Cancer drugs are appealing to large pharmaceutical firms, who are prepared to pay high prices for companies with promising products in the pipeline.
Secretive Biotech Unicorn Moderna Unveils Pipeline, Financials
Moderna Therapeutics Inc., one of the best-funded private biotechnology companies in the U.S., unveiled its long-secret research and development pipeline on Monday, including experimental vaccines, cancer treatments and a cardiovascular therapy. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based startup has about $1.3 billion in cash on hand from investors, pharmaceutical partners and government grants, according to a presentation Monday at the J.P.Morgan Chase & Co.
Takeda Expands Cancer Business With $4.66 Billion Ariad Deal
Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. will expand its footprint in the U.S. oncology market with the $4.66 billion purchase of Ariad Pharmaceuticals Inc., adding one potential blockbuster in lung cancer and another already on-the-market therapy.
ICU Medical Shares Keep Climbing As BlackRock Ups Stake To More Than 10%
ICU Medical Inc. shares continued climbing in the extended session Monday after BlackRock Inc. disclosed earlier it had increased its stake in the medical device maker to more than 10%. ICU Medical shares surged 15% to $158.05 after hours, after closing up 4.3% in the regular session.
Why Surgical Care Affiliates Inc Operated Higher Today
UnitedHealth is best known as a health insurer, but the company also operates doctors’ offices and other healthcare services, such has urgent care facilities, through its OptumCare division. Buying Surgical Care Affiliates will add 205 surgical facilities to its offerings.
Merrimack Soars on $1 Billion Sale of Cancer Drugs to Ipsen
The Nasdaq-listed cancer drugs developer is up 43% in pre-market trading after promising shareholders special dividends worth more than its closing share price on Friday. Nasdaq-listed Merrimack Pharmaceuticals agreed to sell oncology treatments, including its pancreatic-cancer treatment Onivyde, to French drugmaker Ipsen for as much as $1.05 billion, including benchmark payments.
Vertex View into Cystic Fibrosis Sales Growth Still Limited by European Reimbursement
Vertex Pharmaceuticals provided new financial guidance for 2017 on Sunday, including sales of the cystic fibrosis drug Orkambi in the range of $1.1 to $1.3 billion. At the midpoint of Vertex’s 2017 guidance, Orkambi sales will grow 23% compared to 2016 but that’s still $200 million-plus short of the current Street consensus.
3 Takeover Candidates in the Drug Space
This commentary originally appeared on Real Money Pro at 7 a.m. ET Friday, Jan. 6. Click here to learn about this dynamic market information service for active traders. We expect quite a number of M&A deals in the health-care sector in 2017.
Your High-Priced Personal Trainer May Be Losing Health Coverage
The high-end gym chain offers Kiehl’s body lotion, on-site athletic gear shops, and eucalyptus-infused towels in its lineup of membership amenities. The company also touts its personal trainers as “the best of the best” on its website.
Here’s Why Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Plunged 59.8% in 2016
That was a far worse decline than the 19% loss by the biotech sector, in general, as measured by the iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF While Alnylam’s share price was weak through the first nine months of the year, investors can mostly chalk that up to the general sell-off in biotech. However, the company’s stock was decimated in October after the company reported a major clinical setback.
Why Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Sears Holdings, and Shake Shack Slumped Today
Friday was another record day for the stock market, with the Dow climbing above 19,999 without quite making it the final point higher to 20,000 before falling back toward the end of the day. A mixed jobs report seemed to give investors the perfect balance between economic strength and weakness, and market sentiment remained positive to frustrate those who had anticipated a quick pullback from the post-election rally once 2017 began.
Flu’s Back in the U.S. After a Slow Start, Hitting NYC Hard
Following a late and somewhat milder than normal season last year, influenza picked up in the middle of December, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s weekly report. The virus isn’t working its way across the nation in its usual southeast to northwest pattern, however.
Carlyle Said Exploring Sale of Vitamin-Maker Nature’s Bounty
Carlyle Group LP is exploring a sale of nutritional-supplements maker Nature’s Bounty Co., whose brands include “MET-Rx” and “Pure Protein,” people with knowledge of the matter said. The private equity firm has held talks with potential advisers about selling the U.S. company, formerly known as NBTY Inc., according to the people.
5 Stocks Setting Up for Big Breakouts
Trading stocks that trigger major breakouts can lead to massive profits. Once a stock trends to a new high, or takes out a prior overhead resistance point , it’s free to find new buyers and momentum players which can ultimately push the stock significantly higher.
Daily Dividend Report: ENB, PBA, CNP, COG, COO, SKT
Enbridge declared a quarterly dividend of $0.583 per common share, payable on March 1, 2017 to shareholders of record on February 15, 2017. The declared dividend represents a 10 percent increase from the prior quarterly rate and the twenty-second consecutive year in which the Company has increased its common share dividend.
U.S. Stocks Waver Between Modest Gains And Losses After Jobs Report
U.S. stocks wavered between modest gains and losses after Friday’s open following an upbeat report on U.S. jobs growth in December. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was flat at 19,903.
Carlyle Said to Explore Sale of Vitamin Maker Nature’s Bounty
Carlyle Group LP is exploring a sale of nutritional-supplements maker Nature’s Bounty Co., whose brands include “MET-Rx” and “Pure Protein,” people with knowledge of the matter said. The private equity firm has held talks with potential advisers about selling the U.S. company, formerly known as NBTY Inc., according to the people.
Cheating Death Can Cost $200,000 as Cancer Tops Pharma Sales
Years before becoming a top cancer specialist, Eric Winer used to save money on his own medical care by talking U.S. pharmacists into giving him expired treatments for free. Winer, who has a bleeding disorder known as hemophilia, knew the drugs would still work for a brief time after the official use-by date.
European Stocks Open Lower as Investors Prep for U.S. Jobs Report
European stocks opened lower Friday as investors adopted a defensive stance ahead of key U.S. employment data amid a pullback in the dollar and increasing questions over the recent ‘Trump Rally’. The region-wide Stoxx 600 index, the broadest measure of European shares, slipped 0.2% by 08:30 GMT as benchmark indices drifted modestly lower across the board.
Amgen Wins Ban on Sanofi’s Praluent Cholesterol Drug Sales
Amgen Inc. won a court ruling blocking rivals Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. from selling their cholesterol-lowering drug Praluent in the U.S. because it infringes Amgen’s patents covering a rival treatment. U.S. District Judge Sue Robinson in Delaware ordered Sanofi and Regeneron Thursday to halt Praluent sales for 12 years because the drug infringes patents on Amgen’s Repatha medication.
Amgen Wins Ban on Sanofi’s Praluent Cholesterol Drug Sales
Amgen Inc. won a court ruling blocking rivals Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. from selling their cholesterol-lowering drug Praluent in the U.S. because it infringes Amgen’s patents covering a rival treatment. U.S. District Judge Sue Robinson in Delaware ordered Sanofi and Regeneron to halt Praluent sales for 12 years because the drug infringes patents on Amgen’s Repatha medication.
The Scariest Thing About Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Dividend
With a current yield of 2.67%, investors still have reason to show the love. But there is something that might seem scary to some investors — the company’s ability to keep the dividends flowing at current levels.
Ono Pharma’s Wild 2016 Ride Cuts Stock Valuation by $16 Billion
Having surged as much as 34 percent as of mid-April, the stock finished the year down more than 41 percent, marking its worst performance in more than 50 years. The swing reduced its market capitalization by about 1.87 trillion yen from a record high in April.