Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
No Child Developmental Harm From Antidepressants In Pregnancy: Study
Antidepressant use during pregnancy was not associated with autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), behavioral disorders, developmental speech, language, learning and coordination disorders or intellectual disabilities, according to a study of over 145,000 women and their children across the United States followed for up to 14 years. (LaMotte, 10/4)
In other pharmaceutical research 鈥
When CAR-T therapy works against blood cancer, it can work spectacularly, but cancer still returns for many patients. In lymphoma, scientists are just beginning to work out why over half of treated patients don鈥檛 experience lasting remission, depending on the product. (Chen, 10/4)
Amid heightened debate over a regulatory program for speeding the approval of some medicines, a new government analysis finds extensive delays in the clinical trials that drug makers are required to conduct after approvals. (Silverman, 10/3)
More pharmaceutical industry news 鈥
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear Biogen Inc's bid to win reinstatement of a patent on the company's blockbuster multiple sclerosis drug Tecfidera in a dispute with Viatris Inc subsidiary Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Brittain, 10/3)
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday asked President Joe Biden's administration for its opinion on whether the court should hear Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc's challenge to a $235 million award for GlaxoSmithKline LLC in a patent dispute over generic heart medication. (Brittain, 10/3)
Theranos Inc. founder Elizabeth Holmes is due back in court this month to make the case that she deserves a new trial based on her allegations that the government manipulated testimony from a key witness who testified against her. The hearing was granted Monday by the judge who presided over Ms. Holmes鈥檚 monthslong criminal-fraud trial. (Somerville, 10/3)
Kroger is threatening to exit Express Scripts' network if the pharmacy benefit manager does not agree to a more 鈥渆quitable and fair鈥 contract.聽Kroger said it has attempted--to no avail--to negotiate more favorable rates with Cigna subsidiary Express Scripts dozens of times over the past eight months, the company said in a news release. Express Scripts鈥 proposal is 鈥渇ar out of line鈥 with the industry standard, according to the supermarket company. (Tepper, 10/3)
Bluebird Bio is about to become the seller of the two most expensive drugs in the U.S., and by extension the world, each fetching nearly $3 million. While the high price tag is already leading to public backlash, one would think the company and its investors would at least see a huge payoff as the drugs finally hit the market. Not quite. Two approvals by the Food and Drug Administration this past summer might have rescued the company from the financial abyss, but the Boston-area-based Bluebird, which in April announced significant cost cuts to stay afloat, is going to be cash-strapped for a while. (Wainer, 10/3)