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There are good reasons for Britain’s AstraZeneca Plc to consider what would be the biggest pharmaceuticals deal in history by combining with U.S. peer Gilead Sciences Inc. They may not be good enough to offset the risks that go with mashing together drugmakers with a total market value of nearly $240 billion. AstraZeneca approached Gilead last month, Bloomberg News reported Sunday, although there are no formal talks underway. Gilead discussed the possible tie-up with its advisers but isn’t interested in selling to a larger rival right now, Bloomberg News added. (Chris Hughes, 6/7)

The vast human and economic devastation of the coronavirus is evident in the numbers: more than 100,000 American lives lost, 1.9 million infected and a national unemployment rate of 13.3 percent. While the curve appears to be slowly flattening, it goes without saying that the fallout will be substantial, particularly for states and communities. When it comes to overall health care spending, COVID-19 will further exacerbate already strained state budgets, particularly as millions of Americans shift from commercial insurance to Medicaid. (John O'Brien, 6/6)

Imagine if President Trump expressed surprise about how devastating cancer can be for millions of patients and their families. Imagine if he went on to muse, almost playfully, that perhaps he should give chemotherapy a try. Now you understand the mixture of stunned astonishment and dismay I felt, as a person with Type 1 diabetes, after Trump said the other day that maybe he should inject himself with insulin. (David Lazarus, 6/4)

Last week, President Trump delivered on a central promise of his presidency — making prescription drugs more affordable. His new “Part D Senior Savings Model” will reduce out-of-pocket costs for millions of Medicare beneficiaries to just $35 a month. In the middle of a pandemic, this is a much-welcomed effort to save seniors money on their necessary medicines and boost overall health outcomes. (Kenneth E. Thorpe, 6/7)

Citing price-gouging and high profits in the pharmaceutical industry, six of seven Democratic candidates in the race to succeed US Rep. Nita Lowey in the 17th  Congressional District today pledged to liquidate any direct stock holdings in pharmaceutical companies if they are elected. The lone candidate who did not join the pledge is former federal prosecutor Adam Schleifer, who holds between $26 million and $55 million in pharmaceutical stocks. That includes at least $25 million in stock at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, the Tarrytown-based company founded by Schleifer’s father, Leonard. (David McKay Wilson, 6/4)