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Nearly 40% of Food and Drug Administration advisory committee meetings held over a recent 20-year period included either a patient or consumer representative with active ties to an advocacy group funded by pharmaceutical companies, according to a new analysis. And for several committees, the number of such reps exceeded 50%. (Silverman, 10/13)

The Justice Department (DOJ) announced Tuesday that CVS Health has agreed to pay $315 million to settle lawsuits alleging the company illegally filled prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances. The settlement resolves a lawsuit first filed in 2019 by former CVS employee Hillary Estright in 2019 under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which allows private parties to sue on behalf of the U.S. It also settles the ensuing 2024 complaint that the federal government filed against CVS Health. (Choi, 10/13)

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and a coalition of seven states asked a federal court on Tuesday to punish Martin Shkreli for “flagrantly and repeatedly” violating a lifetime ban from being involved in the pharmaceutical industry. In a court filing in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the FTC said Shkreli has traded in at least 60 pharmaceutical stocks since being released from prison in 2022. He’s also been broadcasting his opinions about the business and management of the companies through livestreaming and posting on numerous social media platforms. (Weixel, 10/13)

A California congressman cited a CIDRAP News investigation in a letter to dental and medical associations in which he urges them to educate their members about the risks of inappropriate antibiotics. Rep. J. Luis Correa, a Democrat from Orange County, asked for the medical and dental groups’ “urgent assistance” in curbing the overprescription of antibiotics, which promotes the growth of resistant bacteria and can cause life-threatening side effects. Correa singled out clindamycin, an antibiotic that has carried a black box warning for at least four decades but is still heavily used in dentistry, as a drug that should be prescribed only when absolutely necessary. (Szabo, 10/13)

When drugmakers want to improve on compounds they have already created, they can replace a carbon atom with a nitrogen atom. While effective, the techniques they use to perform this chemical swap, known as skeletal editing, have some downsides. For example, older approaches often require harsh chemicals or only work on specific types of molecules. That got researchers led by Mark D. Levin at the University of Chicago searching for a gentler and more versatile way to do it. Unlike older methods that fail when a specific chemical step goes wrong, their new technique turns that exact problem into a helpful tool. (Arnold, 10/13)

Thousands of bottles of acetaminophen sold on Amazon have been recalled over reports of discolored tablets, according to a recall notice from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The recalls, voluntarily issued last month but only recently included in the FDA’s enforcement report, impact nearly 113,000 bottles of 500-milligram Extra Strength Acetaminophen caplets available through Amazon. (Bink, 10/13)

The Food and Drug Administration received reports in recent months that two people died after taking bootleg versions of an experimental weight-loss drug, according to documents reviewed by CBS News. (Gilbert, 10/13)

A recent Phase III clinical trial, TRIUMPH-2, evaluated the efficacy and safety of retatrutide, a triple receptor agonist and experimental once-weekly injection being developed to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes. What sets it apart from drugs such as semaglutide (Wegovy), which targets one hormone, and tirzepatide (Zepbound), which targets two, is its ability to activate three hormone receptors at once. (Mondal, 10/13)

Walmart Inc. plans to cover more than 250 prescription drugs without charge for its employees and add other health benefits to attract and retain workers at a time when many companies are raising healthcare costs. The list of covered medications includes many generics alongside some in-demand branded drugs such as Novo Nordisk A/S’ Ozempic and Eli Lilly & Co.’s Mounjaro. The retailer will offer those at no cost for people with Type 2 diabetes after prior approval. (Kang, 10/13)