Drug Delivery
A push to reshore some drug production and progress in advanced manufacturing technologies have been prominent trends this year, industry leaders say.
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Following FDA rejections, Regeneron and Scholar Rock are turning to other facilities to clear regulatory logjams created by quality problems at an ex-Catalent facility in Indiana. Novo Nordisk, meanwhile, has been tight-lipped about whether its own FDA applications have been affected.
Experts suggest the FDA’s Advanced Manufacturing Technologies designation could be a lifeline for improving production processes for approved cell and gene therapies.
Novo Nordisk goes “on the offensive” following Trump deal that also included rival Eli Lilly, putting an exclamation point on rapidly declining GLP-1 drug prices. Experts say the unusual situation makes it hard to predict what’s next.
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To help keep pace with the demand for GLP-1 therapies, CordenPharma has announced a sizeable $980 million investment in its U.S. and European sites.
To improve its reviewers’ understanding of cell and gene therapy manufacturing, the agency has launched a program that will involve a tour of manufacturing facilities and daily workshops for its staffers.
After discontinuing its long-acting insulin product Levemir, Novo has again found itself under legislative scrutiny, with three Democratic senators seeking a sit-down with the pharma.
Vertex has filed a complaint against the Department of Health and Human Services, seeking to make its fertility preservation program available to federally insured patients needing Casgevy treatment.
Some analysts say so, and a recent study suggested Lilly’s tirzepatide beat Novo’s semaglutide at inducing weight loss, but there are other factors in the market race.
The Federal Trade Commission criticized the business practices of pharmacy benefit managers this week, but drugmakers are also at fault for the high costs of medicines.
Akebia Therapeutics on Thursday said it regained full U.S. rights to its chronic kidney disease anemia drug Vafseo, which the biotech has priced at around $15,500 per year.
CVS Caremark’s recent decision to take AbbVie’s Humira off its major formularies has caused the blockbuster to lose more market share to biosimilars, according to the latest report from Samsung Bioepis.
The Senate on Thursday unanimously passed a bill aimed at limiting the number of patents drugmakers can introduce and making it easier for generic and biosimilar competitors to enter the market.
The Federal Trade Commission plans to file lawsuits against the three largest pharmacy benefit managers over allegedly steering patients away from less expensive drugs, according to The Wall Street Journal.