Drug Delivery

While some analysts say Donald Trump is a wild card when it comes to drug pricing, many argue his presidency would be more positive for the industry overall, as Kamala Harris has her price-cutting sights squarely on Big Pharma.
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Ori Biotech’s CEO said the prioritization of review by FDA, coupled to the impact of the technology, could shave up to three years off development timelines.
While trade groups hail the executive order as a national health security opportunity, analysts warn that production costs could go up in the near term.
As the political winds shift on a whim and public distrust of the pharma industry reaches fever pitch over drug pricing, executives are being asked to navigate an impassible path.
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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.
As Novo Nordisk’s weight loss drug enters the Chinese market, its patent is expiring in two years and biosimilar competition is rising.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Monday said he intends to have a “significant package of China-related legislation” signed into law by the end of this year, including the BIOSECURE Act which intends to stop federal contracts with Chinese “companies of concern.”

A federal judge ruled last week that the U.S. government can use its economic standing as a bulk purchaser to negotiate for better deals, handing Boehringer Ingelheim a loss in its legal challenge to the Inflation Reduction Act.
Two CRLs from the FDA last week cited concerns with third-party manufacturers, while Indian CDMOs may make a bid for U.S. business if there is a decoupling from Chinese companies under the BIOSECURE Act.