Makers of Plavix Ordered To Pay $834 Million For Misleading Marketing

Bloomberg: Bristol-Myers, Sanofi Must Pay $834 Million Over Plavix
Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and Sanofi were ordered to pay the state of Hawaii more than $834 million for illegally marketing their blockbuster blood-thinning drug Plavix in a manner that put some users’ lives at risk. Judge Dean Ochiai in Honolulu concluded Monday the drugmakers misleadingly marketed Plavix and failed to properly warn consumers in the state about its health risks. The companies produce the medicine as part of a joint venture. The $834 million was awarded as a civil penalty for Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi’s violation of Hawaii’s consumer-protection laws through their improper Plavix marketing campaigns. Hawaii Attorney General Clare Connors’ lawyers showed the companies didn’t properly disclose the blood thinner was ineffective for as many as 30% of users in the state, the judge said. (Feeley, 2/15)

In other pharmaceutical and biotech news —

Stat: Denali Study Of Hunter Syndrome Drug Leaves Experts Encouraged
A preliminary study of a medicine developed by Denali Therapeutics to treat Hunter syndrome, a rare genetic disease, has left outside experts encouraged by its potential. The study, details of which were released Friday, included just five patients, and the experts said much more testing would be needed. (Herper, 2/12)

Albuquerque Journal: ‘Digital Head’ Helps Diagnose Traumatic Brain Injuries
Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory are developing a computer modeling software that can simulate the brain and how it reacts to trauma. The model includes several unique factors that reveal what is happening to the brain at the cellular level and also pinpoint where injury has occurred. Knowing this can help alert medical professionals and identify the root cause of cognitive impairments a person may suffer, especially for an unconscious victim. While computer models of the brain are not new, Los Alamos’ digital head takes into account a patient’s specific brain anatomy – a factor that is important in accurately determining the location of brain injury. Previous models have treated the brain as one solid object, rather than a complex organ made up of many different parts, and those models are restricted to the anatomy of an average adult. (Daphalapurkar, 2/14)

Stat: The Unconventional, Demanding Culture That Drives Flagship Pioneering
Not long ago, the name Flagship Pioneering was as likely to elicit an eye roll as a nod of approval. The decades-old venture capital firm had built its reputation with access to billions of dollars and world-class scientists. But it was also famous for pouring money into companies with vague and impossibly ambitious goals. Few had yet proven their worth. (Sheridan, 2/16)