After Spate Of Failures, Some Warn That Searching For Magic Drug To Cure Alzheimer’s Is A Wild Goose Chase
The disease is too complex, experts argue. But drugmakers are still hoping for a foot in that lucrative door. In other pharmaceutical news: insulin drug pricing, pharmacy benefits managers, postpartum depression drugs, a rare genetic disease, and more.
The Wall Street Journal:
Where Alzheimer’s Research Is Pushing Ahead
The failure last week of Biogen Inc. and Eisai Co.’s once-promising Alzheimer’s disease drug was the latest in a spate of disappointments for medicines designed to target Beta amyloid, a sticky substance long known to accumulate in the brains of people with the disease. The repeated failure of such drugs are giving greater currency to efforts by academics and smaller biotech companies to better understand the biology of Alzheimer’s and explore the use of drugs with alternative mechanisms of action. Some of the more promising research efforts are looking into the role that inflammation, the immune system, viruses and another brain substance called tau might play in the disease, disease experts say. (Walker and Loftus, 3/24)
Stat:
Biogen-Eisai Partnership May Suffer After Alzheimer's Drug Blowup
A rift may have opened in the Alzheimer’s disease partnership between Biogen (BIIB) and its Japanese pharma partner Eisai following the high-profile and costly failure of their jointly developed drug aducanumab. Eisai said Friday that it intends to push ahead with the development of a second Alzheimer’s drug, called BAN2401, also part of the Biogen partnership. A Phase 3 clinical trial of BAN2401 targeting the enrollment of 1,500 patients with early Alzheimer’s disease has been initiated, Eisai said. (Feuerstein, 3/22)
Stat:
Lilly Discloses Pricing Data On Insulin In Response To Political Pressure
Under pressure over its pricing of insulin, Eli Lilly (LLY) on Sunday issued a report in which it claims that the price it was paid for a key diabetes treatment fell by 8.1 percent over the past five years, after subtracting rebates and other discounts. Specifically, the net price for Humalog, after accounting for those givebacks, was $135 a patient per month last year, down from $147 in 2014. Meanwhile, the average list — or wholesale — price during that same period increased 51.9 percent to $594 per patient each month. (Silverman, 3/24)
Stat:
Kentucky Probes PBMs For Allegedly Overcharging State Medicaid
The Kentucky Attorney General has begun a probe into allegations that pharmacy benefit managers overcharged the state Medicaid program and discriminated against independent pharmacies. The move follows a recent report showing PBMs appear to have profited from spread pricing, which refers to the fees these companies pay pharmacies and then bill back to state Medicaid programs. Last year, PBMs were paid $858 million, of which they kept $123.5 million, or 13 percent. This was up from 9.4 percent in 2017, according to the report by the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services. (Silverman, 3/22)
Bloomberg:
Zulresso Postpartum Depression Drug Still Has High Hurdles
Zulresso, the world’s first-ever drug for postpartum depression, cleared a major hurdle when it won approval from the Food and Drug Administration this week. Even bigger challenges lie ahead for Sage Therepeutics Inc., the drug’s developer. Zulresso, the brand name for brexanolone, works much faster to treat the condition than anything currently available. Experts have hailed it as “groundbreaking,” a “game changer.” And postpartum depression affects as many as one in nine new mothers. These facts alone would suggest the drug is destined to be a blockbuster. Yet there’s a difference between a drug that works and a drug that sells. (Koons, 3/22)
The New York Times:
For Many Boys With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Bright Hope Lies Just Beyond Reach
Lucas was 5 before his parents, Bill and Marci Barton of Grand Haven, Mich., finally got an explanation for his difficulties standing up or climbing stairs. The diagnosis: muscular dystrophy. Mr. Barton turned to Google. “The first thing I read was, ‘no cure, in a wheelchair in their teens, pass in their 20s,” Mr. Barton said. “I stopped. I couldn’t read any more. I couldn’t handle it.” (Kolata, 3/25)
The New York Times:
For Urinary Incontinence, Try Behavioral Treatments Or Drugs, Or Both
Both behavioral and drug treatments can be effective in treating women for urinary incontinence, researchers report in the Annals of Internal Medicine, and they may work even better in combination. Researchers analyzed data from 84 randomized trials that looked at a variety of treatments for stress and urgency incontinence. Nondrug treatments, usually aimed at strengthening the pelvic floor or changing behaviors, included bladder training, biofeedback, acupuncture, education, weight loss, yoga and other treatments. (Bakalar, 3/22)
