Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
After Patients' Deaths, Company Pumps Brakes On Cutting Edge Cancer Treatment
Stat: Juno Pulls The Plug On A Once-Promising Cancer Treatment
Juno Therapeutics is abandoning a cancer therapy that once looked like a revolutionary advance, reacting to a rash of patient deaths that made the customized treatment too risky to push forward. ... Juno’s treatment, called JCAR015, was tied to five deaths in clinical trials on a rare form of leukemia, leading the Food and Drug Administration to twice suspend development in 2016. In each case, Juno’s therapy triggered a storm of immune activity that led to deadly brain swelling, a side effect the company struggled to explain. (Garde, 3/1)
In other pharmaceutical news —
Reuters: EpiPen Maker Mylan Forecasts Strong 2017; Shares Jump
EpiPen allergy shot maker Mylan NV forecast 2017 profit and revenue largely above analysts' estimates on Wednesday, in sharp contrast to downbeat expectations from its rivals, amid pricing pressure in the U.S. generics market. The generic drugmaker also reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter profit and revenue, boosted by strong demand for drugs acquired through its purchase of Sweden's Meda last year. (Grover, 3/1)
Kaiser Health News: Making Multiple Drugs In One Factory Risks Scary Side Effect Of Shortages
A shift toward making multiple medications under one roof is sparking concern about what happens when a facility suddenly shuts down because of a manufacturing or safety issue: Closing a single factory could lead to shortages of hundreds of drugs, say regulators and industry analysts. Their anxiety is complicated by the tight secrecy surrounding where pharmaceuticals are made, so even experts aren’t certain where or how a supply problem has occurred. (Lupkin, 3/2)
