Bristol Myers Squibb Warned Over Drug Prices; FDA Has New Concerns Over Philips Sleep Apnea Machines

Stat: White House Official Dings Bristol Myers Squibb
A top White House official on Tuesday delivered a pointed attack at a drugmaker fighting the administration’s Medicare negotiation plan in court. Christen Linke Young, White House Domestic Policy Council’s deputy assistant to the president for health and veterans affairs, took on Bristol Myers Squibb, which makes the blockbuster blood thinner Eliquis. Eliquis is one of 10 high-cost drugs the federal program has targeted first for negotiated prices. (Owermohle, 11/28)

In other pharmaceutical industry developments —

Reuters: US FDA Flags New Problem With Philips Machines, Shares Fall 
Philips shares fell more than 6% on Wednesday after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it is alerting patients about a new safety issue with machines made by the group that are used for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. The Amsterdam-based healthcare technology company has been grappling with the fallout of the global recall in June 2021 of millions of respirators used to treat sleep apnea over worries that foam used in the machines could become toxic. (11/29)

Stat: Vertex Pressured To Expand Access To Cystic Fibrosis Treatments
Vertex Pharmaceuticals is being accused by a group of advocates and physicians of refusing to take several steps that would widen access to its pricey cystic fibrosis medicines in predominantly poor countries. In a recent Zoom call, company executives were urged to drop patent claims and implement a global pricing model reflecting R&D and production costs, which could make the treatments more affordable. Instead, the Vertex team maintained the company will use a nascent donation program to address the concerns, according to people who attended the Oct. 12 session. (Silverman, 11/28)

CIDRAP: Studies Suggest Even One Vaccine Dose May Cut Risk Of Long COVID 
In Sweden, University of Gothenburg researchers led an observational evaluation of the efficacy of primary COVID-19 vaccination (two doses followed by a booster) against long COVID, or post-COVID condition (PCC), among adults whose first infections were recorded in a national registry from December 2020 to February 2022. Average follow-up was 129 days. (Van Beusekom, 11/28)

Stat: Argenx Antibody Fails Study In Autoimmune Disorder
Belgian drugmaker Argenx said Tuesday that its antibody medicine failed to achieve the goals of a late-stage study for a platelet-destroying autoimmune disorder — a setback in the company’s efforts to expand the drug’s use. (Feuerstein, 11/28)

CIDRAP: Study Shows Antibiotic Awareness Campaign In England Met Key Goals
A mass media campaign in England helped improve knowledge about antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and attitudes regarding inappropriate antibiotic use, according to a study published last week in Eurosurveillance. (Dall, 11/28)

ScienceDaily: Understanding Subjective Beliefs Could Be Vital To Tailoring More Effective Treatments For Depression And ADHD 
Taking into account whether people believe they are receiving a real treatment or a fake one (placebo) could provide better insights that could help improve interventions for conditions such as depression and ADHD. (University of Surrey, 11/28)