Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Critics Slam Gilead For Halting Development Of Less-Toxic HIV Treatment
Los Angeles Times: A Question Of Timing: A Lawsuit Claims Gilead Sciences Could Have Developed A Less-Harmful Version Of Its HIV Treatment Sooner
More than a decade ago, researchers at Gilead Sciences thought they had a breakthrough: a new version of the company’s key HIV medicine that was less toxic to kidneys and bones. Clinical trials of the new compound on HIV-positive patients in Los Angeles and several other cities seemed to support their optimism. Patients needed just a fraction of the dose, creating the chance of far fewer dangerous side effects. But in 2004, just as the Foster City biotech firm was preparing for a second and larger round of patient studies, Gilead executives stopped the research. ... More than six years later, though, in 2010, Gilead restarted those trials. The new version of the drug, which the company says is safer, was approved in November under the brand name Genvoya. ... critics believe the new, less harmful form of the drug could have been developed sooner – and wasn’t because the company wanted to extend its patent-protected profits. (Petersen, 5/29)
In other pharmaceutical news —
The New York Times: Jazz Pharmaceuticals To Buy Celator For $1.5 Billion
Jazz Pharmaceuticals said on Tuesday that it had agreed to buy Celator Pharmaceuticals, which makes a treatment for a form of leukemia, for $1.5 billion in cash. The deal comes amid rapid consolidation in the pharmaceutical sector, with companies using mergers to gain scale or access to new treatments for rare diseases, without having to fund the research and development stage for those therapies. (Bray, 5/31)
Bloomberg: Sun Pharma Says U.S. Unit Gets Subpoena In Antitrust Probe
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., India’s largest drugmaker, said its U.S. unit received a grand jury subpoena from the Justice Department’s antitrust division related to generic products and pricing. The summons also sought documents about communications with competitors and others regarding the sale of generic drugs, along with corporate and employee records, Sun Pharma said in a May 27 stock exchange filing. (Philip, 5/31)
