Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Drug Companies Back New California Bill To Protect Integrity Of Research Data From Consumers
Stat: Life Sciences Industry Rallies Behind Calif. Bill To Prevent Nightmare Scenario
Drug companies here are rallying behind legislation that they say would fix a state consumer privacy law that threatens to jeopardize the integrity of clinical trial results and drive scientists out of California. The bill, called SB-1121, would prevent patients from accessing and deleting some of their data from clinical trials. The idea is to make sure that clinical trial participants can’t use the consumer privacy law to prohibit their data from being used by researchers, or to find out if, say, they’re receiving an active treatment or a placebo. (Robbins, 9/20)
Stat: In The Battle For Life Sciences Companies, One State Shows Up Behind Enemy Lines
The campaign to promote life sciences and biotech in Maryland began last fall, but the mobile billboard is new. Mayer declined to comment on the exact route it’s taking in the Boston area or beyond or how it was determined. The billboard features a link to a website touting Maryland’s benefits. The site includes a direct comparison of real estate costs for life sciences companies in Maryland ($24.35 per square foot, the site says), San Francisco ($47.39), and Boston ($49.61). The site also lists companies like Otsuka, GlaxoSmithKline, and AstraZeneca’s MedImmune that are already operating in Maryland. (Sheridan, 9/19)
Reuters: EU Approves Fifth Copy Of AbbVie's $18 Billion Drug Humira
Europe has approved a fifth copy of AbbVie's $18-billion (£13.7 billion)-a-year biologic drug Humira – the world's best-selling prescription medicine – ramping up competition among makers of less-expensive biotech drugs. Mylan and Fujifilm Kyowa Kirin Biologics said on Thursday they had won a European Commission green light to market their version of the injectable medicine, known as Hulio. They intend to launch it in Europe on or after Oct. 16, when AbbVie's primary European patent on Humira expires. (9/20)
