Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Eager To Get Into U.S. Market, Ipsen Buys Cancer Drug In $575M Deal With Merrimack
Boston Globe: Merrimack To Sell Pancreatic Cancer Drug To Ipsen In $575M Deal
Merrimack Pharmaceuticals Inc. of Cambridge agreed to sell its pancreatic cancer drug and other assets to Ipsen SA for $575 million, striking a deal less than a month after another treatment failed in clinical trials. Ipsen SA, a French drug maker eager to expand its US business, could additionally pay as much as $450 million more under the deal if the drug is eventually approved to treat other cancers. (Weisman, 1/9)
CQ Roll Call: GAO Questions Implementation Of Drug Compounding Law
A new Government Accountability Office report examining the Food and Drug Administration’s implementation of a 2013 drug-compounding law says that while the agency has taken steps to regulate large drug-compounding firms, state regulation of drug compounding in smaller settings remains weak. Drug compounding is a process in which a drug is altered to meet the needs of an individual patient by combining, mixing or switching out ingredients. The process is useful for patients who might be allergic to commercial drugs. (Ferguson, 1/9)
