Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Federal Government Gives $765M Loan To Kodak To Make Chemicals For Drugs
The Washington Post: Kodak To Produce Pharmaceutical Ingredients With U.S. Government Loan
In a deal aimed at reducing U.S. reliance on China, the federal government announced Tuesday that it plans to give Eastman Kodak a $765 million loan to start producing the chemical ingredients needed to make pharmaceuticals. The company plans to establish a new division, Kodak Pharmaceuticals, that will focus on the building blocks used to produce generic drugs, according to a joint statement from Kodak and the lending agency, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, or DFC. (Whalen, 7/28)
Reuters: Roche Bid To Retool Arthritis Drug For COVID-19 Fails
Roche’s attempt to retool its rheumatoid arthritis drug Actemra/RoActemra drug to treat patients hospitalised with severe COVID-19-related pneumonia has failed in a late-stage trial, the Swiss company said on Wednesday. Roche had launched the 330-patient trial in March as it joined other pharmaceutical companies seeking to re-purpose existing medicines to fight the pandemic. (Revill, 7/29)
Dallas Morning News: Plano Biopharma’s Kidney Drug Gets Special FDA Approval For COVID-19 Trials At NYU
Biopharmaceutical darling Reata is supplying its experimental kidney drug to New York University’s prestigious Grossman School of Medicine to study its effects on COVID-19 patients. The research team is led by cardiologist and NYU professor Dr. Sripal Bangalore, a new member of Plano-based Reata Pharmaceuticals’ advisory board who helped care for COVID patients in New York at the height of the pandemic. He’s also director of complex coronary intervention at NYU. (Walters, 7/28)
Stat: Cepheid Is Accused Of Overcharging And Undersupplying Its Covid-19 Test To Poor Countries
As controversy rises over equal access to Covid-19 medical products, a manufacturer of rapid, point-of care tests is being urged to lower the price of its diagnostic and also increase sales to a World Health Organization diagnostics consortium designed to serve low-income countries. At issue is a test developed by Cepheid, which charges $19.80 for the test for 145 developing countries represented by the consortium. Doctors Without Borders argues the company could still make a profit if the price was lowered to $5. (Silverman, 7/28)
