Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Maker Of Alzheimer's Drug Defends Switch To Tablet-A-Day Version
The Associated Press: Actavis: No Apologies For Seeking Alzheimer's Drug Profits
A lawyer for the Irish manufacturer of an Alzheimer's drug urged a U.S. appeals court on Monday to let it replace a two-pill daily regimen with a single-dose version of the drug even if it cheats generic drugmakers of profits. Attorney Lisa Blatt told the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan that Dublin-based Actavis PLC makes no apologies for maximizing its profits, though a December court ruling has already caused it to lose at least $200 million in sales and forced it to spend tens of millions of dollars in promotions that otherwise would not be necessary. (Neumeister, 4/14)
Related KHN content: Battle Over Dementia Drug Swap Has Big Stakes For Drugmakers, Consumers (Appleby, 3/19)
The Wall Street Journal: FDA Issues Muscle-Growth Supplement Alert
The Food and Drug Administration warned consumers not to use a muscle-growth supplement called Tri-Methyl Xtreme that it said has been linked to cases of severe liver injury. The product is distributed by a Las Vegas-based company called Extreme Products Group, according to the federal agency. A call to the company for comment wasn’t returned. (Burton, 4/13)
