Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Many Cancer Patients Are Missing Out On The Most Advanced Treatments
Stat: Many Cancer Patients Don’t Get Genomic Tests To Guide Treatment, Study Finds
Even as therapies improve, a startling number of cancer patients are not getting genomic tests that could improve their chance of survival. (Chen, 4/7)
CBS News: New York Budget Proposal Threatens To Roll Back Biomarker Testing Coverage, Health Care Advocates Say
Three years ago, New York state took a huge step forward by expanding access to biomarker testing, which is said to be a game changer in cancer care. Now, however, advocates fear the state could be taking a step back for those with Medicaid. (DeAngelis, 4/7)
Bloomberg: Gilead Agrees To Buy Cancer Biotech Tubulis In $5 Billion Deal
Gilead Sciences Inc. agreed to buy private German biotech Tubulis GmbH in a deal worth up to $5 billion as it looks to boost its portfolio in a hot new area of cancer drug development. Gilead will pay $3.15 billion upfront in cash, and as much as $1.85 billion more if certain milestones are met, the companies said in a statement Tuesday, confirming an earlier Bloomberg story. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter. Gilead shares slid 1.2% at 12:30 p.m. in New York on Tuesday. (Kresge, Langreth and Henning, 4/7)
On diabetes —
MedPage Today: FDA Approves First Farxiga Generics For Type 2 Diabetes
The FDA approved the first generics of dapagliflozin (Farxiga) tablets for adults with type 2 diabetes, the agency announced on Tuesday. Generics of the SGLT2 inhibitor are indicated for glycemic control (alongside diet and exercise) and for reducing the risk of heart failure hospitalizations among patients with established cardiovascular disease or multiple cardiovascular risk factors. (Monaco, 4/7)
Modern Healthcare: Diabetes Device Recalls Climb As CGM, Insulin Pump Issues Grow
Continuous glucose monitors, automated insulin delivery systems and other devices have improved diabetes care for millions of patients, but a spike in recalls has doctors and patient advocates concerned. The 20 recalls in 2025 were more than the previous four years combined and an almost sevenfold increase from the three recalls in 2024, according to a Food and Drug Administration medical device recall database. This year, there have been at least three recalls. (Dubinsky, 4/7)
In other pharmaceutical news —
Stat: Merck’s HIV Prevention Pill Could Be Made For Less Than $5 A Year
An experimental HIV prevention pill being developed by Merck could be mass produced for less than $5 per patient a year according to a new analysis. Advocates argue the low cost means the company should find it easier to license the drug so that low- and middle-income countries can gain easy access. (Silverman, 4/7)
Bloomberg: Novo Prices High-Dose Wegovy At $399 To Challenge Lilly’s Zepbound
Novo Nordisk A/S will price its new high-dose Wegovy shot at $399 a month for cash-pay patients, undercutting the cost of most doses of rival Eli Lilly & Co.’s Zepbound. High-dose Wegovy will be available starting on Tuesday, Novo said. The price is about 40% less than what Lilly charges cash-pay patients for the top three doses of Zepbound. The stronger drug is an important part of Novo’s efforts to catch up with Lilly after a trial showed that Zepbound outperformed the standard dose of Wegovy. The prospect of more weight loss has helped the Lilly drug become the most popular obesity shot in the US. (Muller and Kresge, 4/7)
CIDRAP: Insecticide Resistance In South American Mosquitoes Portends Trouble For Malaria Control
Mosquitoes in South America are evolving to evade insecticides, a troubling implication for the spread of malaria in that part of the world. The Anopheles darlingi mosquito is a major vector of malaria in the Americas, which has seen meaningful progress in combating the parasitic disease: In the past eight years Paraguay, Argentina, El Salvador, Belize, and Suriname were all certified as malaria free by the World Health Organization (WHO). Still, according to the WHO’s Pan American Health Organization, 136 people in the Americas died of malaria in 2024. (Boden, 4/7)
