Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
New Diabetes Drug To Cost $13,850 Per Vial, More Than Some Estimates
Reuters: Provention Prices Diabetes Drug Above Analysts' Estimates At $13,850 Per Vial
Provention Bio Inc. has priced its diabetes drug teplizumab at $13,850 a vial, it said on Friday, a day after receiving U.S. approval and far higher than some analysts' expectations. ... The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved use of the drug for patients, with stage 2 of type 1 diabetes, to delay the onset of insulin dependence in those aged 8 years and above. (Mahobe and Srinivasan, 11/18)
In other pharmaceutical news —
Stat: Biosplice Sees A Pair Of Osteoarthritis Trials Fail
Biosplice’s bid to transform the treatment of everything from arthritis to cancer ran into a snag this week, with the San Diego biotech announcing that its experimental osteoarthritis drug failed to benefit patients in a pair of Phase 3 clinical trials. (Wosen, 11/18)
Axios: A Roller Coaster Journey In Search For Alzheimer's Treatments
More than a year after one of the most controversial drug approvals in FDA history, seniors and their loved ones may be on the cusp of having a new drug on the market that slows the progression of Alzheimer's disease. (Owens, 11/19)
NBC News: They Were Diagnosed With Uterine Cancer And Tumors. Now They're Suing The Makers Of Chemical Hair Straighteners
Three years ago, Rhonda Terrell was diagnosed with an aggressive form of uterine cancer that has since spread to her abdomen and liver. She underwent a radical hysterectomy — the removal of the uterus, cervix, ovaries and fallopian tubes — and tried to come to terms with the way the disease had altered her life. (Griffith, 11/20)
Stat: MRNA Revolutionized The Race For A Covid-19 Vaccine. Could Cancer Be Next?
The unprecedented success of messenger RNA vaccines against the coronavirus is raising hopes that the technology could lead to new and better vaccines against a much older public health scourge: cancer. (Wosen, 11/21)
CNBC: How A Horse Breeder Launched The World's Largest Vaccine Manufacturer
From its humble beginnings as a horse breeding farm in India to becoming the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, Serum Institute of India has undergone rapid growth throughout the decades to reach its exceptional status. Yet success has not always come easy. (Gill, 11/21)
