Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Pfizer To Acquire Anacor Pharmaceuticals; Valeant To Offer Hospital Discounts For Two Heart Drugs
The New York Times: Pfizer To Acquire Anacor Pharmaceuticals For $5.2 Billion
Pfizer has signed its first acquisition since terminating its $152 billion merger with Allergan about a month ago. Pfizer will acquire Anacor Pharmaceuticals for $5.2 billion, the companies announced Monday. Anacor has developed a product, currently under review by the Food and Drug Administration, known as crisaborole, to treat eczema. The company, based in Palo Alto, Calif., also makes a topical treatment called Kerydin for a form of toenail fungus. (Picker, 5/16)
The Wall Street Journal: Pfizer To Buy Anacor For $4.5 Billion
Pfizer Inc. said Monday it would buy Anacor Pharmaceuticals Inc. for about $4.5 billion, as it turns to smaller deals after walking away from its scuttled acquisition of Allergan PLC. Pfizer will pay $99.25 a share in cash for Anacor, a 55% premium to Friday’s closing price. The companies said the deal, including debt, is valued at $5.2 billion. Last month, Pfizer and Allergan terminated their planned $150 billion merger after the Obama administration took aim at the deal that would have moved the biggest drug company in the U.S. to Ireland to lower its taxes. Since then, Pfizer has been looking for deals of its own. (Steele and Rockoff, 5/16)
Reuters: Valeant To Increase Hospital Discounts For Two Heart Drugs
Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc said on Monday it would raise the discounts to hospitals on its heart drugs Nitropress and Isuprel to as much as 40 percent off list prices after shareholder William Ackman pledged to revisit controversial price increases on the treatments. Valeant has been criticized by doctors and is being investigated by the U.S. Senate after having raised the price of Isuprel by about 720 percent and Nitropress by 310 percent after it bought the drugs from Marathon Pharmaceuticals in 2015. (Humer and Banerjee, 5/16)
The Wall Street Journal: Valeant Outlines Heart Drug Discounts After Heavy Scrutiny
Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. said Monday that it would expand discounts for a pair of its heart drugs following heavy scrutiny over its pricing tactics. Under the changes, effective immediately, hospitals are eligible for a rebate of at least 10% but up to 40% based on the volume of drugs bought during a quarter. The program covers cardiac-care drugs Nitropress and Isuprel. (Steele, 5/16)
The New York Times: Dogs Test Drug Aimed At Humans’ Biggest Killer: Age
Ever since last summer, when Lynn Gemmell’s dog, Bela, was inducted into the trial of a drug that has been shown to significantly lengthen the lives of laboratory mice, she has been the object of intense scrutiny among dog park regulars. ... The drug, rapamycin, which improved heart health and appeared to delay the onset of some diseases in older mice, may not work the same magic in dogs, for another. There is also a chance it could do more harm than good. “This is just to look for side effects, in dogs,” Ms. Gemmell told Bela’s many well-wishers. ... The trial also represents a new frontier in testing a proposition for improving human health: Rather than only seeking treatments for the individual maladies that come with age, we might do better to target the biology that underlies aging itself. (Harmon, 5/16)
