Sackler Family Threatens To Walk Away From $4.5 Billion Opioid Pledge

The New York Times: Sacklers Threaten To Pull Out Of Opioid Settlement Without Broad Legal Immunity
A scion of the Sackler family, the billionaire owners of Purdue Pharma, vowed in court on Tuesday that the family would walk away from a $4.5 billion pledge to help communities nationwide that have been devastated by the opioid epidemic, unless a judge grants it immunity from all current and future civil claims associated with the company. Absent that broad release from liability, said David Sackler, 41, a former board member and grandson of one of the founders, the family would no longer support the deal that the parties have painstakingly negotiated over two years to settle thousands of opioids lawsuits brought by states, cities, tribes and other plaintiffs. (Hoffman, 8/17)

AP: Heir: Sacklers Won't Settle Unless Freed From Opioid Suits
Members of the family that owns OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma won’t contribute billions of dollars to a legal settlement unless they get off the hook for all current and future lawsuits over the company’s activities, one of them told a court Tuesday in a rare public appearance. David Sackler, grandson of one of the brothers who nearly 70 years ago bought the company that later became Purdue, testified at a hearing in federal bankruptcy court in White Plains, New York, that unless the settlement is approved with those protections included, as they currently are, “I believe we would litigate the claims to their final outcomes.” (Mulvihill, 8/17)

In other news about drug use —

Stat: As Use Of Some Stimulants Increases, Experts See Parallels To Opioid Crisis
A new study found that the number of adults who used two widely prescribed stimulants nearly doubled in recent years, raising concerns about a potential wave of abuse since both medicines can be highly addictive. Specifically, an estimated 4.1 million adults reported using amphetamines and methylphenidate in 2018, an increase of nearly 80% from 2013. Measured by total prescriptions, the use of amphetamines rose 119% during that time, while the use of methylphenidate grew about 39%, according to the study, which was published in BMJ Open. (Silverman, 8/17)

The Aegis: Upper Chesapeake Health And Klein Family Harford Crisis Center Awarded More Than $125K To Combat Substance Use 
The Klein Family Harford Crisis Center announced it will be receiving more than $125,000 in state grant funds for three peer recovery coaches to help combat Harford County’s overdose problems. The Harford Crisis Center operates as a public/private partnership with the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health and other key community partners to provide three levels of care to those struggling with addiction or mental health issues: urgent care walk-in, residential crisis beds and an outpatient mental health center. (8/18)

In other pharmaceutical industry news —

FiercePharma: Pfizer's Tick-Borne Encephalitis Vaccine TicoVac Passes FDA Muster, Allowing Travelers And The Military Easier Access
The FDA has approved Pfizer's tick-borne encephalitis vaccine TicoVac. The shot has been available for decades in endemic areas, but the new approval will allow travelers and members of the U.S. military living abroad to get easier access to the Pfizer shot. The CDC is expected to review data and make its own recommendations about TicoVac use among Americans. ... Seven years ago, Pfizer paid Baxter $635 million for the vaccine, along with a meningitis C shot. Previously, the shot was available to Americans in TBE endemic countries but it was often difficult to obtain. ... More than 170 doses of TicoVac have been administered since 1976, Pfizer said, but this approval won’t have a major effect on revenue. (Dunleavy, 8/16)

Axios: Tampa's Morphogenesis Wants To Cure Cancer With An Affordable Shot 
A group of scientists in Tampa is working to make treating cancer as easy as getting a shot. While most of today's cancer treatments tend to be toxic and expensive, Morphogenesis is working to develop immunotherapies that are safe and affordable. "Affordability is key," co-founder Patricia Lawman told Axios. "If people can’t pay for it, what good is it?" (San Felice, 8/17)

CNBC: Marlboro Maker Philip Morris Buys Stake In British Asthma Inhaler Firm
Tobacco group Philip Morris International on Wednesday said it had bought 22.61% of U.K.-based respiratory drug developer Vectura in a market purchase. The maker of Marlboro cigarettes said it plans to make further market purchases of Vectura at 165 pence ($2.27) per share. Philip Morris International said Monday that it had entered a tender period with Vectura shareholders following the unanimous recommendation of the asthma inhaler firm’s board. (Meredith, 8/18)

Stat: Sesen Bio Drug Trial Marked By Misconduct, Other Issues, Documents Show
The clinical trial of a cancer drug rejected by the Food and Drug Administration last week was marked by thousands of violations of study rules, damning investigator misconduct, and worrying signs of toxicity the company did not publicly disclose, according to hundreds of pages of internal documents obtained by STAT and confirmed by three people familiar with the matter. Sesen Bio, a small biotech company that developed the bladder cancer drug, spent all of this year telling investors that its treatment was on its way to approval. After the FDA rejected it, CEO Thomas Cannell, fielding analyst questions on a Monday morning conference call, deemed it “a very surprising turn of events.” (Garde, 8/18)

Stat: Former Medivation Exec Charged With Insider Trading After Buying Stock 'Within Minutes' Of Learning Of A Deal 
Just days before Pfizer (PFE) announced plans to acquire Medivation six years ago, the former head of business development at Medivation bought stock in yet another company that Wall Street bankers deemed equally desirable. Now, he has been charged with insider trading by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. (Silverman, 8/17)