Good morning, everyone, and nice to see you again after an extended break on this side of the pond. We hope your own respite was relaxing and invigorating, because that oh-so familiar routine of online calls and meetings and deadlines has predictably returned. But you knew this would happen, did you not? So time to fire up the coffee kettle and brew another cup of stimulation. Our choice today is the deliciously smooth butter pecan. Do feel free to join us. Meanwhile, we have rummaged about and collected a few tidbits to help you get started. We hope you have a wonderful day and, of course, do keep in touch. …
The inflammation-targeting therapy Dupixent succeeded in a Phase 3 trial in patients with the chronic lung disease COPD, results that could propel the blockbuster medicine into a massive new market, STAT reports. The drug, which is jointly developed by Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, has already racked up approvals for several indications, including asthma, atopic dermatitis, and eosinophilic esophagitis. If approved for COPD, it would be the first biologic treatment for the condition. The companies plan to submit the data, along with the findings from the initial Phase 3 trial, to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration by the end of the year.
Novo Nordisk is talking to health care systems about innovative pricing deals for its Wegovy weight loss drug, as it hopes to expand sales of the obesity treatment by helping health services spread the cost across many years, The Financial Times says. Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, Novo’s chief executive officer, said that to make a “dent” in a condition such as obesity, the company needed to treat many more than just the millions of patients who are currently taking the drug. “We are open to what types of arrangements we can make with health care systems that could help them serve the patients who need it the most,” he added, but there are no plans to cut the price of the drug.
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