Novartis blames slower-than-expected Entresto growth in US on insurer tardiness

Novartis pointed to slower reimbursements and coverage for drugs in the U.S. as a reason for lagging uptake of several key therapies.

By Nicole Gray • Jan. 28, 2016

Massachusetts AG threatens Gilead with legal complaint over hep C drug prices

The biotech giant was also slapped with a federal lawsuit on Tuesday by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which is seeking to invalidate patents for Gilead's sole new approved medication of 2015, Genvoya.

By Sy Mukherjee • Jan. 27, 2016

Explore the Trendline➔

Commercialization

New drugs for obesity are becoming blockbusters, while Trump administration pressure is reshaping pharma marketing strategies ahead of looming patent cliffs.

By BioPharma Dive staff

Trump joins Clinton, Sanders, & Obama in endorsing Medicare drug price negotiations

"We don’t do it," said the Republican presidential candidate during a campaign event in New Hampshire. "Why? Because of the drug companies."

By Sy Mukherjee • Jan. 27, 2016

DTC TV ad spending fell in December, but Pfizer topped peers

December's DTC television ad spending declined to $107 million. 

By Nicole Gray • Jan. 26, 2016

US temporarily halts enrollment in Cigna Medicare Advantage & drug plans

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) found "widespread and systemic failures" at Cigna, according to a letter notifying the company of its suspension. 

By Nicole Gray • Jan. 26, 2016

Sanofi EVP & former Obama admin official Suresh Kumar on the TPP, drug prices, & Dengue

Kumar's unorthodox path to Sanofi's executive team took him through the world of Indian sports broadcasting and the halls of the White House. We spoke with him during the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco earlier this month about some of the biggest issues that Sanofi, and biopharma at large, faces this year. 

By Sy Mukherjee • Jan. 26, 2016

Roche investigating off-label Avastin use after 15 Indian patients hospitalized

Roche has emphatically reiterated Avastin is not approved for intraocular use in either India or the United States. 

By Nicole Gray • Jan. 26, 2016

OPDP warns Hospira about misleading YouTube video

The video, for Hospira's sedative Precedex, failed to present adequate risk information according to the office. 

By Nicole Gray • Jan. 25, 2016

Walgreens CEO hops on the pricing critic train, says consumer Rx should be cheaper

Stefano Pessina, whose retail pharmacy giant recently struck a 20-year distribution deal with the embattled Valeant, thinks consumers should be further shielded from pricing pain. 

By Sy Mukherjee • Jan. 22, 2016

Reviewing Gilead's formidable 2015: A year marked by higher sales and new criticism

The biotech giant's sales continued to chug along in the midst of an industry-wide controversy over high drug prices. We examined the company's performance last year—and what it tells us about what to expect in 2016.

By Ned Pagliarulo • Jan. 22, 2016

Glaxo chief: Consumer unit can stand on its own—but don't expect a spinoff soon

According to Andrew Witty, the British pharma giant's consumer health division is headed towards a $14 billion value.

By Nicole Gray • Jan. 22, 2016

Novo Nordisk eyes the future, expands presence in Iran as sanctions lift

Novo will roughly double its workforce in the Middle Eastern nation, adding to a $76 million investment it made in a local factory back in September 2015. 

By Nicole Gray • Jan. 22, 2016

Big data: The key to healthier patients, better margins, & making Cancer MoonShot 2020 a reality

We spoke with Bain’s head of global healthcare to gain insight into the growing impact of big data analytics on the biopharma industry, as well as tips for how companies can update their digital strategy. 

By Nicole Gray • Jan. 20, 2016

NY strikes price cut, CVS distribution deal for Amphastar's heroin overdose antidote

NY Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced a 20% price cut for the life-saving medication Narcan on Tuesday.

By Sy Mukherjee • Jan. 20, 2016

Off-label use of Avastin in India hospitalizes 15, sales halted in two states

Roche's Avastin is commonly used off-label to treat wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), but the FDA has not approved it for that purpose. 

By Nicole Gray • Jan. 19, 2016

Taiwan election results buoy biotech sector, president-elect seen as major ally

President-elect Tsai Ing-wen has said that she wishes to boost Taiwan's biotechnology industry. 

By Nicole Gray • Jan. 19, 2016

Novartis' psoriasis mega-blockbuster hopeful Cosentyx nabs 2 new indications

The FDA has expanded its approval of Cosentyx to include the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis in adults. 

By Ned Pagliarulo • Jan. 19, 2016

Cipla's pipeline bursting with more than 200 drugs

The large Mumbai-based pharmaceutical company forecasts sales of more than $30 billion for the top 50 drugs in its pipeline.

By Nicole Gray • Jan. 15, 2016

Glaxo heading to court over generic Paxil claims in suicide case

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) faces a September trial over charges of failure-to-warn about the antidepressant's side effects, which allegedly led to the suicide of an adult man taking the drug. 

By Nicole Gray • Jan. 15, 2016

ASCO: Reform the 'clinical pathways' approach to cancer

The American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) this week released new policy recommending the 'clinical pathways' approach be made more transparent and consistent. 

By Nicole Gray • Jan. 14, 2016

Cancer MoonShot 2020: Independence Blue Cross to cover genome sequencing costs

Billionaire biotech entrepreneur Patrick Soon-Shiong says that he and other collaborators will try to get more insurers on board to cover the costs associated with genomic sequencing for cancer patients.

By Nicole Gray • Jan. 13, 2016

Pharma execs dismiss protests over drug pricing, focus on deal-making at JPM16

Protesters have been demonstrating outside JPMorgan Conference sites, holding signs accusing Gilead of price-gouging. 

By Nicole Gray • Jan. 13, 2016

Cervical Health Awareness Month: How far we've come since Nixon declared war on cancer

When it comes to fighting cervical cancer, a 10-year-old drug is giving women new hope—and HPV vaccine marketers are trying to demystify the benefit-risk equation for physicians and parents. 

By Nicole Gray • Jan. 13, 2016

Glaxo to stop paying physicians to promote its drugs

But the firm will still pay doctors for research. 

By Nicole Gray • Jan. 13, 2016

Study: PPIs for heartburn linked to increased risk of kidney disease

That includes proton pump inhibitors such as Prilosec, Prevacid, and Zegerid.

By Nicole Gray • Jan. 12, 2016