Breast Cancer Awareness Month: A look at recent innovations in breast cancer

This month marks the 30th year of Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM). In recognition of the milestone, here is a brief look at recent innovations in diagnosis, surgery, and medical treatment for the disease.  

By Nicole Gray • Oct. 16, 2015

J&J bullish that its own SGLT2 diabetes med will show Jardiance-like CV benefit

Now that Jardiance (empagliflozin) from Lilly/Boehringer Ingelheim has been clinically proven to reduce cardiovascular (CV) events and related deaths, Johnson & Johnson expects the same for Invokana (canagliflozin). 

By Nicole Gray • Oct. 15, 2015

Explore the Trendline➔

Commercialization

New drugs for obesity and Alzheimer’s look set to become blockbusters, reshaping pharma marketing strategies just as many current top-sellers near looming patent cliffs.

By BioPharma Dive staff

September DTC TV ad spending for pharma hits $231 million

AbbVie, Merck, and Johnson & Johnson led DTC TV spending last month, promoting Humira (adalimumab), Belsomra (suvorexant) ,and Invokana (cangliflozin), respectively. 

By Nicole Gray • Oct. 15, 2015

Diabetes therapeutics: A hotbed of innovation and reservoir of pharma progress

The recent CV data on Jardiance is the latest breakthrough in diabetes therapeutics. We spoke with Boehringer Ingelheim's Dr. Thomas Seck; a treating physician; and a marketing specialist about what comes next.

By Nicole Gray • Oct. 14, 2015

Big pharmas to meet police chief who published CEOs' numbers over opioid crisis

As co-founder of the Police Assisted Addiction Recovery Initiative (PAARI), Leonard Campanello, the police chief in Gloucester, MA, has pushed pharma companies to help address the opioid epidemic. 

By Nicole Gray • Oct. 13, 2015

Reuters: Prices for top drugs in US 3 times higher than in UK

The main difference between the U.S. and the rest of the world is a relative lack of government intervention in pricing in the U.S.

By Nicole Gray • Oct. 13, 2015

Controversy erupts over pediatric OxyContin guidance

Critics say the FDA's decision to expand the painkiller's use to children as young as 11 could fuel an addiction crisis.

By Nicole Gray • Oct. 13, 2015

Could 'pay-for-performance' be coming to a prescription drug near you?

Payers are starting to look for guarantees that high-cost medications work in real-world settings.

By Nicole Gray • Oct. 9, 2015

Allergan, Valeant rethink 'acquire-and-hike' pricing strategy amid Shkreli-driven anger

Since Hillary Clinton took to Twitter with her outrage over Turing's Daraprim price hike, the Nasdaq Biotech Index has lost $130 billion in value.

By Nicole Gray • Oct. 9, 2015

An innovation challenge: Using pharma R&D as a tool for social change

We spoke with Dr. Seth Lederman, CEO of Tonix Pharmaceuticals, about how a new way of understanding certain diseases could not only treat symptoms, but quell stigma and help many patients sleep better.

By Nicole Gray • Oct. 8, 2015

Express Scripts to cover both Sanofi/Regeneron's & Amgen's PCSK9 meds

The pharmacy benefits giant won't be pulling a Viekira Pak-over-Sovaldi move on the pricey new cholesterol therapies. But its cost and savings projections for the drugs are raising some eyebrows.

By Sy Mukherjee • Oct. 7, 2015

The bubble burst cometh? Biotech stocks down 21% since July

Both Greatbatch and Illumina lowered their sales forecasts for the year, sending shares into freefall. And that's adding to a toxic onslaught of negative media attention on biopharma's pricing practices.

By Nicole Gray • Oct. 6, 2015

Almost half of UK doctors have negative view of pharma industry

According to a survey conducted by Binley's, a healthcare analysis firm, U.K.-based physicians feel that pharma is too focused on sales and marketing.

By Nicole Gray • Oct. 5, 2015

TPP trade talks stuck in the mud over US drug exclusivity demands

Members of the 12 Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) countries are currently meeting in Atlanta. 

By Nicole Gray • Oct. 2, 2015

Teva exec: Pharma needs to face its pricing demons head-on

But does the company follow that very advice?

By Nicole Gray • Oct. 1, 2015

10 top trends driving the biopharma industry today

From pricing controversies to the continued deluge of M&As, to put-up-or-shut-up moments for hotly anticipated drug candidates, here are 10 of the most important industry trends that biopharma professionals need to understand.

By Sy Mukherjee • Oct. 1, 2015

Allergan riding high with 10% increase in branded product revenues

The firm is projecting more than $8 billion in revenues for the second half of the year.

By Nicole Gray • Sept. 29, 2015

Novartis backs graphic novel featuring a teen with a rare disease—and his dog

Scott, who has tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), is an awareness-raising hero in this DC Comics publication. 

By Nicole Gray • Sept. 29, 2015

Lilly settles Sanofi dispute, plans 2016 launch for biosim Lantus

Eli Lilly will launch Basaglar, a biosimilar version of Sanofi's Lantus SoloSTAR, in December 2016.

By Nicole Gray • Sept. 29, 2015

House Dems demand Valeant CEO testify on price hikes with Shkreli, stock plunges

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee want Chairman Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) to issue a subpoena to Valeant demanding documents related to February price increases for Isuprel and Nitropress. And they want CEO Michael Pearson to testify alongside biopharma's current PR nightmare: Martin Shkreli.

By Nicole Gray • Sept. 29, 2015

Top US cardiologists push to limit PCSK9 drug patient pool

During a panel at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, physicans' views synced with those of some health insurers.

By Nicole Gray • Sept. 24, 2015

Are the EU's steep biosim discounts the ghost of US biosimilars' future?

The first approved U.S. biosimilar only comes with a 15% discount. The rate cuts are far more dramatic in Europe.

By Nicole Gray • Sept. 24, 2015

Has the era of the super successful pharma sales rep really come to an end?

We spoke with James Crowley, author of the Accenture report “The Rebirth of the Pharmaceutical Sales Force,” to gain insights into why some pharma sales reps are actually doing better than ever.

By Nicole Gray • Sept. 23, 2015

Is Martin Shkreli biopharma's unwitting whistleblower?

The outspoken Turing Pharma CEO's tactics haven't won him much love. But exorbitant price hikes aren't exactly rare in the contemporary life sciences sector—and now, those practices are in the public limelight.

By Sy Mukherjee • Sept. 23, 2015

A 'reverse Turing?' Nonprofit reacquires TB drug, rolls back massive price hike

The cost of a 30-day supply of the drug initially increased from $500 to $10,800.

By Nicole Gray • Sept. 23, 2015