Hello, everyone, and nice to see you again. We hope the extra-long weekend respite was relaxing and invigorating, because the familiar routine of meetings, deadlines, and whatnot has returned. This is, of course, a short week on this side of the pond, but nonetheless, there is work to be done. So grab a cup of stimulation and get ready to dig in. As usual, here are some tidbits to get you started. Good luck and keep in touch …
US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf appeared in a federal database of payments made last year by drug makers to physicians that was updated last week, Regulatory Focus reports. The database says he received received five payments from GlaxoSmithKline for travel, lodging, and food, and more than $5,000 in consulting fees from AstraZeneca. The FDA is looking to see whether these were reported erroneously. In 2014, when he was not working for the FDA, Califf received almost $32,000 from companies.
Teva Pharmaceuticals, one of the largest purveyors of copycat drugs, recently bid to join the US trade group for brand-name drug makers, underscoring how the lines between the two camps are increasingly blurring, the New York Times writes. But some brand-name drug makers say that conflicts with generics — notably, over patents — should disqualify Teva for membership.
About the Author Reprints
