Rise and shine, everyone, another busy day is on the way. We can tell because we have already quaffed our third cup of stimulation and eyeing still more. At this rate, we will need a new coffee kettle any day. Perhaps you relate? In any event, time to get cracking. As always, we have assembled a menu of tidbits to help you along. Hope you have a smashing day and do keep in touch. We accept emails, documents, and secrets of all sorts.
Eli Lilly raised list prices of nine of its medicines last week between 6 and 9.9 percent, CNBC tells us. The price for the Effient blood thinner climbed 9.9 percent, and the Taltz psoriasis drug rose 6.9 percent. Prices for two insulins, Humalog and Humulin, increased 7.8 percent. Lilly raised prices for these drugs between 7.5 and 21 percent in 2016, according to Bernstein analysts. Lilly claims net prices, after rebates paid to middlemen, were much lower.
The Food and Drug Administration approved the use of Merck’s Keytruda drug in combination with chemotherapy for previously untreated advanced lung cancer, Reuters reports. The decision solidifies the lead Merck holds in immunotherapies by significantly expanding the number of patients available for Keytruda therapy. The move also places added pressure on such rivals as Bristol-Myers Squibb, AstraZeneca, and Roche.
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While our scribe has correctly quoted the Business Standard in the final item – “might pose serious problems as chemists are not adequately qualified to dispense the right product” – the premise of the Indian Pharma group is … bemusing at best? Perhaps it was ‘lost in translation’ [oh, and ‘chemist’ means pharmacist for US speakers], if the chemists are NOT ‘qualified to dispense’ what in heavens name are they doing in the pharmacy to begin with? Last time I checked, doctors prescribe, pharmacists dispense, unless it’s the ever rarer ‘sample.’