Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another working week. We hope the weekend respite was relaxing and invigorating, because that oh-so-familiar routine of meetings, deadlines, Skype calls, conferences, and what-not has, of course, returned. No surprise, though, because the world keeps spinning no matter how much we try to hit the brake pedal. So to cope, please join us for a delightful cup of stimulation. Our choice today is peppermint mocha, for those keeping track. Meanwhile, here are some tidbits. Hope you have a smashing day and do keep in touch. …
The Food and Drug Administration declined to approve a drug developed by Sanofi (SNY) and Lexicon Pharmaceuticals (LXRX) intended for use with insulin in patients with Type 1 diabetes, Reuters writes. The decision comes about two months after an FDA advisory panel failed to reach a consensus over whether the once-daily oral drug, sotagliflozin, should be approved as an add-on to insulin therapy. The setback comes as Sanofi works to revive declining sales from its diabetes division and faces increasing pressure from politicians and patient groups over the rising cost of its insulin products.
Eli Lilly (LLY) issued a report claiming the price it was paid for a key diabetes treatment fell by 8.1 percent over the past five years, after subtracting rebates and other discounts, STAT says. The net price for Humalog, after accounting for those givebacks, was $135 a patient per month last year, down from $147 in 2014. Meanwhile, the average list price during that same period increased 51.9 percent to $594 per patient each month. Lilly is relying on an argument increasingly made by drug makers that list prices may be rising, but the portion paid in rebates and discounts is rising faster.
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