Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another working week, which is only getting started on this side of the pond, due to an extended holiday weekend. Whatever your schedule, we hope you are feeling invigorated and inspired, because the ever-present to-do list is, no doubt, expanding. To cope, we are brewing a delicious cup of stimulation. Our choice today is Jack Daniels (yes, this is a real thing) in honor of our 16th anniversary since Pharmalot debuted. We would like to take a moment to thank you for tuning in all these years and, moreover, lift our cup to recognize those of you who provide feedback, suggestions, criticism, and tips. Now, though, time to get cracking once again. We hope your day is productive and meaningful. And of course, do stay in touch. …
After mobilizing to quickly develop and manufacture a Covid-19 vaccine, Johnson & Johnson has vastly scaled back efforts to produce the shots as it faces slumping demand, The Wall Street Journal reports. In recent months, J&J terminated manufacturing agreements with companies that helped produce the shot, such as Catalent and Sanofi. Meanwhile, a partnership with Merck to help make the shots, forged at the urging of the U.S. government, has not lived up to expectations. The companies are now engaged in arbitration. Merck made J&J vaccines at only one plant, but did not make commercial doses at another plant involved a more complex part of the manufacturing process.
Two leading pharmaceutical companies — Eli Lilly and AbbVie — pulled out of a U.K. government pricing program, The Telegraph telegraphs. The companies left the voluntary scheme for branded-medicines pricing and access, a long-standing agreement between the government, the National Health Service, and drugmakers designed to limit the cost of drugs for the health service while supporting industry innovation. The plan caps the NHS branded-medicines bill, meaning that all manufacturers face a charge if the bill rises more than 2% annually. The cost has risen rapidly in recent years as demand for NHS treatment has grown. As of December 2022, the payback rate was set at 26.5%.
About the Author Reprints
Create a display name to comment
This name will appear with your comment
