Good morning, everyone, and how are you today? We are doing just fine, thank you. After all, the birds are still chirping and a cool breeze is wafting by the placid Pharmalot campus. Moreover, this marks the middle of the week, which means we have managed to survive this far. And this calls for celebration, yes? So please join us as we hoist another cup of delicious stimulation. Remember, no prescription is required, so there is no need to negotiate rebates. Our choice today is mocha marshmallow. Meanwhile, here are a few items of interest. Have a grand day, and drop us a line if you hear something juicy. …
Drugs that combat obesity could for the first time be included on the World Health Organization’s “essential medicines list,” used to guide government purchasing decisions in low- and middle-income countries, Reuters reports. A panel of advisers to the WHO will review new requests for drugs to be included next month, with an updated essential medicines list due in September. The request to consider obesity drugs was submitted by three doctors and a researcher in the U.S, and covers the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk’s obesity drug Saxenda, which will come off patent soon, allowing for cheaper generic versions.
A growing shortage of monkeys used for early-stage pharmaceutical research is causing concern that many companies will soon face costly delays starting clinical trials — leading to a slowdown in drug development, STAT explains. In recent weeks, the U.S Fish & Wildlife Service began denying company requests to import long-tailed macaques from Cambodia in the wake of a federal investigation into a smuggling ring. Meanwhile, the cost of these monkeys, when they can be obtained, has jumped to more than $25,000 each, compared with $10,000 or less three years ago. Consequently, drug developers expect it to become more difficult to start toxicology studies.
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