The first round of the U.S.’ Medicare negotiations accounted for a lot of digital ink and headlines in 2024. Next year is sure to bring more of the same as Medicare is to announce up to 15 Part D drugs to be negotiated in the second round by Feb. 1, even as several constitutional challenges to the process continue in federal appeals courts across the country.
Even though pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reforms were dropped from the continuing resolution that was signed into law Dec. 21 to keep the U.S. government fully functional through March 14, the incoming administration and Congress likely will continue to try to rein in the PBMs, which serve as middlemen in the nation’s drug supply chain.
The U.S. FDA approved 10 drugs in November, down from 15 in October, 24 in September and 22 in August. Four new molecular entities were approved by the agency in the month, bringing the year-to-date total to 42.
China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) approved Innovent Biologics Inc.’s NDA for Dovbleron (taletrectinib), a next-generation ROS1 tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), for treating adults with locally advanced or metastatic ROS1-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have been previously treated with ROS1 TKIs.
As if the uncertainties surrounding an incoming administration weren’t enough, a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision and a potential new avenue of liability for drug and device manufacturers could bring an added level of unpredictability to the sector for 2025.
As recently as last month, Lexicon Pharmaceuticals Inc. was holding out hope regarding the NDA for Zynquista (sotagliflozin) as an adjunct to insulin therapy for glycemic control in adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and chronic kidney disease (CKD), with analysts mulling the potential label.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s chief operating officer Stuart Arbuckle said during the Stifel Healthcare Conference in November that his firm’s launch last year of Casgevy (exagamglogene autotemcel) for sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia “was the beginning of diversifying on top of our cystic fibrosis [CF] base” – a base that itself continues to grow.
With Alhemo (concizumab-mtci) from Novo Nordisk A/S, a third hemophilia drug in the past eight months has been approved by the U.S. FDA. The once-daily injectable prophylaxis is to prevent or reduce the frequency of bleeding episodes in adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older with hemophilia A or B with inhibitors.
The first acellular tissue engineered vessel for adults with vascular trauma in a bodily extremity has been approved by the U.S. FDA. Symvess, which comes from regenerative tissue developer Humacyte Inc., can be used to repair an arterial injury that could be life threatening and require immediate attention.
Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc. CEO Brett Monia predicted that diagnoses of familial chylomicronemia syndrome (FCS) will “accelerate fairly quickly” now that the firm has gained U.S. FDA clearance for Tryngolza (olezarsen) as an adjunct to diet to reduce triglycerides in adults with the rare form of severe hypertriglyceridemia (sHTG) that can lead to life-threatening acute pancreatitis (AP).
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