Showing that much lower brand prices are possible, even in the U.S., Theracosbio Inc. announced July 13 that its diabetes drug, Brenzavvy (bexagliflozin), is coming to the U.S. market through the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Co. at a monthly price that’s less than the copay most patients have to pay for other drugs in the class. A new molecular entity approved in January to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes, Brenzavvy is an oral, once-daily sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor that will be available through Cost Plus Drugs with a monthly price tag of $47.85, plus shipping and handling. A 30-day supply of other SGLT2 inhibitors costs hundreds of dollars, with some approaching $600 a month.

Cresilon Inc. obtained U.S. FDA clearance for a hemostatic gel that staunches the flow of blood from minor external wounds. The Cresilon hemostatic gel (CHG) is the first technology to blend polymers from the algae plant to instantaneously create a mechanical barrier against bleeding.

The counterintuitive side of preventing a health crisis prompted by antimicrobial resistance showed itself at a July 11 U.S. Senate hearing, with witnesses saying that antibiotics exist to treat current infections but they often don’t have staying power in the market.

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has voluntarily withdrawn its U.S. BLA for its dengue fever vaccine, Qdenga (TAK-003), following discussions with the FDA centered on “aspects of data collection, which cannot be addressed within the current BLA review cycle,” the company said in a statement. News of the withdrawal comes more than a month after the May 23 Qdenga PDUFA date. The future plan for Qdenga in the U.S. will be further evaluated given the need for travelers and those living in dengue-endemic areas of the U.S., such as Puerto Rico.

The European Commission (EC) fined Illumina Inc. a record €432 million (US$476 million) for closing the acquisition of Grail Inc. before receiving regulatory approval. It is the highest fine ever imposed on a company by the EC for completing a deal without its consent. Grail was fined €1,000. The companies were found to be in breach of EU merger control rules.