Highlights of the important and interesting in the world of healthcare:
What cost, Gilenya? Swiss drugmaker Novartis just got Food and Drug Administration approval to sell the first pill that can slow the progression of multiple sclerosis. Gilenya will go head-to-head with injectable medicines, including Avonex, Tysabri and Rebif. But how much will the MS pill cost? Novartis won’t say, NPR reports.
Avandia to stay, Nissen says. Word is, U.S. and European regulators will make separate announcements today about the future of Avandia, the GlaxoSmithKline former blockbuster diabetes drug that is being review — again — because it may raise the risk of heart attacks. Cleveland Clinic cardiologist Dr. Steve Nissen tells In Vivo blog that he knows the answer: FDA will leave rosiglitazone on the market.
With the Rise of AI, What IP Disputes in Healthcare Are Likely to Emerge?
Munck Wilson Mandala Partner Greg Howison shared his perspective on some of the legal ramifications around AI, IP, connected devices and the data they generate, in response to emailed questions.
Building a better antibody. CytomX Therapeutics in Santa Barbara, California, has bagged $30 million in a Series B led by Third Rock Ventures and joined by Roche Venture Fund to drive several next-generation antibody programs to the clinic, according to FierceBiotech.
More hot water for J&J. A high-priced law firm wrote Congressional investigators that the FDA was “fully apprised” of Johnson & Johnson’s hush-hush effort to yank Motrin from store shelves rather than do a typical product recall, writes the Pharmalot blog. Meanwhile, the Today Show questioned whether J&J hid the risks of its birth control patch, Ortho Evra.
Obama explains healthcare reform decision. Today’s arrival of some long-awaited health reforms propelled President Obama, whose Democrats have struggled to exploit their signature reform effort, into the backyard of Paul and Frances Brayshaw of Falls Church, Virginia, to explain his decision to pursue health care, the New York Times reports.
