Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Generics Drugmaker Aurobindo Cuts Production Over Safety Problems
Aurobindo, which is one of the largest generic drug makers, has halted some production at a key facility in India after U.S. inspectors found manufacturing problems, the latest such episode to underscore concerns over both shortages and the quality of medicines produced by some suppliers. (Silverman, 2/9)
The insatiable demand for weight loss drugs is trouncing supply, leaving many patients struggling to find the injectable treatments. The dominant weight loss drugmakers, Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, have said supply woes likely won’t go away anytime soon, as the popularity of those medicines continues to soar. But both companies are showing encouraging progress in their efforts to increase supply. (Constantino, 2/10)
Novo Nordisk said Friday it settled two lawsuits against two businesses claiming to offer compounded versions of its blockbuster drugs Ozempic and Wegovy. The drugmaker has filed a total of 12 lawsuits against clinics, med spas and compounding pharmacies in the U.S. that claim to offer semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy. Novo Nordisk holds the patent on semaglutide, and the drugmaker does not supply the ingredient to outside groups, leaving some experts wondering what exactly is being sold to consumers. (Lovelace Jr., 2/9)
Efforts in Congress to restrict U.S. market access for Chinese biotech companies and investors face a central dilemma: They could disrupt key relationships and supply chains U.S. life sciences companies rely on. (Snyder, 2/12)
Pfizer has touched down at the Super Bowl. The Big Pharma ran its “Here’s to Science” ad at the event, framing its work to “outdo cancer” as part of a history of breakthroughs dating back to Hippocrates. In the 60-second ad, which also comes in an extended 90-second cut, Pfizer shows paintings, statues and photos of people such as Isaac Newton, its founders Charles Erhart and Charles Pfizer, Galileo and Albert Einstein singing along to Queen’s Don't Stop Me Now. Pfizer’s chief marketing officer Drew Panayiotou discussed the decision to show the ad at the Super Bowl in an accompanying behind the scenes video. (Pfizer, 2/12)
