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Good morning, and happy birthday to me! Today, we see the Senate Appropriations Committee look to increase NIH funding, despite the Trump administration’s request to slash it. Also, Trump makes drug pricing demands, and more.
The need-to-know this morning
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals said the FDA rejected odronextamab, a treatment for follicular lymphoma. The agency will also delay decisions on two applications seeking expanded use of its eye drug Elyea. All three applications were negatively impacted by issues found by FDA inspectors at a Catalent contract manufacturing facility, Regeneron said. The Catalent facility was recently acquired by Novo Nordisk.
- Moderna and Regeneron reported second-quarter earnings.
Trump demands drugmakers slash U.S. price now
President Trump yesterday intensified his push to force pharmaceutical companies to align U.S. drug prices with those in other wealthy nations, sending letters to 17 major companies and demanding compliance by Sept. 29. The letters call for sweeping changes, STAT’s Elaine Chen writes, including offering Medicaid and Medicare drugs at prices comparable to the lowest levels in countries part of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development that have at least 60% of the U.S. GDP. The letter also called to expand direct-to-consumer sales of high-rebate drugs, and repatriating foreign profits.
