STAT+: Pharmalittle: Pharma moves closer to a pricing deal with U.K.; FDA to review AstraZeneca request for self-administered flu vax
Rise and shine, everyone, another busy day is on the way. We can tell because the official mascots are racing madly about the Pharmalot grounds and the parade of vehicles is picking up nearby. As for us, we are dutifully firing up the coffee kettle to brew another cup of needed stimulation. Our choice today is the oh-so tasty maple bourbon. Please feel free to join us. Now, though, the time has come to get cracking. So here is the latest assembly line of items of interest for your enjoyment. We hope you find these useful and have a smashing day. Best of luck and, as always, do stay in touch. …
European authorities asked four companies, including Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, to provide more information about possible anesthesia complications from weight-loss and diabetes drugs, Bloomberg News says. A European Medicines Agency committee made the request after a meeting in September. The probe comes after the American Society of Anesthesiologists issued guidance in June to suggest patients skip a dose of the drugs prior to surgery. The drugs delay emptying of the stomach, so food may remain even if patients fast prior to surgery, causing potential aspiration of stomach contents. Fluid from the stomach entering the lungs increases the risk of developing pneumonia.
The pharmaceutical industry is close to a deal with the U.K. government over drug pricing, The Financial Times reports. Harry Kirsch, the chief financial officer at Novartis, said drug companies appeared to have an agreement over a voluntary scheme for branded-medicines pricing and access, known as VPAS, which tries to limit the National Health Service drugs bill. The last scheme, which ran for five years, limited the bill to a 2% annual rise. If the total exceeded this limit, drugmakers had to pay back money in the form of a tax. Industry anger grew when this clawback tax rose from about 5% of a drugmaker’s total U.K. revenues a couple of years ago to 26.5% this year.
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