STAT+: Pharmalittle: U.S. Chamber and feds clash on Medicare price negotiation; South Africa probes J&J over TB-drug pricing
Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another working week. We hope the weekend respite was restful and invigorating because now that familiar routine of meetings and deadlines and what-not has returned. As you might expect, we are coping by quaffing a few cups of welcome stimulation — our flavor today is southern pecan — and, as always, we invite you to join us. Remember, a prescription is not required. Meanwhile, here are some tidbits to help you along. Hope you have a smashing day, and do stay in touch. …
Novo Nordisk has hired PCI Pharma Services, a contract manufacturer, to handle assembly and packaging of Wegovy as it races to boost output of the weight-loss drug to meet demand, Reuters reports. PCI, which has 15 facilities in North America, Europe, and Australia, is putting together the self-injection pens used to administer Wegovy. Novo has been unable to keep pace with demand for the drug in the five markets — the United States and four European countries — where it is available. The company is spending billions of dollars to ramp up production, by building new factories and hiring more contract manufacturers to fill the pens.
Attorneys for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. government sparred over whether drugmakers have enough say in Medicare’s new drug price-negotiation program, in the first oral arguments in a lawsuit challenging the new law, STAT notes. The two sides debated two questions: whether the Chamber of Commerce would be sufficiently injured by the law to file a lawsuit, and whether the program violates due process rights for drugmakers. The case is likely the first test of a barrage of lawsuits from the pharmaceutical industry and its allies over the new law. The Chamber asked for a preliminary injunction by Oct. 1, when drugmakers are required to sign paperwork to participate.
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