Ozempic supply trackers, bird flu vaccines, and Merck's future: Pharma news roundup
Plus, Nestle bets on the GLP-1 market, and Novo Nordisk blames America's health care system for high Ozempic prices
Healthcare companies including Ro and Eli Lilly are introducing online supply trackers to help patients navigate ongoing GLP-1 drug shortages. Moderna says it is in talks about receiving U.S. government funding for its bird flu vaccine trial. Merck said that it is acquiring Eyebiotech (EyeBio) for $3 billion, as the company tries to diversify beyond its best-selling cancer drug Keytruda.
Check out those stories and more pharmaceutical news highlights from this week.
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Nestle CEO Mark Schneider says that the rise of weight loss drugs known as GLP-1s have shifted the nutritional needs of consumers, creating a new opportunity for food companies.
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The U.S. government is close to finalizing a deal to fund a late-stage trial of Moderna’s mRNA H5N1 bird flu vaccine, as officials are considering requiring vaccines for farm workers vulnerable to infection.
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Collectively, the top 10 blockbuster drugs of 2023 generated over $131 billion in sales last year. Looking closer at these figures provides insight into the shifting landscape of the pharmaceutical industry, including the rise of weight loss drugs, the fall of COVID-19 vaccines, and what happens when the patent for the top-selling drug for nearly a decade expires.
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Stock of Israel-based MediWound is up 72% from last year after demand for its severe burn treatment, NexoBrid, surged due to its use in the ongoing war in Gaza.
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Pharma giant Merck said on Wednesday that it is acquiring the privately-held eye drug developer Eyebiotech (EyeBio) as the company tries to diversify beyond its best-selling cancer drug Keytruda.
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As Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly struggle to keep up with soaring demand for their popular diabetes and weight loss drugs, healthcare companies are introducing supply trackers to help patients navigate ongoing shortages.
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Danish pharma giant Novo Nordisk has finally responded to U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’s criticism of the company’s high list prices for its popular diabetes and weight loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy.
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Researchers are developing an mRNA-based vaccine against the contagious H5N1 bird flu virus that is spreading rapidly among poultry and cattle and has already infected two humans in the United States.
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Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic, known for its weight-loss side effects, can also help patients living with chronic kidney disease, per a study funded by the pharmaceutical company.
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Pharma giant Eli Lilly said on Friday that it will pile $5.3 billion