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Medicare is covering Wegovy, a new $4 million drug, and AstraZeneca bets $2 billion: pharma news round up

Medicare is covering Wegovy, a new $4 million drug, and AstraZeneca bets $2 billion: pharma news round up

Plus morning after pill is now being sold at convenience stores in the U.S.

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Image for article titled Medicare is covering Wegovy, a new $4 million drug, and AstraZeneca bets $2 billion: pharma news round up
Graphic: Images: Bloomberg, James R. Martin, Cadence OTC, Andrew Brookes

Medicare is now covering the popular weight loss drug Wegovy, but not for its slimming benefits. Orchard Therapeutics set the price for a new gene therapy at over $4 million, making it the most expensive drug in the world. And AstraZeneca announced it’s acquiring a next-gen cancer treatment maker for $2 billion.

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Check out the slideshow above for that and more pharma news.

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AstraZeneca has agreed to buy all outstanding shares of Fusion Pharmaceuticals at 97% premium.
Image: Bloomberg (Getty Images)

The share price of Fusion Pharmaceuticals doubled almost instantly on Tuesday after AstraZeneca announced it is acquiring the next-gen cancer treatment maker for $2 billion.

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The supermarket chain said it expects to close the sale of its speciality pharmacy business during the second half of 2024.
The supermarket chain said it expects to close the sale of its speciality pharmacy business during the second half of 2024.
Image: James R. Martin (Shutterstock)

Kroger said it is planning to sell its speciality pharmacy business to pharmacy benefit manager CarelonRx, a subsidiary of Elevance Health, the company said Monday.

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Cadence OTC’s Morning After Pill will be available at convenience stores across the U.S.
Cadence OTC’s Morning After Pill will be available at convenience stores across the U.S.
Image: Cadence OTC

The pharmaceutical company Cadence OTC is making its emergency contraception medication, the Morning After Pill, available at convenience stores across the U.S., the company said Tuesday.

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Orchard Therapeutics set the wholesale cost of its gene therapy Lenmeldy at $4.25 million.
Image: Andrew Brookes (Getty Images)

Medical bills have never looked higher. A gene therapy for a rare disease afflicting infants has set its price: $4.25 million, making it the most expensive drug in the world.

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Wegovy injection pens
A clinical trail found that Wegovy could cut the risk of serious heart events by 20%
Image: Staff (Reuters)

Medicare will start covering the popular weight loss drug Wegovy for patients who are prescribed the medication as a way to reduce their risk of serious heart events such as heart attacks and strokes, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced on Thursday.

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Novo Nordisk CEO
Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen says the company’s leaders are expected to mitigate stress.
Image: Pool (Reuters)

Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen wants to slash the number of the company’s 64,000-plus workforce that is feeling stressed.

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