Dr. Timos Papagatsias’ Post

Thoughts on this? >> Consumer and union groups call on FTC to ‘challenge’ Novo-Catalent deal >> Comment below! >>> lqventures.com #strategy #competitiveintelligence #marketing #productmarketing #pharma #healthcare #biotech #pharmaceutical

FTC Sues Prescription Drug Middlemen for Artificially Inflating Insulin Drug Prices In recent months, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) took a significant step toward addressing rising drug costs by filing a complaint against the three largest prescription drug benefit managers (PBMs)—Caremark Rx, Express Scripts (ESI), and OptumRx—and their affiliated group purchasing organizations (GPOs). The FTC alleges that these PBMs engaged in anticompetitive and unfair rebating practices that have: - Inflated insulin list prices by prioritizing higher rebates over affordability. - Blocked access to lower-cost insulin alternatives for vulnerable patients. - Shifted financial burdens onto patients who rely on insulin to survive. The PBMs, which control 80% of U.S. prescriptions, are accused of creating a system that profits from high list prices. They extract billions in rebates and fees while leaving patients to bear the brunt of rising costs. This action marks an essential step in addressing these exploitative practices and restoring competition in the pharmaceutical supply chain. It also signals that drug manufacturers participating in these schemes may face future scrutiny. 🔗 To learn more about the FTC’s complaint and its potential impact on drug pricing reform, visit FTC.gov. 💡 Your thoughts?  What steps should the healthcare industry take to ensure life-saving medications are affordable? 

LucidQuest Strategic Insights (lqventures.com) >>> Gene&Cell Therapy >> Consumer and union groups call on FTC to ‘challenge’ Novo-Catalent deal: The temperature is heating up around Novo Holdings’ acquisition of contract manufacturer Catalent, as consumer and union groups write to the Federal Trade Commission to “challenge” the deal, with a second letter in a week calling for the acquisition to be blocked. Around 10 consumer groups and two labor unions wrote to FTC’s Chair Lina Khan warning the deal will affect competition for weight loss and cell and gene therapy drugs. “We believe this transaction, if consummated, would be harmful to competition across various therapeutic areas and ultimately reduce patients’ access to these vital treatments,” the letter dated Thursday and addressed from former FTC leader and attorney David Balto says. The acquisition will see Novo Holdings buy Catalent for $16.5 billion, and then sell three of Catalent’s sites to Novo Nordisk for $11 billion. Catalent is a large CDMO with over 50 facilities, and has been making GLP-1s since 2017. It is one of few manufacturers with the “specialized” capabilities needed to manufacture GLP-1s, the letter states. If the FTC greenlights the acquisition, it will remove Catalent as an option for other companies with GLP-1 assets. Pharma companies like Amgen, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Roche, Structure Therapeutics, Sun Pharma and Viking Therapeutics all have GLP-1 assets in their pipeline. Not only will the deal impact GLP-1 drug development, but other assets like cell and gene therapies are also made at Catalent’s sites, including Sarepta’s Elevidys and Novartis’ Zolgensma. The letter goes on to warn Catalent is likely to prioritize Novo’s drugs and could charge higher prices and provide worse customer service to Novo’s competitors — Eli Lilly has already voiced its concerns over the deal. Further, the acquisition will allow Novo Nordisk to be privy to competitors’ manufacturing processes, a concern also voiced by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). Last week, Warren wrote to the FTC seeking more scrutiny of the acquisition, arguing the deal will give Novo an unfair advantage in the GLP-1 market. Further, the FTC has already requested further information at least twice, in May and in April, on the Novo-Catalent deal, pushing back its decision deadline a month at a time. “In our view, there is no adequate remedy that resolves the competition concerns raised by this transaction,” the latest letter concludes. It lists the following organizations as signers: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Beta Cell Action, Consumer Action, Doctors for America, Service Employees International Union, Social Security Works, US Public Interest Research Group, Citizen Action/Illinois, Generation Patient, Health Care Voices, Popular Democracy and… #lucidquest #genetherapy #celltherapy

It will be interesting to see how, if at all, this both directly and indirectly affects the traceability in several large markets.

New Post: Pharma giant GSK plunges 9% after U.S. court allows scientific testimony in Zantac lawsuits - https://lnkd.in/dwVqHJXa - The Delaware State Court ruled that expert witnesses can present scientific evidence in the roughly 75,000 cases relating to the discontinued heartburn drug. - #news #business #world -------------------------------------------------- Download: Stupid Simple CMS - https://lnkd.in/g4y9XFgR -------------------------------------------------- or download at SourceForge - https://lnkd.in/gNqB7dnp

Have you seen it yet? 👀 This week, RTE investigates’ alarming report, “Black Market Weight Loss”, highlights the importance of the Bonafides checks we perform in our pharmaceutical supply chains. The investigation uncovered: 🚨 Illegal trade and distribution of GLP-1 weight-loss medications 🚨 Counterfeit and falsified medications reaching patients, posing serious health risks David Keyes, Director of United Drug Wholesale, spoke brilliantly about the checks and controls we, as an industry, have in place to ensure regulated and secure pharmaceutical supply chains. This includes unique identifiers and the upfront Bonafides checks of suppliers and customers. “Before we ever order a product, we will double-check the Bonafides of the party we are going to deal with.” – David Keyes With Bonafides checks being the first and critical step in oversight and control for regulated GxP distribution activities, we at Bonafi understand the daily challenges involved in performing this vital task. Our platform supports pharmaceutical companies by: ✅ Digitising supplier and customer Bonafides checks ✅ Reducing risks and increasing efficiency for customer and supplier qualifications ✅ Enabling visual monitoring, oversight, and trending through interactive dashboards ✅ Continuously monitoring competent authority registers for changes and alerts 365 days a year We highly recommend watching the RTÉ documentary, RTÉ Investigates: Black Market Weight Loss, if you haven’t already. Link here: https://lnkd.in/d32BHcKm It’s a powerful reminder of how secure supply chains protect patients and maintain trust in medicines. If you’d like to learn how Bonafi can support your organisation, reach out to us. #SupplyChain #Pharmaceutical #Distributio maCompliance #SupplyChainIntegrity #PatientSafety #Bonafi #Innovation #PharmaIndustry

Learn how to navigate the complex landscape of pharmaceutical pricing with our latest white paper. Gain valuable insights into optimizing launch prices, managing lifecycle pricing pressures, and more! https://ow.ly/XtK650REyMj #PharmaInsights #PriceRightPayLater

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New Year’s resolutions may fade, but GLP-1 weight-loss therapies (like Ozempic and Wegovy) are here to stay — and they’re already disrupting the consumer markets industry. https://pwc.to/3Wisbgu