Gilead's new HIV med, a bird flu shot for chickens, and Hims does blood tests: Pharma news roundup
Gilead (GILD) said on Tuesday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted its application for a twice-yearly injectable drug designed to prevent HIV. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) granted a conditional license for a vaccine designed to protect chickens from the bird flu, in an effort to contain an outbreak that has sent egg prices soaring. And after cashing in on the weight-loss drug boom, millennial-focused telehealth company Hims & Hers (HIMS) is expanding into at-home blood testing.
Check out those stories and more pharmaceutical news highlights from this week.
Eli Lilly wants to use its weight loss drug windfall to fight Alzheimer’s and hearing loss
The weight-loss drug boom has transformed Eli Lilly (LLY), the maker of Zepbound, into the largest healthcare company in the world. Now, the pharma giant wants to reinvest its success with weight-loss meds into tackling some of the world’s toughest health challenges. Eli Lilly chief scientific officer Dan Skovronsky told CNBC in an interview the the company is now working to tackle diseases like Alzheimer’s, neurodegenerative diseases, heart health and even hearing loss.
Trump’s tariff threats are hitting these car, chip, and pharma stocks
President Donald Trump escalated trade tensions Tuesday by threatening to impose new 25% tariffs on automobiles, pharmaceuticals, and semiconductors, heightening concerns over a potential trade war. The announcement has sent ripples through financial markets, with investors bracing for potential volatility.
Big Pharma and drug middlemen donated record money to get Trump on their side
In the months after the 2024 election and before President Donald Trump’s second inauguration, healthcare executives paid millions of dollars to get the ear of the president. The Wall Street Journal reports that Trump has told associates that he raised roughly $500 million in that time, with the funds being split into his inaugural committee and other accounts, including a political action committee. Healthcare executives were among those who wrote the largest checks to attend fundraising dinners with Trump in an effort to gain favor and influence his healthcare agenda, The Journal reports.
Hims & Hers is getting into the at-home blood testing business
After having massive success with off-brand weight-loss drugs, the millennial-focused telehealth company Hims & Hers is now expanding its offerings to include at-home blood tests. The company announced today that it has acquired Sigmund NJ, marketed as Trybe Labs, allowing Hims & Hers to offer affordable, at-home blood draws. Through the new tests, customers will be able to get lab work done on a variety of health concerns including hormone levels, cardiac risk, stress markers, cholesterol, liver function, thyroid function, and prostate health.
A new HIV prevention drug could get FDA approval this year
Preventing HIV infections could soon be as simple as two shots a year. Gilead announced on Tuesday that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted its new drug application for a twice-yearly injectable drug designed to prevent HIV. The FDA has granted the application a priority review, setting a target decision date of June 19, 2025.
A bird flu vaccine for chickens is on its way
In a bid to contain a bird flu outbreak that has sent egg prices soaring, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) last week granted a conditional license for a vaccine designed to protect chickens from the virus. The vaccine was developed by animal health giant Zoetis (ZTS) and received approval last week. In a statement, the company said that it began updating its existing bird flu vaccine in 2022, as outbreaks of the highly contagious virus spread through poultry flocks.