Ozempic supply trackers, bird flu vaccines, and Merck's future: Pharma news roundup
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.
Nestle’s CEO on the Ozempic era: Consumers’ nutritional needs are ‘shifting’
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.
Moderna’s mRNA bird flu vaccine trial is close to getting U.S. government funding
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.
Ozempic, Humira, and more: The 10 most lucrative drugs of 2023
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.
A burn treatment company’s stock has soared amid Israel’s war in Gaza
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.
Merck is spending $3 billion on an eye drug developer as it braces to lose a key cancer patent
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.
Ozempic and weight loss drug shortages can now be tracked by patients
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.
Novo Nordisk says Ozempic is expensive because of America’s health care system
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.
Researchers are developing an experimental bird flu mRNA vaccine
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.
Ozempic can also help with chronic kidney disease, a study funded by Novo Nordisk finds
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.
Eli Lilly is spending billions on a new facility to make its popular weight loss drug Zepbound
Pharma giant Eli Lilly said on Friday that it will pile $5.3 billion