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

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.
Check out the slideshow above for that and more pharma news.
AstraZeneca is betting $2 billion on next-generation cancer treatments

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.
Kroger is selling its pharmacy business — but says that has nothing to do with its Albertsons merger

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.
The morning after pill is now being sold at convenience stores across the U.S.

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.
The world’s most expensive drug has a new $4.25 million price tag

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.
The popular weight loss drug Wegovy will now be covered under Medicare — but not for weight loss

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.
Ozempic maker Novo Nordisk has an ‘unsustainable’ level of stressed out workers, CEO says

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