1. The FDA said that Sarepta Therapeutics did not provide the regulator with enough evidence to support approval of the drug, eteplirsen, which was developed to treat some patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Also this week the FDA rejected BioMarin Pharmaceutical’s Kyndrisa, a drug developed to treat the same disorder. (Reuters)
2. The FDA’s process for tracking drugs after they are approved is flawed, according to a new report. The Government Accountability Office studied the issue over complaints that the FDA’s fast-track approval pathway raises questions about the safety of new drugs. (NYT)
3. WebMD denied that it in negotiations to be acquired, in a statement. The Financial Times this week had reported that Walgreens Boots Alliance and UnitedHealth Group were in talks to buy the company. (Fortune)
4. A new study found that many patients who have health insurance purchased on the exchanges have spent more than 10% of their income on premiums, deductibles and other out-of-pocket payments. This may deter some people from buying health insurance. (Kaiser Health News)
5. Patients may be less fearful of needles than previously thought, according to physicians’ perspective on MannKind’s inhaled insulin Afrezza, which has struggled to generate sales. (MedPage Today)
