1. AstraZeneca sales fell as the British drugmaker faced generic competition for its cholesterol-lowering pill Crestor. Sales were down 3%. (Reuters)
2. Anthem has improved access to Exondys 51, Sarepta Therapeutics’ treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Previously, Anthem required special authorization; it now allows for reimbursement when “medically necessary.” (Reuters)
3. Cancer researchers are developing new ways to monitor the growth of tumors. These liquid or blood biopsies are less invasive, but are not yet as reliable as a tissue biopsy. (Axios)
4. Seema Verma, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said in an interview that the Medicaid program is unsustainable in its current form. “One of the major fundamental flaws in the Affordable Care Act was putting able-bodied adults into a program that was designed for disabled people,” she explained. (WSJ)
5. Sanofi has licensed PRN2246, an experimental multiple-sclerosis drug in Phase-I trials, from biotech Principia Biopharma. The Paris-based drugmaker will pay $50 million up front, with possible payments reaching up to $765 million. (Endpoints News)
