1. The FDA gave Novartis’ experimental CAR-T drug, CTL019, a priority review as a treatment for pediatric and young adult patients with advanced forms of certain kinds of leukemia. Kite Pharma, one of Novartis’ primary competitors in the CAR-T market, this week is expected to finalize the application for its experimental CAR-T drug, KTE-C19. (Endpts)
2. First Call, an addiction center in Kansas City, developed an ad campaign that shows family members treating cancer patients the same way they treat patients addicted to drugs or alcohol. The ad is meant to highlight a surgeon general’s report that found evidence that addiction to drugs or alcohol is a chronic brain disease. (Adweek)
3. Arizona passed new legislation letting drugmakers share truthful and non-misleading information outside of a drug’s approved label, commonly referred to as off-label information. The governor signed the bill into law on March 21. (PolicyMed)
4. The FDA told Egalet that it would not object to the company distributing materials to doctors promoting off-label abuse-deterrent properties of its opioid painkiller, Arymo ER. The new information supports a claim that the drug also deters abuse which the agency originally denied. The company in January received FDA approval for the extended release morphine pill, with a label that it says it deters abuse in people attempting to dissolve the drug to inject it. (Philly Inquirer)
5. Scott Gottlieb, the Trump Administration’s pick for FDA commissioner, reportedly plans to tackle high drug costs with generics and sees that as one of his top priorities. Specifically, he plans to focus on approving cheaper generics for complex combination drugs as well as those with intricate formulations. (Bloomberg)
