1. There are seven potential blockbuster drugs set to launch in 2016, including Intercept Pharmaceuticals’ chronic liver disease drug obeticholic acid and Gilead Sciences’ new HIV drug, emtricitabine plus tenofovir alafenamide. Eleven blockbuster products launched in 2015. (Reuters)

2. A viewpoint published in JAMA Internal Medicine argued that the Amarin ruling could “unleash a flood of misleading marketing to physicians.” The court’s decision replaces drug regulators with judges, according to the commentary. (MedPage Today)

3. Valeant Pharmaceuticals and Turing Pharmaceuticals raised the prices of newly acquired drugs in order to meet preset profit targets, according to documents obtained by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Executives from both companies are expected to testify Thursday at a hearing. (Dow Jones)


4. One reason that allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices wouldn’t work has to do with regulation. Congress has passed laws, for example, that required Medicare to cover almost every FDA-approved cancer drug. Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have all called for Medicare to negotiate drugs prices. (NYT)  

5. Merck reported a 12% drop in sales of its diabetes drug, Januvia, in the fourth quarter of 2015. Sales of Remicade, its arthritis drug, also fell, by 29% to $396 million during the same period. (Reuters)