1. Bayer submitted its cancer drug Stivarga to the FDA, seeking approval to treat second-line liver cancer. The German drugmaker said it received a fast-track designation for Stivarga, which is already approved for the treatment of colorectal cancer and gastrointestinal stromal tumors. (Reuters)
2. Newly disclosed emails show how concerned some FDA officials were about the approval of Sarepta Therapeutics’ Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug, Exondys 51. The officials said they thought the drug did not follow proper approval procedures. (Stat)
3. Aetna, Humana, and UnitedHealth Group said they want Congress and the next White House administration to address the financial risks of the Affordable Care Act, not replace and repeal it. The insurers said the disproportionate amount of sick patients participating in their health plans is making them lose millions of dollars. (Forbes)
4. Hundreds of groups have raised money to support or oppose California’s Proposition 61, which would require prescription drug prices to be in line with what the Department of Veterans Affairs pays for them. Pharmaceutical companies have donated more than $109 million to oppose the ballot measure, with the top ten donors contributing $69.8 million. (Business Insider)
5. Thousands of patients around the world are resorting to “buyers club” websites to access cheap generic drugs that treat hepatitis C and HIV. The club prices provide up to about 90% in savings. The websites exploit a loophole in World Trade Organization patent rules that makes it legal to import drugs at a small scale for personal use. (Reuters)
