The Food and Drug Administration approved Gilead Sciences’ once-daily, triple-combination HIV drug Biktarvy. The decision prompted ViiV Healthcare to file a lawsuit claiming that Biktarvy infringes patents for its own triple-combination drug Triumeq. (Reuters)
A Morning Consult/Politico poll of nearly 2,000 registered voters revealed a split in opinion over the effectiveness of President Donald Trump’s response to the opioid epidemic. Thirty-eight percent of respondents said that the administration has sufficiently addressed the crisis, while 36% said it has not. Twenty-six percent said they do not know or have no opinion. (Morning Consult)
New Zealand government agency PHARMAC said the country will become one of the first to publicly fund an HIV-prevention drug. It will offer Gilead Sciences’ pre-exposure prophylaxis treatment Truvada for HIV-negative individuals at high risk of contracting the virus, at a cost of less than $5 for a three-month supply. (Newshub)
Outcome Health has partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to launch a pro bono flu-education campaign across its physician office and health system network. The campaign debuted just over a week after Outcome secured a deal with investors to settle allegations that it shared misleading information about the company’s performance. (Outcome Health)
The Senate’s two-year budget deal includes funding for several Democratic healthcare priorities, though it does not shore up Affordable Care Act-mandated insurance marketplaces. The Senate bill must clear the House of Representatives before it can be signed by President Trump (NPR)
