Endo International allegedly paid Impax Laboratories to delay the launch of a generic version of its painkiller Opana ER.
1. Endo International reached a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission on charges that the drugmaker paid generic competitors to delay bringing their drugs to market. The FTC claimed that Endo paid Impax Laboratories and Watson Laboratories to delay the introduction of their painkillers. (Reuters)
2. President Trump signed an order to withdraw the U.S. from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which consumer groups say would have protected brand-name biologic patents and may have raised drug prices. (Modern Healthcare)
3. President Trump is reportedly considering biotech billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong for a senior role overseeing the healthcare system and Joseph Gulfo, a health sciences professor and entrepreneur, for the role of FDA commissioner. Trump has also said he is considering venture capitalist Jim O’Neill and former deputy director Scott Gottlieb for the position. (Stat)
4. Johnson & Johnson’s fourth-quarter sales rose but it missed analysts’ expectations. The company cited the strong dollar and slower-than-expected sales of its cancer drugs Imbruvica and Velcade. (Reuters)
5. A federal judge rejected the $37 billion merger of health insurers Aetna and Humana on antitrust grounds. The judge said the deal would drive up healthcare prices because there would be less competition for insurance plans sold on public exchanges. (NYT)
