Johnson & Johnson has agreed to buy BeneVir to build out its immunotherapy pipeline. The deal is worth $1 billion and is expected to close this quarter. J&J biotech unit Janssen is paying $140 million upfront for BeneVir (Endpoints News)
Federal regulators have approved Kymriah, Novartis’ cell therapy, for patients with a second type of blood cancer, large B-cell lymphoma, who have worsened despite earlier treatment. (Reuters)
Synthetic opioids have surpassed prescription opioids in overdose deaths, according to new research. A study found that the synthetic opioids, like fentanyl, caused 19,413 overdose deaths in 2016, 2,000 more than prescription opioids like OxyContin or Vicodin. (STAT)
Gilead has reported a sales slump for its hepatitis C cure Harvoni in the first quarter. Its hepatitis C franchise dropped 59% to $1.05 billion from $2.58 billion in 2017. One analyst has predicted, however, that its stock will bounce back (CNBC)
The National Institutes of Health wants health data from 1 million people for its new study. Recruitment for the All of Us program will begin on Sunday to research DNA and health habits of Americans. (Washington Post)
