1. A proposed national strategy that seeks to eliminate two types of hepatitis by 2030 would require the U.S. government to license the rights to at least one new hepatitis-C treatment, such as Gilead Sciences’ Harvoni. This could save the government up to $8 billion over the next 13 years. (LAT)
2. The FDA approved Roche’s Ocrevus, the first drug to treat the primary progressive form of multiple sclerosis. The treatment will cost $65,000 per year, which is cheaper than what Merck charges for a competing product, Rebif. (Reuters)
3. The FDA also on Tuesday approved Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals’ Dupixent, a treatment for people with severe eczema. It will cost $37,000 per year but is cheaper than Humira and Enbrel, which are often used to treat autoimmune skin diseases. (NYT)
4. Scott Gottlieb, President Trump’s nominee for FDA commissioner, plans to recuse himself from decisions on more than 20 companies for one year. Those companies include GlaxoSmithKline and Bristol-Myers Squibb. (WSJ)
5. One analyst believes that the Trump administration may take action on drug pricing to provide political cover since the demise of the American Health Care Act. That’s bad for pharma, he told Forbes. (Forbes)
