Amgen and Astellas have settled a kickback investigation with the federal government for a total of $125 million. The Justice Department had been investigating claims that pharma companies’ donations to charities were actually kickbacks to Medicare patients to cover their out-of-pocket costs, a violation of federal law. (Wall Street Journal)
Bayer is looking at options for its established drug portfolio. The older products are facing headwinds as China implements a value-based pricing system, the head of the unit told investors. Bayer is looking at its strategy both in China and other regions. (Reuters)
Oncology was the strongest area of growth at four pharma companies in Q1. Bristol-Myers Squibb, Bayer, Novartis and AbbVie released Q1 earnings on Thursday, and their cancer drugs were some of the fastest growing and biggest sellers. (MM&M)
The Food and Drug Administration has approved Bausch Health’s plaque psoriasis lotion. The treatment, branded as Duobrii, is priced about 50% lower than similar topical treatments at $825 for a 100-gram tube. The lotion is expected to become a key revenue driver for the company. (Reuters)
U.S. measles cases have hit a record high since its eradication in 2000. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there have been 695 measles cases this year, the highest number since the U.S. declared the disease eradicated 19 years ago. (Reuters)
