A jury has found Insys executives guilty in their opioid-related trial. The company founder and four other executives were found guilty of a kickback scheme meant to increase prescriptions of fentanyl spray to patients who didn’t need the painkiller. (Boston Globe)
Attorneys for news organizations are arguing that federal opioid distribution data should be public. A lower court denied access to the information, but the decision was appealed. The federal data could be key to the hundreds of lawsuits against companies that make and distribute the drugs. (Associated Press)
More than half of Americans struggle financially due to medical expenses. A survey from the American Cancer Society found even those with public (26.5%) and private insurance (23.2%) struggle because of medical bills. Overall, 56% reported at least one instance of financial struggle due to medical expenses in the past year. (CNBC)
Tobacco company Reynolds has blamed Juul for the rise in teen vaping. The company opposes Food and Drug Administration rules that would limit the sale of fruity flavored e-cigarettes and said the FDA should instead focus its regulations on only Juul. Reynolds was one of five e-cig makers asked to submit plans to curb teen use last fall. (CNBC)
AstraZeneca has teamed up with French company Transgene for immunotherapy drugs. The two companies will co-develop five viral immunotherapies, that would work to fight tumors with transgenes, or genes artificially introduced into one’s genome. (Reuters)
