The FDA is considering banning e-cigarette sales in convenience stores to curb teen use. The move would make e-cigarettes only available in vape shops. Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said many teens are illegally buying e-cigs in convenience stores, and the vape shops “do a better job of checking ID.” (CNBC)
AbbVie settled a biosimilar patent dispute with German drugmaker Fresenius Kabi Oncology. The German company was granted non-exclusive marketing rights for its biosimilar of blockbuster Humira in Europe. AbbVie’s European patent for the drug lifted this week, with two biosimilars from Amgen and Sandoz also hitting the market. (Reuters)
Voters say healthcare is the most important issue going into the midterms. In a poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation, 71% said it’s “very important.” A majority of voters also said they were more likely to vote for a candidate who wants to maintain protections for people with pre-existing conditions. (Bloomberg)
Novartis is buying biotech Endocyte for $2.1 billion. The company is developing a experimental radiopharmaceutical drug, continuing Novartis’ expansion into nuclear medicine. (BioPharma Dive)
Merck has previewed early kidney cancer data for Keytruda. The drug proved effective in treating frontline kidney cancer in this early study, but final data isn’t expected until 2019 or 2020. The positive data puts even more pressure on its main rival, BMS’s Opdivo. (Endpoints News)
