1. An estimated 600 patients per year who are eligible for treatment with Novartis’ newly approved CAR-T therapy. This means the initial market for the drug, called Kymriah, is worth less than $300 million per year. (Reuters)
2. The FDA halted two Merck studies testing Keytruda in combination with other drugs as a treatment for multiple myeloma. Early results found that there was an increased risk of death for patients taking this combination therapy. (RAPS)
3. The FDA delayed its decision on approving Mylan and Biocon’s biosimilar version of Roche’s Herceptin. The target action date has been extended to December 3. (Bloomberg)
4. Arizona’s attorney general filed a lawsuit alleging that Insys Therapeutics fraudulently marketed Subsys, its fentanyl-based pain drug for cancer patients. The suit accuses the drugmaker of giving sham speaker fees to physicians in exchange for prescriptions. (Reuters)
5. The Trump administration plans to cut the advertising budget for the Affordable Care Act to $10 million, down from $100 million. The ads are used to promote enrollment in the exchanges. (WaPo)
