President Donald Trump has urged people to get vaccinated as the number of measles cases rises. Friday marked the first time Trump weighed in on the vaccine debate and measles outbreak, saying vaccines are “so important.” Before he was president, Trump questioned the safety of vaccines and pushed debunked theories linking them to autism. (CNBC)
Cancer blockbuster Keytruda has failed in a late-stage trial. The Merck immunotherapy did no better than chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for gastric cancer. It is the second Keytruda gastric cancer trial that has failed. (MarketWatch)
Americans trust Democrats to handle healthcare more than Republicans, according to a new poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Forty percent of Americans trust Democrats on healthcare, compared to 23% who feel the same way about Republicans. Respondents also expressed support for proposals like “Medicare for all,” with 57% saying the federal government is responsible for making sure all Americans have healthcare coverage. (Associated Press)
One Democrat running for president, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), wants to end pay-for-delay. The practice, in which pharma companies pay generic makers to keep competition off the market, is considered a contributor to high drug prices. Klobuchar said it is one change she would make to the healthcare system if elected. (Kaiser Health News)
The Food and Drug Administration has approved a biosimilar to Amgen’s autoimmune disease treatment Enbrel. Eticovo, made by Samsung Bioepis, is the second biosimilar approved for Enbrel after Sardoz’s drug Erelzi. (MarketWatch)
