Gilead has agreed to donate HIV-prevention drug Truvada to the federal government. The pharma company will supply the drug for up to 200,000 people annually for the next 11 years. Critics said that cutting the price of Truvada, which is about $20,000 per year, would do more to protect people at risk. (New York Times)
Eli Lilly’s migraine drug has pulled ahead of competitors in attracting new patients. Emgality claimed the largest share of first-time patients at 37.7%, according to prescribing data from IQVIA. Amgen migraine drug Aimovig came in second and Teva’s drug, Ajovy, was third. (Reuters)
Washington State has ended personal and philosophical exemptions from the measles vaccine. The state was one of 17 that allowed non-medical vaccine exemptions to parents. Governor Jay Inslee said, “We should be listening to science and medicine, not social media.” (Associated Press)
Here’s an inside look at what Amazon is doing with PillPack. PillPack has been in talks with Blue Cross Blue Shield, while Amazon has started promoting the service to select Prime members, among other moves. (CNBC)
The Food and Drug Administration has finalized the process of making a biosimilar “interchangeable” with a biologic. The new guidance laid out what type of studies companies need to conduct to make a biosimilar “interchangeable” with a branded biologic. It also removed confusion about and barriers to getting more biosimilars on the market. (STAT)
