Drugmakers boosted their shipments of opioid painkillers across the U.S. from 2006 to 2012 as the opioid crisis worsened. Over the six-year period, drugmakers distributed 76 billion hydrocodone and oxycodone pills to pharmacies in the U.S., according to federal data made public as part of a court case. (Associated Press)
Meanwhile, the number of total drug overdoses in the U.S. dropped by 5% last year, the first time it has declined since 1990. Last year, 68,000 individuals died from overdoses, more than from gun violence, car crashes or AIDS. A decline in opioid painkiller prescriptions was credited for the drop. (New York Times)
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is set to begin a vigorous defense of his “Medicare for all” plan, shortly after Democratic frontrunner and former Vice President Joe Biden made public plans to insure more Americans by building on the Affordable Care Act. (Associated Press) Sanders also urged his 2020 rivals to swear off donations from the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. (Reuters)
The Food and Drug Administration has approved Merck’s combination treatment for some forms of urinary tract and abdominal infections. Known as Recarbrio, the combination treatment has been approved for patients over age 18. (Reuters)
Chief scientific officer John McHutchinson is set to leave Gilead on August 2 amid a shakeup of the company’s management team. (Endpoints) The company’s chief patient officer and head of human resources are also set to depart. (BioPharmaDive)
